On Friday, a bunch of mayors from border cities throughout Canada issued a plea to greater ranges of presidency, asking for assist for his or her communities as the specter of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump had brought on them to see site visitors by means of their cities dwindle.
One of many group was Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, who earlier within the week had issued a letter to council members, which requested them to think about eradicating U.S. flags from municipal amenities.
In his letter, Bradley mentioned that he felt it was extremely inappropriate for the American flag to be flying in municipal venues equivalent to native hockey arenas because the U.S. authorities makes point out of turning Canada into the 51st state.
“Whereas many people have cross-border friendships and respect for Individuals individually, this motion can’t be allowed to face,” the letter learn. “I like to recommend thot all American flags be faraway from municipal lands in Sarnia.”
If Sarnia had been to make the change, it will comply with on the heels of comparable strikes by Mississauga, Barrie and Essex whereas different cities and cities have made strikes in different areas to supply counter within the commerce conflict.
On March 17, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow launched a 10-page plan to counter Trump’s tariffs together with limiting workers journey to the U.S. in addition to limiting American corporations from bidding on metropolis contracts.
A lot of different cities are taking a look at related choices together with the Metropolis of Kitchener, the place Mayor Berry Vrbanovic says his metropolis has already made some modifications though there are limits.
“Now we have truly directed workers to amend Kitchener’s procurement bylaw to assist purchase Canadian, purchase native, the place we will do it inside the authorized framework that exists of current commerce agreements that Canada is concerned in,” he advised World Information.
“Because the federal authorities probably revisits a few of these issues, relying on the place this goes, then that, you already know, might change how far we will go when it comes to coping with a few of these issues.”
Get day by day Nationwide information
Get the day’s prime information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.
In Sault Ste. Marie, a spokesperson advised World Information metropolis workers are trying into potential modifications whereas council has put in a request to the provincial and federal governments to loosen up among the guidelines round procurement.
“Council handed a decision on February 3, 2025 calling on the Federal and Provincial governments to take away all limitations to municipalities preferring Canadian corporations in procurement for capital initiatives and provides in addition to people who stop municipalities from preferring Canadian corporations for initiatives and provides,” they mentioned in an e-mail.
In the meantime, within the nation’s capital, town of Ottawa says it has all the time appeared to purchase Canadian, however just lately up to date its procurement bylaw in an try and assist extra Canadian and non-American choices.
“For instance, it now consists of an choice for acquiring three quotes for purchases as much as $125,000, serving to us safe one of the best worth whereas selling native involvement,” chief procurement officer Joanne Graham mentioned in an announcement.
“To additional strengthen this dedication, provide providers is at present creating steerage for workers to make sure that at the very least one quote is invited from an area provider for purchases of this dimension. This steerage will probably be rolled out by spring of 2025.”
Whereas a variety of different cities are on the identical path, Vrbanovic pointed to the ties that bind the 2 nations as one other method that municipalities can have an affect.
The Kitchener mayor has been all the way down to Washington twice over the previous few months with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, as effectively a extra just lately with the Nice Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
He famous that whereas the latter go to was about water high quality and environmental points, the cross-border initiative options politicians from each side of the border.
“Commerce was by far the in the beginning factor that was talked about,” Vrbanovic mentioned. “And we met with members of the Senate in addition to Congress, folks from each side of the aisle.”
He mentioned that the politicians south of the border weren’t offering the identical bluster the president was about making Canada the 51st state.
“Extra importantly, all of them, to at least one diploma or one other, felt that blanket tariffs usually are not good for both Canadians or Individuals,” he mentioned. “In order that’s to not say that none of them had any commerce beefs with us.
“Everybody appears to agree that there’s a … time and there’s a correct course of to sit down down as adults and work by means of these points collectively.”
At Friday’s press convention, Bradley mentioned a presentation was made on the White Home by these concerned in Nice Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
“There’s so many good initiatives occurring and many people had been a part of a variety of them,” the Sarnia mayor mentioned. “However it’s a full courtroom press making an attempt to maintain the stress on the American authorities and different politicians at different ranges.”
Mayors from the Niagara Area had been concerned within the press convention on Friday, together with Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop and Niagara-on-the-Lake Mayor Gary Zalepka.
“I believe it is going to be very fruitful and well timed,” Zalepa mentioned. “They’ll ship a message to their (senior-level) governments. We’ll be sending messages to our (senior-level) governments.”
Vrbanovic additionally famous that that chain of dialogue is one other essential space for native governments to play a component within the tariff dispute because the municipalities have the boots on the bottom to attach with space companies and go that data as much as others.
“It’s actually about connecting with companies, understanding what their points and issues are and getting that data to our provincial and federal counterparts to assist higher inform which were within the insurance policies and so forth,” he defined.
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
Source link