Latest news with #PeterHoekstra
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
U.S. ambassador says Canadians facing device searches, detainment 'not a pattern'
Published Jun 07, 2025 • 3 minute read Peter Hoekstra, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S ambassador to Canada, attends a Senate Foreign Relations committee nomination hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo by Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images OTTAWA — The American ambassador to Canada is pushing back on Ottawa's travel advice, saying his country doesn't search phones at the border and arguing some Americans travelling here are having a tough time. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'We welcome Canadians to come in and invest, to spend their hard-earned Canadian dollars at U.S. businesses,' U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday. 'If a Canadian has had a disappointing experience coming into the United States, I'm not denying that it happened, but I'm saying it's an isolated event and it is not a pattern.' In April, Ottawa updated its advice to Canadians travelling to the United States to warn them about the possibility they might be detained if denied entry. 'Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices,' reads the new guidance. There have been reports of Canadians facing intensified scrutiny at the border, having phones searched and, in some cases, being detained. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hoekstra insisted concerns about device searches are not grounded in reality. 'Coming to the U.S., that's a decision for the Canadians to make. Searching devices and all of that is not a well-founded fear. We don't do that. America is a welcoming place,' he said. He said some Americans have expressed similar concerns about Canada. 'I've heard that from Americans coming into Canada as well, OK? Saying, 'You know, we've not received a warm reception when we've gotten to Canadian customs,'' he said. When asked if these reports from American travellers involve arbitrary phone searches and lengthy detainment, Hoekstra said there are consular cases of Americans complaining to the embassy about the Canada Border Services Agency. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We've said, 'OK this may have been an isolated event. There may have been a Canadian border person who was having a bad day, and thought they'd take it out on, you know, somebody across the border,'' he said. In a statement, the CBSA said its officers follow a code of conduct and the federal ethics code that both require them to treat everyone equally, and the agency investigates any complaints of mistreatment. 'Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a way that upholds the values of integrity, respect and professionalism at all times,' wrote spokeswoman Karine Martel. 'Treating people with respect, dignity and fairness is fundamental to our border services officers' relationship with the public and a key part of this is serving all travellers in a non-discriminatory way.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hoekstra said travel to the U.S. is up to individuals. 'If you decide that you're not going to come down or whatever, that's your decision and you're missing an opportunity. There are great things to see in America,' Hoekstra said. He also noted the case of CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, who recently said she prepared to visit the U.S. last month as if she was 'going to North Korea' — with a 'burner phone' that didn't carry any personal information — only to experience a warm welcome. 'It's like, (let's) get past the rhetoric and let's look at the real experiences that people are having here,' Hoekstra said. Airlines have been cutting flights between Canada and the U.S. due to a slump in demand, and Flight Centre Travel Group Canada reported a nearly 40 per cent drop in flights between the two countries year-over-year in February. A survey in early May conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies found 52 per cent of respondents feel that 'it is no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States,' with 29 per cent disagreeing and 19 per cent saying they were unsure. Roughly the same proportion said they personally feel unwelcome in the U.S. LGBTQ+ groups have opted against attending World Pride events in Washington and United Nations events in New York, citing scrutiny at the border as the Trump administration scales back protections for transgender and nonbinary people. Olympics Sunshine Girls NHL Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Carney and Trump holding secret talks on trade and security, U.S. envoy says
Prime Minister Mark Carney is holding direct and secret talks with U.S. President Donald Trump to iron out a framework for a trade and security agreement, says the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Peter Hoekstra told The Globe and Mail that talks between the leaders and top cabinet ministers are being held under a cone of silence to ensure a positive outcome. The Prime Minister and the President met in the Oval Office on May 6 but there has been no indication until now that they had been holding direct negotiations. 'You have the relationship and the discussions between the President and the Prime Minister,' he said, adding 'they have had conversations, more than just the Oval Office.' 'The indications that they are talking and in communications regularly is a clear indicator to me that both sides recognize the importance and the urgency of moving this forward.' The talks include Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, he said. Mr. Hoekstra said the Canadians and Americans are 'laying out the perimeters' of a deal that could involve boosting U.S. content in autos, improving U.S. access to Canadian critical minerals and ensuring Canada plays a much bigger role in the Arctic. The talks also include increased defence spending, energy, border security, fentanyl as well as steel and aluminum. The current talks are solely between Canada and the U.S. and do not involve Mexico, the ambassador said. But he said the Canadians and Americans want the talks to be successful, which is why they are working hard to ensure there no leaks. 'This is too important for it be managed by leaks. There is too much at stake. You are our second largest trading partner,' he said. Mr. Hoekstra said it was entirely possible that a deal could be reached before September, something the Prime Minister alluded to last week. 'Sure, September is possible. Is possible to be earlier. Sure. Is it possible that it will be later, sure,' he said. 'When the President is ready to announce an agreement and the Prime Minister is ready to announce an agreement. That is when that will happen.' More to come
Calgary Herald
11-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
US ambassador says Canada tariffs may not be ‘totally removed'
Peter Hoekstra. Al Drago/Bloomberg Some U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports may remain in place even as the relationship between the two countries improves, Peter Hoekstra, the US ambassador to Canada, said. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'I'm not sure they'll be totally removed,' Hoekstra said in an interview on Global TV's The West Block Sunday when asked about the 25 per cent tariff U.S. President Donald Trump placed on most Canadian goods in March, citing concerns about fentanyl entering the U.S. While less than one per cent of the fentanyl seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection comes via the U.S.-Canada border, according to CBP data, there is some evidence of fentanyl production in the country. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Hoekstra's remarks come on the heels of a new trade agreement between the U.S. and U.K., which gave the U.K. limited relief on autos, steel and aluminum duties. The deal maintained a 10 per cent baseline tariff on U.K. imports. Hoekstra said Canada and the U.S. can move past the tensions of recent months, during which Trump repeatedly called for Canada to become the 51st state and mocked former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by calling him 'Governor Trudeau.' Trump struck a more respectful tone with newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney during their White House meeting last week. 'I think the president wants a very positive relationship,' said Hoekstra, who was confirmed as U.S. envoy to Canada last month. 'We have moved beyond the 51st state, at least as far as I'm concerned.'
Bloomberg
11-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
US Ambassador Says Canada Tariffs May Not Be ‘Totally Removed'
Some US tariffs on Canadian imports may remain in place even as the relationship between the two countries improves, Peter Hoekstra, the US ambassador to Canada, said. 'I'm not sure they'll be totally removed,' Hoekstra said in an interview on Global TV's The West Block Sunday when asked about the 25% tariff US President Donald Trump placed on most Canadian goods in March, citing concerns about fentanyl entering the US.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
Vancouver driver plows into crowd of people attending Filipino festival, killing multiple victims
A driver ran a car into a crowd at a Filipino festival in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday night, leaving several victims dead and others injured, local authorities said. Police said the suspect is a 30-year-old man from Vancouver who was arrested at the scene. The incident happened shortly after 8 p.m. at the Lapu Lapu Day block party, the Vancouver Police Department said in a social media post. "A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival," police said. Skyrocketing Antisemitism In Canada Sparks Concern For Country's Jews Ahead Of Election "At approximately 8:14 p.m. on April 26, a man drove into a large crowd of people attending the Lapu Lapu Day Festival near East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street," the department said. Read On The Fox News App The exact number of people dead or injured was not immediately known. The driver was taken into custody, police said. The motive for the person driving into the crowd is unclear at this time. "A suspect has been arrested by Vancouver Police after several people were killed and multiple others injured at a neighbourhood street party in South Vancouver earlier tonight," police wrote. Video posted on social media showed victims and debris strewn across a long stretch of road. Senate Approves Peter Hoekstra As Next Us Ambassador To Canada A black SUV with a damaged front section was seen in still photos from the scene. The incident remains under investigation. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz and The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Vancouver driver plows into crowd of people attending Filipino festival, killing multiple victims
