<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Of interest to #Canadians.]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Of interest to <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/Canadians" rel="tag">#<span>Canadians</span></a>.  With the Fedi skew to tech-knowledgeable people, this probably isn't news to many.</p><p>But if you're looking to buy <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/electrical" rel="tag">#<span>electrical</span></a> stuff - power bars, extension cords, multi-outlet wall taps that convert 1 <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/socket" rel="tag">#<span>socket</span></a> into 3 or 2 into 6, all this sort of stuff - be careful where you buy it.</p><p>The big hardware stores / home centres sell this stuff, but at stupidly-high <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/prices" rel="tag">#<span>prices</span></a>.  There's no reason a 10-foot extension cord should cost $25, or a power bar $40.  So many people reasonably look for <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/cheaper" rel="tag">#<span>cheaper</span></a> alternatives.</p><p>A lot of <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/stores" rel="tag">#<span>stores</span></a> and sellers operating in the ... less-well-regulated portions of the market bring this stuff in cheap directly from sellers/manufacturers in China or other countries.  Independent stores, mall kiosks, people selling out of their home - their products may not be approved for sale in Canada, because they don't have the necessary <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/safety" rel="tag">#<span>safety</span></a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/certification" rel="tag">#<span>certification</span></a>.  And many of *those* products are actually downright dangerous.  I've taken a lot of them apart and seen the many, many ways they can kill you or burn your house down.</p><p>Instead, get this stuff at <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/Dollarama" rel="tag">#<span>Dollarama</span></a>.  Their stuff is actually safety-certified by one of the required labs - <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/CSA" rel="tag">#<span>CSA</span></a>, <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/UL" rel="tag">#<span>UL</span></a>, or most likely <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/ETL" rel="tag">#<span>ETL</span></a>.  It's approved for sale in <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/Canada" rel="tag">#<span>Canada</span></a>.  And it's still cheap.  It might be a little more than guy-with-a-sales-counter-in-a-dilapidated-strip-mall, but not by enough to matter.</p><p>Other big chains might be okay - but I haven't personally verified those.</p><p><a href="https://mindly.social/tags/PowerBar" rel="tag">#<span>PowerBar</span></a> <a href="https://mindly.social/tags/ExtensionCord" rel="tag">#<span>ExtensionCord</span></a></p>]]></description><link>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/baeb690d-b24b-4b12-b6cf-ef0f7c9fed8b/of-interest-to-canadians.</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 02:50:03 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/baeb690d-b24b-4b12-b6cf-ef0f7c9fed8b.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:41:50 GMT</pubDate><ttl>60</ttl></channel></rss>