After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Jan. 6 announced his intention to step down once a new Liberal leader is chosen, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s first public reaction was to emphasize the need to continue the work to avoid U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s promised tariffs.
“Regardless of the political situation in Ottawa, over the next fourteen days the prime minister must be squarely focused on doing everything possible to prevent U.S. tariffs,” Ford said in an X post on Jan. 6.
And while the federal government has announced a $1.3 billion plan to boost border security in light of Trump’s pledge that Canada will be faced with 25 percent tariffs unless it stops illegal immigration and drug inflow to the United States, the premiers have also taken different actions on their own.
Most provinces border the United States and all heavily rely on U.S. trade, and while border security is in the jurisdiction of the federal government, under Canada’s federal model, premiers have certain powers of their own.
A delegation of premiers will soon travel to Washington to discuss the tariffs. Meanwhile, Trudeau visited Trump in Florida in November, and two of his senior cabinet ministers also visited the Trump team in December.
Ontario Launches Border Operation
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to the media outside of his office in the Queens Park Legislature in Toronto on Dec. 11, 2024. The Canadian Press/Chris Young
Before Trump made his tariff threat on Nov. 25, 2024, Ford was already trying to ensure Canada’s free trade agreement with the United States isn’t jeopardized given that Trump had said he intends to renegotiate it. Ford called on Ottawa to prioritize Canada–U.S. bilateral trade over the trilateral CUSMA deal, especially if Mexico does not impose tariffs on Chinese goods to the same extent Canada and the United States have.
Following Trump’s tariff threat, Canada’s premiers led by Ford as chair of the Council of the Federation met on Nov. 27. Ford told reporters the next day that he intended to “take the positive approach.”
His government launched a U.S. advertising campaignemphasizing the long-standing relationship between the province and its southern neighbour. He also appeared on different U.S. media networks for interviews, including Fox News, CNN, and CNBC, to emphasize that the two countries are “so much stronger when we stick together.”
“This is pretty simple. The president has asked us to secure our border. I agree with him 1,000 percent,” Ford said in one interview. “We need to secure our border, we are going to secure our border.”
Ford has urged the federal government to take more action the border, while he has also introduced a provincial plan to boost border security, including the use of the provincial police force.
On Jan. 7, the province introduced “Operation Deterrence,” a border-strengthening plan to disrupt illegal border crossings as well as drug and gun smuggling. The operation includes a team of 200 provincial police officers who will help guard the border using fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, drones, boats, off-road vehicles, and foot patrol.
Alberta Introduces Border Plan, Favours Diplomacy Over Threats
Alberta United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith holds a news conference during the provincial election in Calgary on May 24, 2023. The Canadian Press/Todd Korol
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been vocal against retaliatory measures, saying she does not support tariffs against the United States and that her government’s approach “is one of diplomacy, not threats.”
On Dec. 12, 2024, the Alberta government introduced a $29 million border plan featuring a new patrol unit and drone surveillance aimed at enhancing provincial security and addressing Trump’s concerns.
The plan, set to become operational in early 2025, includes creating a critical border zone where sheriffs will be able to arrest those attempting to smuggle drugs or firearms or to cross the border illegally.
Besides being the first premier to take action to boost border security, Smith has engaged multiple times with U.S. media, including Fox News and CNBC, highlighting Canada’s role in the U.S. economy and saying tariffs would hurt both Canadians and Americans.
She has also made the case for Alberta as a major source of oil and gas for the United States.
On Jan. 2, the province announced it will send its justice minister and public safety minister to Texas to exchange information on best practices in public safety and justice, to enhance safety through cross-border collaboration.Alberta already has a trade office in Washington, D.C., dedicated to boosting economic ties between the province and the United States. Smith will also attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony.
BC Premier Says ‘Nothing Is Off the Table’
B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during an announcement in Delta, B.C., on May 2, 2023. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck
Following the first meeting of first ministers on Nov. 27, B.C. Premier David Eby said Canada needed a “strong response” to “unjustified tariffs,” which he said threaten workers and businesses across the country.
Eby acknowledged Trump’s concerns related to drug trafficking, singling out fentanyl and the precursor chemicals coming from Mexico and Canada for making the street drug. He told CTV News on Nov. 28 that the precursors “create drugs that are killing so many people in our province and across the country. It’s a huge priority for us tighten that up.”
He said his province would do its part to secure the border and that he “wouldn’t hesitate” to call back the legislature on the matter.
In early December, Eby said the first ministers had made a plan to strengthen ties with the United States using their political diversity. He said they had discussed how conservative premiers like Smith, Ford, and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston could leverage their Republican contacts, while he could engage with Democratic governors.Then, during an unrelated news conference on Dec. 12., Eby said his province would be ready to support countermeasures.
“Nothing is off the table,” he said. “We are prepared to support retaliatory tariffs and a response to the United States that gets their attention to help them understand what the consequences would be for British Columbians and what the consequences would be for Americans.”
Eby also said he’s not considering a provincial border security plan.
“To take over federal responsibilities at the federal border and pay for that when British Columbians are paying for so many other things that other provinces don’t have to pay for, feels a bit like a step too far,” he said.
Saskatchewan Premier Says Dialogue Is the Answer
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks at a press conference in Regina on Dec. 9, 2020. The Canadian Press/Michael Bell
Since tariffs were first threatened, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has favoured dialogue with the incoming U.S. administration, saying a boost in border security would also benefit Canadians.
He said that although the proposed tariffs would harm his province’s export-based economy and drive up prices on both sides of the border, retaliatory tariffs are not the answer.
“Export taxes on [Canadian] commodities would be a self-destructive response to U.S. tariffs as they would only increase the harm to our economy and jobs,” Moe said in a Dec. 12 social media post, adding that his province would be one of the hardest-hit, given that it’s an exporter of uranium, potash, and oil and gas.
In a year-end interview with CTV News, Moe said his government will support Ottawa in its outreach efforts, collaborate with other premiers, and develop a provincial approach based on its existing U.S. relations.
“It’s going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach,” he said.
Manitoba Boosting Border Security
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew speaks during the media availability at the 2024 Western Premiers' Conference in Whitehorse on June 10, 2024. The Canadian Press/Crystal Schick
In response to Trump’s threat, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said on Nov. 27 that the solution is to strengthen border security and “bring the hammer down on drug trafficking.” He highlighted the need to address RCMP staffing, saying it would benefit public safety, efforts to combat the drug crisis, and the economy.
On Dec. 3, the province announced it will open a trade office in Washington as part of a strategy to boost economic ties with the United States, and will “speak to the incoming Trump administration in their language.”
On Dec. 6, Kinew said Manitoba conservation officers will be tasked with helping police and border officials monitor the border. He told reporters those officers will serve as “additional eyes and ears” and could help in humanitarian situations.
After the Dec. 11 first ministers’ meeting, Kinew said, without providing details, that Manitoba was considering retaliatory measures.
“As the Canadian government and other provinces are beginning to think about what a Canadian response would be, we are preparing our list and starting to think through what those options should look like,” he told reporters on Dec. 12.
Kinew also said Manitoba would pay RCMP agents overtime to patrol the U.S. border, as well as use technology such as drones and increase patrols on roads leading into the United States.
In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Kinew did not rule out providing financial assistance to Manitobans affected by any tariffs, but he offered no other details.
Quebec Premier Urges Ottawa to Outline a ‘Clear’ Plan
Quebec Premier François Legault gestures as he speaks to the media at the legislature in Quebec City on Aug. 23, 2023. The Canadian Press/Francis Vachon
The day after Trump’s Nov. 25 tariff announcement, Quebec Premier François Legault told reporters that the incoming president’s concerns about immigration were “legitimate,” but expressed concern about a possible “tens of thousands of lost jobs.”
On Dec. 7, Legault posted a photo on social media in which he appears shaking hands with Trump. He said in the caption that he had discussed border control and the proposed tariffs with the president-elect.
Following the Dec. 11 meeting with his counterparts and the prime minister, Legault issued a statement on social media asking the federal government for a “clear commitment” on its border security plan, including a specific budget and details on the number of additional personnel needed.
In the statement, he asked that visa applicants be required to have a return air ticket to their home country, to have a minimum of assets in their home country, and to undergo a criminal background check.
Following the Dec. 16 meeting with all premiers, Legault once again called on Ottawa to tighten visa enforcement and to “quantify the human and financial resources” that it will provide in its border plan.
In a Dec. 18 social media post, Legault said the federal government needs to focus its border security efforts on certain areas of Quebec’s southern border where a large share of arrests related to illegal crossings from Canada to the United States occur. He said Ottawa had not disclosed how it planned to allocate its resources or its measures for tightening visa approvals.
New Brunswick Asks Ottawa to assure US of ‘Strong’ Border Measures
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt speaks to the media during a meeting of Canada's premiers hosted in Toronto on Dec. 16, 2024. The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette
Following Trump’s announcement of the potential tariffs, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said Canada needs to reassure the United States that its border measures are “strong.”
Holt later said her province was “preparing for the worst.”
In a Dec. 15 interview with Global News, she said her government would prepare a “strong retaliatory strategy” focused on “those places where the Trump administration is most sensitive” while having the least impact on her province. She said the strategy would be created in case Trump goes ahead with tariffs, while hoping it isn’t needed.
Asked whether she would consider cutting exports to the United States as Ontario’s Ford suggested, Holt said, “We don’t want to cut off our nose to spite our face,” adding that the United States is her province’s largest customer.
Holt expressed confidence in Ottawa’s border plan, which she described as “pretty comprehensive,” although details had not yet been made public at the time. She added that she expected some of the investment in border security to go to her province, particularly the port of Saint John, the province’s largest seaport.
Nova Scotia Premier Travels to US to Discuss Trade
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston responds to a question in Victoria, B.C., on July 12, 2022. Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press
For Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, Trump’s Nov. 25 tariff announcement came just a day before the provincial election, where he secured a second consecutive majority government.
Houston has not commented extensively on his government’s plans for avoiding the tariffs, but he travelled to Boston in early December to hold trade talks while conducting an annual Christmas tree lighting. Houston met with Bernadette Jordan, Canada’s consul general in Boston, on how to “leverage and strengthen” partnerships in the United States.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Asks for ‘United’ Response
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey at a press conference in the Confederation Building in St. John's on Feb. 22, 2023. The Canadian Press/Paul Daly
Shortly after learning of Trump’s plans, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey called an urgent meeting with industry representatives and stakeholders to discuss the tariffs, which he said would be “devastating” for the province.
Furey said he favours a “united” response among premiers following their Dec. 16 meeting.
“Our country’s freedom and independence was fought for by generations of heroes. We have always stood arm in arm with our family and friends in the US. But we are strong, sovereign and independent,” he wrote in an X post.
PEI Sends Delegation
P.E.I. Premier Dennis King speaks with media in Ottawa on Feb. 8, 2023. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King has urged a diplomatic approach aimed at fostering ties with the United States.
The province created a special cabinet committee on U.S. relations and to “engage and build stronger connections on both sides of the Canada-USA border.” A “Team PEI delegation” will travel to the United States in early 2025 to meet with stakeholders and discuss the “importance of tariff-free trade.”
Ottawa Launches Border Plan
Then-public safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc (C), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (R), and Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly participate in a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 14, 2024. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
On Dec. 17, the federal government unveiled a $1.3 billion strategy to secure the border against illegal drugs and irregular migration, with an emphasis on stopping fentanyl and its precursors.
Measures include creation of a North American task force to target organized crime; funding for helicopters, drones, and surveillance towers to ensure 24/7 monitoring between ports of entry; integration of artificial intelligence and imaging tools to intercept illegal drugs; and enhanced information sharing with the United States.
During an address in Halifax in early December, Trudeau said his government would respond if the United States imposes tariffs, citing retaliatory measures that contributed to the removal of U.S. tariffs on Canada in 2019.
Following a Dec. 11 meeting in which first ministers discussed responses to the U.S. tariff threat, then-Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland echoed Trudeau’s comments, saying that “Canada, of course, would respond to unjustified tariffs.”
She noted that some unspecified premiers “proactively” named critical minerals and metals as potential tariff targets. “Obviously, other ideas were discussed as well,” she said.
On Jan. 3, Trudeau resumed discussions about the tariff threats, taking part in an online meeting of the Canada–U.S. relations cabinet committee. Following the meeting, Ottawa announced it would launch a series of federal-led border security exercises with the provinces and territories.
The Canadian Press, Matthew Horwood, Jennifer Cowan, and Noé Chartier contributed to this report.
Carolina Avendano
Author
Carolina Avendano has been a reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times since 2024.
