Latest news with #IAmCanadian
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tensions with N.S. premier simmered as Poilievre made his sole stop in the province
For the first time this campaign, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made a stop in Nova Scotia on Thursday — the second province he's visited led by a Progressive Conservative premier conspicuously absent from the federal party's events. Poilievre's sole campaign trip to Nova Scotia ended without meeting Premier Tim Houston, who did not attend Poilievre's Trenton, N.S., rally just minutes from Houston's own provincial riding. While Houston had previously said he would stay out of the federal campaign, sources say there has been tension between the two leaders for months. During last year's provincial election, Houston told reporters he would not be inviting Poilievre to campaign with him, saying he's not a member of any federal party. "There is no federal equivalent," said Houston last November. "I'm the leader of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives. There is a Conservative Party of Canada. It's a completely different party with its own leader." Frosty call with campaign manager Four provincial sources, who CBC News is not naming because they weren't authorized to discuss internal party matters, told CBC News that soon after, Houston's staff received a phone call from Conservative national campaign director Jenni Byrne. The sources claim Byrne told Houston's team that if Poilievre went on to become prime minister, they would not lift a finger to help the provincial party. The call changed the relationship between the two camps, according to sources. On the eve of Poilievre's visit, Houston released a campaign-style video on social media, prompting some to wonder whether he was eyeing Poilievre's job. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston are friends and allies, and have been working together to reduce interprovincial trade barriers during the trade war with the United States. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press) The video included a speech Houston gave during the winter session of the Nova Scotia legislature. Houston and opposition leaders all delivered speeches in the face of threats of tariffs from the United States government. The premier's was in the vein of the "I Am Canadian" beer ad. Houston concludes his speech by saying "I am Nova Scotian." Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford — a friend and ally of Houston — said he had been "busting [Houston's] chops" over the video. The video included clips of the two Progressive Conservative premiers together. "I told him I love it," said Ford, declining to elaborate on what else he said to the Nova Scotia premier. In a statement, the Conservative Party of Canada did not deny that the phone call with Byrne took place, but said that the two leaders have "communicated about issues of importance to Nova Scotians, both before and after the recent provincial election." The statement said, if he is elected, Poilievre "looks forward to working closely with Premier Houston." A statement provided by Houston's communications director, Stephen Moore, said Houston's "main concern is Nova Scotia" and he "will work with whomever forms the next government." Earlier this year, Houston wrote identical letters to both Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Poilievre outlining what he hoped the next federal government would prioritize for Nova Scotia. Poilievre's relationship with premiers has been under the microscope during the federal campaign, after Ford declined to endorse the Conservative leader but had breakfast with Prime Minister Mark Carney during the brief pre-campaign window after Carney was sworn in. Ford defended his former campaign manager's criticisms of Poilievre's campaign, telling reporters "sometimes the truth hurts." He had said he would stay out of the campaign to focus on his province. Poilievre has been endorsed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.
CBC
24-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Tensions with N.S. premier simmered as Poilievre made his sole stop in the province
For the first time this campaign, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made a stop in Nova Scotia on Thursday — the second province he's visited led by a Progressive Conservative premier conspicuously absent from the federal party's events. Poilievre's sole campaign trip to Nova Scotia ended without meeting Premier Tim Houston, who did not attend Poilievre's Trenton, N.S., rally just minutes from Houston's own provincial riding. While Houston had previously said he would stay out of the federal campaign, sources say there has been tension between the two leaders for months. During last year's provincial election, Houston told reporters he would not be inviting Poilievre to campaign with him, saying he's not a member of any federal party. "There is no federal equivalent," said Houston last November."I'm the leader of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives. There is a Conservative Party of Canada. It's a completely different party with its own leader." Frosty call with campaign manager Four provincial sources, who CBC News is not naming because they weren't authorized to discuss internal party matters, told CBC News that soon after, Houston's staff received a phone call from Conservative national campaign director Jenni Byrne. The sources claim Byrne told Houston's team that if Poilievre went on to become prime minister, they would not lift a finger to help the provincial party. The call changed the relationship between the two camps, according to sources. On the eve of Poilievre's visit, Houston released a campaign-style video on social media, prompting some to wonder whether he was eyeing Poilievre's job. The video included a speech Houston gave during the winter session of the Nova Scotia legislature. Houston and opposition leaders all delivered speeches in the face of threats of tariffs from the United States government. The premier's was in the vein of the "I Am Canadian" beer ad. Houston concludes his speech by saying "I am Nova Scotian." Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford — a friend and ally of Houston — said he had been "busting [Houston's] chops" over the video. The video included clips of the two Progressive Conservative premiers together. "I told him I love it," said Ford, declining to elaborate on what else he said to the Nova Scotia premier. In a statement, the Conservative Party of Canada did not deny that the phone call with Byrne took place, but said that the two leaders have "communicated about issues of importance to Nova Scotians, both before and after the recent provincial election." The statement said, if he is elected, Poilievre "looks forward to working closely with Premier Houston." A statement provided by Houston's communications director, Stephen Moore, said Houston's "main concern is Nova Scotia" and he "will work with whomever forms the next government." Earlier this year, Houston wrote identical letters to both Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Poilievre outlining what he hoped the next federal government would prioritize for Nova Scotia. Poilievre's relationship with premiers has been under the microscope during the federal campaign, after Ford declined to endorse the Conservative leader but had breakfast with Prime Minister Mark Carney during the brief pre-campaign window after Carney was sworn in.
CBC
12-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
London grassroots movement looks to go national with call to boycott U.S. products
Social Sharing A London man's campaign is looking to make a big patriotic splash, tapping into the growing discontent of Canadians toward U.S. President Donald Trump. It's call to action is simple: "Boycott USA, Buy Canadian." "The only way that we're going to get the attention of the average American is if you strike them in that pocket book," said Randy Young, who launched the effort earlier this month with a few friends. It's all in response to threats of tariffs and annexation Trump has levelled at America's longtime ally, rattling financial markets and prompting Canada to impose its own levies, including on electricity. Young set up a website and Facebook page to sell yard signs and other items printed with the message, hoping to raise funds to bring the call to more eyeballs. Any profits will be put toward national advertising space, he said. "We're going to keep it going for two years time, we figure until the next election in the U.S. We've got to permanently change the attitude of buying American products," he said. Trump's comments have led to a wave of uncharacteristic vocal patriotism from Canadians. Take, for example, the independent refreshing of Molson's iconic " I Am Canadian" ad, or the recent ubiquity of " elbows up," evoking Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe. "Definitely, we're in a moment of crisis of national identity, and it's driving people to think about what is Canadian," said Howard Ramos, a Western University sociology professor. He said that was especially true in English Canada, whose identity and culture competes with the U.S. It's not common that English Canadians articulate their identity beyond institutions like health care or good governance, he said. "It's really in moments like this where the identity is challenged, where English Canadians are forced to think about what is their identity and how to articulate it." I'm doing this as a service to my country - Randy Young It's not the first time Canadians have had to examine their national identity. Ramos referenced the 1970s, when thousands of American men made their way north to avoid the Vietnam War draft, and the 1980 and 1995 Quebec referendums as examples. "It's really rare that we've faced something where we're threatened with the very identity of the country. We would have to go back hundreds of years," he said. He stressed that whatever identity Canadians rally around shouldn't be solely in opposition to something. CBC News found Young and two friends camped out Sunday across the street from RBC Place, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was holding a rally and positioning his party as the only one capable of taking on Trump. By mid-afternoon, Young said only three yard signs and some stickers had been sold, but he remained optimistic, saying he had already received a slew of interested phone calls. A small business owner, Young has raised funds for Canadian causes before. From 2008 to 2012, he says he ran Friends of Veterans Canada, a charity which documented the stories of Canadian veterans on video. "I'm doing this as a service to my country, and that we all should be buying Canadian products," he said. Other Canucks from coast to coast to coast have formed or joined grassroots campaigns like Young's. "Anecdotally, we've had a lot of consumer inquiries at front of stores about which products are Canadian versus which are U.S. manufactured or even international," said Karl Littler, the Retail Council of Canada's senior vice-president of public affairs. Most focus has been on groceries, partly because it's something consumers interact with frequently, but also because Canadian-made products already make up a majority of store shelves, he said. "There's some anecdotal evidence that (recent) consumption patterns are actually lifting that," Littler said. "By the same token, we don't grow bananas, we don't grow avocados … Out of necessity, there are going to be products that simply can't be replaced by a Canadian product." While it's positive shoppers are prioritizing Canadian-made products, and by extension communities and jobs, Littler cautioned against reflexive anti-Americanism, as U.S. firms hire Canadian workers and contribute to the economy. At the same time, Canada will need additional trading partners other than the U.S., he said, which means Canadians will have to be open to buying products from other countries.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bourbon is out, patriotism is in - How Canadians are facing Trump threats head on
Not long after the US imposed their tariffs on Canada, a local neighbourhood pub in Toronto began removing all American products off their menu. That means nachos, wings - and of course, beer - must all to be made now with local Canadian ingredients, or wherever not possible, non-US products from Europe or Mexico. For Leah Russell, manager at Toronto's Madison Avenue pub, the boycott was a no-brainer. She adds that it is "pretty set in stone," even if the tariffs themselves are not. "I'm glad that we're getting rid of American products and supporting local businesses," Ms Russell told the BBC on Thursday. "I think it's an important thing to do." This defiant stance in response to President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats against Canada has been unfolding across the northern country. Just ask actor Jeff Douglas, once the face of Molson Canadian Beer's "I Am Canadian" advertisements, who has filmed and posted a light-hearted, but deeply-patriotic video on Youtube this week addressing Trump's "51st state" rhetoric. "We're not the 51st anything," declares Mr Douglas in the video, which has since gone viral in Canada. Some of the backlash has been more symbolic, like one Montreal café changing the Americano on their menu to a "Canadiano" - a small gesture that the owners say is meant to display unity and support for their community and country. Even the CBC, the country's public broadcaster, is feeling the full force of this wave of patriotism, after it dared run a programme asking Canadians what they think about Canada becoming "the 51st state", as Trump has suggested many times. The show sparked intense backlash and accusations of "treason," "sedition" and even "betrayal". Although Trump has since lifted some of the tariffs imposed this week and put others on pause until 2 April, many Canadians say the damage has already been done. After Thursday's reversal, foreign minister Melanie Joly told CNN that Canada has been shown "too much disrespect by the Trump administration at this point, calling us a 51st state, calling our prime minister 'governor.'" Meanwhile, Doug Ford, who is the leader of Canada's most populous province, did not back down from his plan to slap export tariffs on electricity that Canada supplies some US states. The 25% surcharge will affect up to 1.5 million American homes. "I feel terrible for the American people because it's not the American people, and it's not even elected officials, it's one person," he told a local radio show on Thursday in reference to Trump. "He's coming after his closest friends, closest allies in the world and it's going to absolutely devastate both economies," Ford said. Canadians support their country's reciprocal actions, saying they should remain in place until US tariffs are completely off the table. "You go to bed every night and don't have any idea where you stand," said Andrew, a shopper at a Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store in Toronto, which has stopped stocking US-made alcoholic drinks, like bourbon from Kentucky. Trump says he will delay the tariffs, "but what does that mean?" he asks. "Let's keep [American-made drinks] off the shelves until we know what things are going to be from day to day." The tariffs have been met with deep anxiety in Canada, whose majority of exports are sold to companies and clients in the US. Officials predict up to a million job losses if a 25% across the board levy went ahead, while economists warn that a recession is imminent if they persist. The potential impact is devastating enough that the Canadian government has announced it will bring in relief measures, similar to those implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, to help impacted individuals and businesses. Even with the tariffs being scaled back temporarily, the uncertainty alone is hurting both American and Canadian economies, says Rob Gillezeau, an assistant professor of economic analysis and policy at the University of Toronto. "The most sensitive thing to uncertainty is business investment," Prof Gillezeau says, adding that firms are "not going to want to spend a dime anywhere" until they have some clarity. Analysts suggest the mere whiff of a trade war is likely costing Canadian companies hundreds of thousands of dollars as they try to navigate through these changes, and are likely delaying deals and disrupting trade due to the confusion. That trepidation is also seen in the stock market, which had erased virtually all its gains since Trump won the presidency in November. Trump has repeatedly claimed that tariffs are a response to Mexico and Canada's role in the fentanyl crisis, which has killed over 250,000 American since 2018. While only a small portion of the drug originates from Canada, press secretary Karen Leavitt said that even those numbers are significant for "families in this country who have lost loved ones to this deadly poison". Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned the tariffs, suggesting they align with Trump's stated desire to see Canada become "the 51st state." "What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that'll make it easier to annex us," Trudeau told media in Ottawa Thursday. Prof Gillezeau notes that it is an especially deep wound from a neighbour whom Canada had long considered its closest friend and ally. The US and Canada have fought wars together, have boasted about having the longest "undefended" shared border in the world and have even engaged in joint security missions in the Arctic to defend each other's sovereignty. "We've been allies for 100 years," he says, adding that many Canadians are likely upset not just with how the US has been treating Canada, but also other allies like Ukraine. "We're a decent, honourable people, and we stand by our allies," Prof Gillezeau says. "I think that's what is driving the real depth of the discontent we see." The Canadian boycotts are already having material impact. Canadian outlet Global News has reported that leisure travel bookings to the US have plunged 40% year over year, citing data from Flight Centre Canada. That decline has also been observed in land border crossings between British Columbia and Washington State. Before the tariffs, the US was the number one international travel destination for Canadians, who have spent $20.5bn (£15.89bn) into the American tourism economy in 2024 alone. Asked if this trend will hold, Prof Gillezeau says Canadians ideally want relations to go back to normal with their neighbour. But in absence of that, the consensus in the country is that "Canada needs to find friends elsewhere". What are tariffs and why is Trump using them? Trump's Canada 51st state plan 'is not a joke', says Foreign Minister Trudeau hits out at 'dumb' tariffs as Trump warns of further hikes against Canada
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bourbon is out, patriotism is in - How Canadians are facing Trump threats head on
Not long after the US imposed their tariffs on Canada, a local neighbourhood pub in Toronto began removing all American products off their menu. That means nachos, wings - and of course, beer - must all to be made now with local Canadian ingredients, or wherever not possible, non-US products from Europe or Mexico. For Leah Russell, manager at Toronto's Madison Avenue pub, the boycott was a no-brainer. She adds that it is "pretty set in stone," even if the tariffs themselves are not. "I'm glad that we're getting rid of American products and supporting local businesses," Ms Russell told the BBC on Thursday. "I think it's an important thing to do." This defiant stance in response to President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats against Canada has been unfolding across the northern country. Just ask actor Jeff Douglas, once the face of Molson Canadian Beer's "I Am Canadian" advertisements, who has filmed and posted a light-hearted, but deeply-patriotic video on Youtube this week addressing Trump's "51st state" rhetoric. "We're not the 51st anything," declares Mr Douglas in the video, which has since gone viral in Canada. Some of the backlash has been more symbolic, like one Montreal café changing the Americano on their menu to a "Canadiano" - a small gesture that the owners say is meant to display unity and support for their community and country. Even the CBC, the country's public broadcaster, is feeling the full force of this wave of patriotism, after it dared run a programme asking Canadians what they think about Canada becoming "the 51st state", as Trump has suggested many times. The show sparked intense backlash and accusations of "treason," "sedition" and even "betrayal". Although Trump has since lifted some of the tariffs imposed this week and put others on pause until 2 April, many Canadians say the damage has already been done. After Thursday's reversal, foreign minister Melanie Joly told CNN that Canada has been shown "too much disrespect by the Trump administration at this point, calling us a 51st state, calling our prime minister 'governor.'" Meanwhile, Doug Ford, who is the leader of Canada's most populous province, did not back down from his plan to slap export tariffs on electricity that Canada supplies some US states. The 25% surcharge will affect up to 1.5 million American homes. "I feel terrible for the American people because it's not the American people, and it's not even elected officials, it's one person," he told a local radio show on Thursday in reference to Trump. "He's coming after his closest friends, closest allies in the world and it's going to absolutely devastate both economies," Ford said. Canadians support their country's reciprocal actions, saying they should remain in place until US tariffs are completely off the table. "You go to bed every night and don't have any idea where you stand," said Andrew, a shopper at a Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store in Toronto, which has stopped stocking US-made alcoholic drinks. Trump says he will delay the tariffs, "but what does that mean?" he asks. "Let's keep [American-made drinks] off the shelves until we know what things are going to be from day to day." The tariffs have been met with deep anxiety in Canada, whose majority of exports are sold to companies and clients in the US. Officials predict up to a million job losses if a 25% across the board levy went ahead, while economists warn that a recession is imminent if they persist. The potential impact is devastating enough that the Canadian government has announced it will bring in relief measures, similar to those implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, to help impacted individuals and businesses. Even with the tariffs being scaled back temporarily, the uncertainty alone is hurting both American and Canadian economies, says Rob Gillezeau, an assistant professor of economic analysis and policy at the University of Toronto. "The most sensitive thing to uncertainty is business investment," Prof Gillezeau says, adding that firms are "not going to want to spend a dime anywhere" until they have some clarity. Analysts suggest the mere whiff of a trade war is likely costing Canadian companies hundreds of thousands of dollars as they try to navigate through these changes, and are likely delaying deals and disrupting trade due to the confusion. That trepidation is also seen in the stock market, which had erased virtually all its gains since Trump won the presidency in November. On top of the economic woes, many take Trump's rhetoric on annexing Canada seriously, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggesting that the US president has his eye on Canada's resources. "What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that'll make it easier to annex us," Trudeau told media in Ottawa Thursday. Prof Gillezeau notes that it is an especially deep wound from a neighbour whom Canada had long considered its closest friend and ally. The US and Canada have fought wars together, have boasted about having the longest "undefended" shared border in the world and have even engaged in joint security missions in the Arctic to defend each other's sovereignty. "We've been allies for 100 years," he says, adding that many Canadians are likely upset not just with how the US has been treating Canada, but also other allies like Ukraine. "We're a decent, honourable people, and we stand by our allies," Prof Gillezeau says. "I think that's what is driving the real depth of the discontent we see." The Canadian boycotts are already having material impact. Canadian outlet Global News has reported that leisure travel bookings to the US have plunged 40% year over year, citing data from Flight Centre Canada. That decline has also been observed in land border crossings between British Columbia and Washington State. Before the tariffs, the US was the number one international travel destination for Canadians, who have spent $20.5bn (£15.89bn) into the American tourism economy in 2024 alone. Asked if this trend will hold, Prof Gillezeau says Canadians ideally want relations to go back to normal with their neighbour. But in absence of that, the consensus in the country is that "Canada needs to find friends elsewhere." What are tariffs and why is Trump using them? Trump's Canada 51st state plan 'is not a joke', says Foreign Minister Trudeau hits out at 'dumb' tariffs as Trump warns of further hikes against Canada
