Roustan Hockey: last wooden stick maker fights tariffs and delays
Oct 15, 2025
Based in Brantford, Ontario, Roustan Hockey traces its roots to the 1800s and now stands as North America’s last commercial manufacturer of traditional wooden hockey sticks. The factory turns out about 400,000 sticks annually under brands like Christian, Northland and Sherwood, exporting roughly 100,000 to the United States (manufacturing.net). Workers still use low-tech processes of cutting, sanding and painting by hand, to preserve a slice of sporting heritage.
Trump’s trade policies have created new headaches. In late August, the U.S. administration scrapped the duty-free allowance for cross-border shipments under $800, meaning that small orders of sticks now face tariffs. Moreover, goalie pads were hit with a 200% tariff that has made exporting that product south of the border nearly impossible. To survive, the company will need to ramp up its domestic market or find diversified trading partners.
Our Take
Roustan’s situation may be considered a microcosm of Canada’s larger economic situation. Indeed, like Roustan, Canada is being forced to ramp up its domestic markets and/or to find diversified trading partners. But these solutions are not easy or automatic, at the government level, or at the level of a small company like Roustan.
Truthfully, it’s surprising we haven’t heard more about Roustan, given how nostalgic and cautionary their situation is. On the one hand, it shows how one small factory has been able to survive with a product that represents a cultural symbol of sorts. On the other hand, it highlights the mounting challenges that Canadian companies are facing in a global trade environment that isn’t always friendly. If we want the hockey sticks our children wield to be Made in Canada, we need demonstrate this by supporting the companies that produce them.
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