What Each Premier Wants to Do With Border Security Amid US Tariffs Threat

A CBSA officer speaks to a motorist entering Canada at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing, in Surrey, B.C., on Aug. 9, 2021. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

Provincial premiers say they’re on the same page regarding the need for a unified approach to deal with Donald Trump’s tariff threat, but have taken different approaches on how to address border security concerns.

Borders are a federal responsibility and in some provinces the RCMP is responsible for provincial-level law enforcement. This leaves some premiers with few options to boost border security, other than putting pressure on Ottawa.

Provinces like Ontario and Quebec have their own police forces, and premiers there have discussed increasing the forces’ involvement.

Provinces also face differing realities in relation to the issues mentioned by U.S. President-elect Trump, who framed his 25 percent tariff threat against Canada and Mexico around stopping the flow of illegal immigration and drugs like fentanyl into the United States.

Different concerns and priorities are shaping how the provinces have reacted to Trump’s threat, along with the potential damage tariffs would have have on respective provincial economies. Quebec, for example, has been the flashpoint for illegal border crossings going both ways in recent years, whereas B.C. has been particularly affected by the opioid crisis.

Premiers Meeting

Ontario Premier Doug Ford led the charge in asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to hold a special meeting of the first ministers to discuss the tariff threat.

Following the meeting on Nov. 27, Ford said the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is ready to help federal agencies but information sharing needs to increase. He said Health Canada needs to be able to provide information to trace back where the seized drugs have been produced.

Ford called on Ottawa to have a more “proactive” approach to border security by “cracking down on illegal border crossings and stopping the transport of guns and illegal and illicit drugs like fentanyl, or risk the economic chaos of Trump tariffs.”

The same day of the first ministers meetings, Ford said he convened a meeting with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the OPP.

“If the federal government really means they want a Team Canada approach, that needs to include our police services and agencies,” Ford said in a social media post.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has also floated using provincial law enforcement to strengthen border security. She said on Nov. 28 the Alberta Sheriffs Branch could be involved in these efforts.

“We’re prepared to put our resources that are under our control to service, and make sure that we’re protecting our part of the border, which borders Montana,” Smith said.

The Alberta premier said the issues mentioned by Trump—illegal immigration and drug smuggling—are concerns her government shares. Smith said she would be reaching out to counterparts in Montana to enhance coordination and information sharing.

In Quebec, Premier François Legault had long been vocal about potential border concerns, given his province has become a favoured route for illegal border crossings. With Trump promising a “mass deportation” of illegal immigrants when he assumes office, Legault said on Nov. 19 he fears they will rush towards Quebec.

“Very important that Quebec and Canada don’t become a sieve,” he told reporters. Legault mentioned that provincial police Sûreté du Québec will be conducting “visual investigations” along the border. “They have the capacity to act,” he said.

‘Positive Conversation’

Following the first ministers’ meeting on Nov. 27, Legault said he was “happy” with what he heard from Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc about the government’s strategy to address the tariffs threat.

After the meeting, LeBlanc said there had been discussions about additional investments that can be made to support the RCMP and CBSA.

“It was a positive conversation and we’re going to continue to ensure that we work with premiers in the coming weeks to set a Team Canada approach in terms of border security, national security, and ensuring that the immigration system is orderly,” said LeBlanc during a press conference in Ottawa.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew told reporters after the first ministers’ meeting that he called for increased investments in the RCMP.

Kinew said cracking down on drug trafficking is something that might be “well-received” in the U.S. and at the same time will help make communities in Manitoba safer. “Manitobans have long been talking about drugs being an issue in our communities,” he said.

B.C. Premier David Eby also mentioned concerns around narcotics, singling out fentanyl, as Trump did. He told CTV News on Nov. 28 the precursor chemicals to make fentanyl coming from Mexico and China “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.”

Eby said his province would do its part to ensure securing the border and that he “wouldn’t hesitate” to call back the legislature on the matter.

Eby also noted, however, that the border is a federal responsibility. “We pick up lots of Ottawa’s responsibilities. I’m not keen to pick this one up too,” he said.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe agreed that borders should be reinforced to address illegal immigration and the “scourge” of drugs in communities.

Moe told an audience at the Agribition on Nov. 27 that he suggested Ottawa place the CBSA and the Coast Guard under the authority of the military to address border issues. He said that would also make it easier to meet NATO’s defence spending target of 2 percent of GDP, which he suggested is likely to be the next pretext the U.S. will use to impose tariffs.

U.S. politicians have criticized Canada’s defence spending, which NATO currently estimates at 1.37 percent of GDP. Ottawa’s plan is to reach the NATO spending guideline by 2032.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said Canada needs to reassure the U.S. that its border measures are “strong.”

We need to “reassure the Americans that border security in Canada is a priority and is something that we actually do quite well and considerably better than maybe some of our other partners in the Americas,” she told CTV News on Nov. 27.

Jennifer Cowan contributed to this report.