Where would Canada be without Mexicans?
In thrall to the Chinese, that’s where:
Dave Feschuk, The Toronto Star:
While hockey’s previous century was dominated by wood sticks made in factories in small-town Ontario and Quebec, where the employees presumably possessed intimate knowledge of Canada’s national winter sport, the shift to composite sticks has transplanted the manufacturing process to places where the game’s roots are nonexistent. All the major stick manufacturers have operations in Asia; Sher-Wood, the last of the Canadian companies to make wood sticks on an industrial scale, recently announced plans to move its remaining domestic concern to China.
But Warrior, plus market leader Easton, make many of their highest-end sticks here, in this industry-heavy zone a short drive from the U.S. border. The manufacturers choose Mexico for a number of reasons. Skilled labour is relatively cheap. Shipping is cheaper and timelier than it is from Asia. And the Mexican operations can be overseen by U.S.-based staff who make the short trip from nearby metropolitan San Diego.
More on Mexican ice hockey (it really does exist) at http://alienhockey.blogspot.mx/2012/02/cinco-de-mayo-tourney-2012.html
mexfiles.net 
It amazes me how many economies rely on a population of ‘Mexicans’ to survive, relying on their skills and willingness to be paid peanuts for their work. At what point do they up the ante? I wonder…
For an amusing piece on the Canada-Mexico hockey connection visit here:
http://meridagoround.com/?p=632 “Hockey Night in Merida: Fire without Ice”
For further fun with Canadian angst, try this one: http://crookedtimber.org/2012/12/21/the-christmas-sermon-2012-on-not-believing-in-canada/
Just another reason for Canadians to love Mexico