A new Harris Poll survey suggests that “Buy Canadian” sentiment has become more than a feeling, with a large portion of consumers reporting that their patriotic purchases are now habitual.

The latest “Live by the Leaf Index” shows that 83% of Canadians, regardless of age, gender or income level, say at least one of the changes they’ve made to their consumer behaviour during the Canada-U.S. trade war has become habit.

Prioritizing buying Canadian-made products was the most popular reported habit formed with 47% of those polled saying they’d adopted the behaviour, followed by buying fewer American goods (44%) and spending more time to understand product details, such as country of origin and pricing (27%).

Because those actions are becoming more ingrained, Harris suggests consumers might be less likely to report that they are going out of their way to buy Canadian because they no longer feel like extra work.

The number of those willing to try new brands in order to buy Canadian was down five points in the poll to 78%, while the percentage of those willing to wait longer for Canadian products was down six points (67%) and the percentage of those willing to pay more for Canadian items was down eight points (60%).

The survey also suggests Canadians will be foregoing trips to the U.S. this summer. Just 10% of participants said they anticipate or have already travelled to the U.S. this year, down from the 23% estimated in the survey in the past two years.

And more staycations appear to be in the works, with 82% of those surveyed saying they intend to stay home in 2025 compared with 75% in 2023 and 2024.

The current mood, largely brought on by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, has also contributed to an increased sense of meaning surrounding Canada Day, according to the survey.

Close to half of those polled (48%) said this July 1 will be more meaningful than usual, with 24% responding that it is much more meaningful. Younger Canadians were the most likely to say they will be celebrating the holiday with Gen Z tied for tops with Gen X at 89% and millennials close behind at 87%.

The June 20 to 23 online survey, conducted by the Harris Poll Canada on behalf of Petro-Canada, sampled 1,538 Canadians 18 or older with results weighted by age, gender, region, education and language (in Quebec) to match the population census data.