U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war against Canada is triggering crisis talks in cottage country.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is convening an emergency first ministers’ meeting in Huntsville before the start of the annual premiers’ confab on July 22.
That surprise announcement Friday followed Trump’s latest escalation of his tariff threats targeting Canada.
It comes only weeks after Carney held an FMM in Saskatoon last month to discuss trade challenges and other national priorities.
Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford, a close ally of the recently elected Liberal prime minister, got the ball in motion for the meeting.
“In the face of President Trump’s latest threat, we need to come together,” Ford said on social media.
“We need a plan on how Canada will respond and how we’ll protect our workers, businesses and communities,” the premier said.
“I’ve asked and Prime Minister Carney has agreed to an in-person First Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday, July 22 in Huntsville ahead of the Council of the Federation meeting with Canada’s premiers,” he said.
“Together, we’re going to remain united as we protect Ontario and protect Canada.”
Ford, chair of the premiers’ council, is hosting their COF summer meeting in Muskoka.
Carney and the premiers are hoping the Trump chaos will force Ottawa and the provinces to co-operate more in pushing infrastructure projects and more diversified trade.
That includes ridding the country of interprovincial trade barriers. So far Ford has inked deals with every province except Quebec, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador to remove internal barriers to trade.
“We are building Canada strong,” said Carney.
“The federal government, provinces and territories are making significant progress in building one Canadian economy,” added the prime minister.
“We are poised to build a series of major new projects in the national interest. We are strengthening our trading partnerships throughout the world.”
