Just a day after a tense exchange of words with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is scheduled to hold a news conference in Vaughan on Wednesday morning. The event is expected to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET and will feature Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack, federal Ministry of Housing parliamentary secretary Jennifer McKelvie, federal Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, and Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca alongside Ford.
Trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada collapsed last week, leading to the U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on approximately $28 billion worth of Canadian goods on Saturday. In response, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans for retaliatory tariffs on September 8.
Following this development, a war of words erupted between the U.S. and Ontario leaders online, with Ford expressing his defiance towards Trump and the president referring to the premier as “Flunky Ford.” Trump even went as far as suggesting the renaming of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on his platform, Truth Social.
In an effort to de-escalate tensions, Ford emphasized the importance of returning to the negotiation table rather than engaging in further verbal sparring with the president. In a memo shared on the social media platform X, Ford urged Ontario board chairs to support local businesses and adhere to the province’s Buy Ontario policies in light of the unjustified tariff increases.
Addressing the ongoing trade war, Ford mentioned that all options are being considered, including the potential cutoff of electricity and critical minerals from Ontario to the U.S. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the need for decisive action to mitigate the economic uncertainties and losses on both sides of the border.
The news conference can be watched live on CBC News.