There's choice, people just don't want to give up convenience.

You can get everything you need from local places.

Want patio stones? Go to the manufacturer that the big boxes buy from. Want lumber? Head down to the lumber yard. It's not much easier, but it's not complicated.

Most of the issue comes from the fact that people don't want to examine their own consumption habits.

You can assign blame wherever you want, it definitely starts with the politicians who let this mania occur. But at the same time, don't forget to look in the mirror. Your dollar is a vote for that bullshit if you patronize banks, stores, or any organization that outsources your work to India.

HH varies wildly from franchise to franchise.

Rona bought Totem, an actual Canadian company, and tried to run them, terribly, until they got swallowed up by their shit brand and are now all gone. I'm so pissed about that, I loved how Totem worked. It had a drive-in lumber yard and staff that cared.

Unfortunately I'm not able to give a recommendation. I live a fairly non-materialistic lifestyle and most of what I own I salvage, fix, or barter. I realize that's not much of an answer... Or is it I don't know? I have mostly checked out of the big box store lifestyle.

Rona was Canadian owned at one point, but that's gone. McMunn & Yates? They were started in the '50s in Manitoba and I think they're still fully Canadian.

Rona is own by Murica

I just get more spam in the end, which is annoying. My gmail inbox is a spam magnet. Non e-commerce serious stuff goes elsewhere.