Latest news with #USCanadaRelations
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Canadians proud to be considered ‘nasty' in defending sovereignty, Eby says
British Columbia Premier David Eby, right, talks with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe during the meetings of Canada's premiers in Huntsville, Ont., on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Most Canadians would be 'proud' to be considered mean and 'nasty' for standing up for their sovereignty and economy in the face of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, British Columbia Premier David Eby said Tuesday. But he said Americans are friends, colleagues and family members, and B.C. has worked in close partnership with states in the U.S. Pacific Northwest for many years, spurring economic growth and other benefits on both sides of the border. Eby's remarks at a premiers' gathering in Huntsville, Ont., came the day after the U.S. Ambassador to Canada said bans on American alcohol and Canadians avoiding U.S. travel are among the reasons Trump thinks they are 'nasty' to deal with. Pete Hoekstra told the audience at the annual Pacific Northwest Economic Region Foundation summit in Bellevue, Wash., on Monday that such steps 'don't send positive signals' about Canada treating the United States well. Eby said cross-border co-operation in the region is an example of why Canadians 'have no interest in being mean and nasty' and instead want to work together with Americans. Hoekstra said it was 'Canadians' business' if they want to stay home. 'I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine,' the ambassador told the conference crowd. 'There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps.' B.C. is among the provinces that banned the sale of U.S. alcohol from government-run stores after Trump placed steep tariffs on goods from Canada. A statement from Eby on Monday said the U.S. ambassador's remarks showed Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are 'having an impact,' and he encouraged people to 'keep it up.' Statistics Canada figures show the number of Canadians returning home by car from south of the border fell to just over 33 per cent in June compared with the same month last year, marking the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year declines. Return trips by air fell to just over 22 per cent year-over-year. The number of Americans arriving in Canada by air decreased 0.7 per cent in June compared with the same time last year, while arrivals by car dropped 10.4 per cent. Wedad Bishara with Marlin Travel in Vancouver said U.S.-bound travellers make up just five to 10 per cent of her business, but she has noticed a shift since last November, when Trump announced plans to slap steep tariffs on Canadian goods. Some of her clients have indicated they would rather not travel south of the border, while others have continued to spend summers at time-share properties in Arizona and California, Bishara said in an interview on Tuesday. Overall, though, people are interested in travelling to Eastern Canada 'more than any other year before,' Bishara said, adding she has worked in the Canadian market for more than three decades. 'So, there are more trips that we design for Newfoundland and New Brunswick and all the East Coast.' Bishara said the Maritimes have a 'richness of beauty' and her clients have returned home happy with their experiences. 'There is interest in discovering Canada than we used to have in the past.' This report by Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press, was first published July 22, 2025.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
B.C. premier slams U.S. ambassador for saying Trump thinks Canadian boycotts are 'nasty'
B.C. Premier David Eby said he believes U.S. leadership has "very little awareness" of how offensive their remarks are, in response to the U.S. ambassador to Canada saying that President Donald Trump thinks Canadians are "nasty" to deal with because of U.S. boycotts. "Do they think Canadians are not going to respond when the president says, 'I want to turn you into the 51st state and begger you economically unless you bow to the U.S.'?" Eby said in an interview on CBC's Power and Politics Monday evening in Huntsville, Ont., where premiers are meeting this week. "Obviously, Canadians are outraged." Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, made the remarks about Canadians avoiding U.S. travel and booze when he was speaking at the annual Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation summit in Bellevue, Wash. The Canadian Press was provided with a recording of the ambassador's comments by Eby's office, which said it received the audio from someone who was in the audience. Eby said in a statement that Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are "having an impact," and he encouraged people to "keep it up." WATCH | Hoekstra says call '51st state' comments term of endearment: A representative of Hoekstra's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ambassador made the remarks in response to a question from a conference moderator about what could be done to get people travelling again as Vancouver and Seattle prepare to host games as part of next year's FIFA World Cup. President 'out on his own': Eby "Canadians staying home, that's their business, you know. I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine," Hoekstra said. "There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps." Hoekstra added that he "can get alcohol across the border if [he] wanted to." "We go back and forth to Michigan and they don't check my car when I come back," he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. WATCH | What you need to know about Canada's premiers meeting in Ontario: On Power and Politics, Eby said Canadians should "stick with it, hold the line, but at the end of the day, we need to get past that." The premier said he believes Americans don't share their government's stance. "They're saying things like, 'I'm sorry.' We're friends, we're neighbours, we're partners. Canadians feel the same way about everyday Americans and I think the president is out on his own on this," Eby said. B.C. is among the provinces that banned the sale of U.S. alcohol from government-run stores after Trump slapped steep tariffs on goods from Canada, a move that has prompted some Canadians to cancel their cross-border trips.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
B.C. premier slams U.S. ambassador for saying Trump thinks Canadian boycotts are 'nasty'
B.C. Premier David Eby said he believes U.S. leadership has "very little awareness" of how offensive their remarks are, in response to the U.S. ambassador to Canada saying that President Donald Trump thinks Canadians are "nasty" to deal with because of U.S. boycotts. "Do they think Canadians are not going to respond when the president says, 'I want to turn you into the 51st state and begger you economically unless you bow to the U.S.'?" Eby said in an interview on CBC's Power and Politics Monday evening in Huntsville, Ont., where premiers are meeting this week. "Obviously, Canadians are outraged." Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, made the remarks about Canadians avoiding U.S. travel and booze when he was speaking at the annual Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation summit in Bellevue, Wash. The Canadian Press was provided with a recording of the ambassador's comments by Eby's office, which said it received the audio from someone who was in the audience. Eby said in a statement that Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are "having an impact," and he encouraged people to "keep it up." WATCH | Hoekstra says call '51st state' comments term of endearment: A representative of Hoekstra's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ambassador made the remarks in response to a question from a conference moderator about what could be done to get people travelling again as Vancouver and Seattle prepare to host games as part of next year's FIFA World Cup. President 'out on his own': Eby "Canadians staying home, that's their business, you know. I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine," Hoekstra said. "There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps." Hoekstra added that he "can get alcohol across the border if [he] wanted to." "We go back and forth to Michigan and they don't check my car when I come back," he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. WATCH | What you need to know about Canada's premiers meeting in Ontario: On Power and Politics, Eby said Canadians should "stick with it, hold the line, but at the end of the day, we need to get past that." The premier said he believes Americans don't share their government's stance. "They're saying things like, 'I'm sorry.' We're friends, we're neighbours, we're partners. Canadians feel the same way about everyday Americans and I think the president is out on his own on this," Eby said. B.C. is among the provinces that banned the sale of U.S. alcohol from government-run stores after Trump slapped steep tariffs on goods from Canada, a move that has prompted some Canadians to cancel their cross-border trips.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
B.C. Premier David Eby answers questions during a news conference following a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Victoria, on Thursday. Eby on Monday called out U.S. leadership for comments about Canadians avoiding U.S. travel and alcohol.
B.C. Premier David Eby said he believes U.S. leadership has "very little awareness" of how offensive their remarks are, in response to the U.S. ambassador to Canada saying that President Donald Trump thinks Canadians are "nasty" to deal with because of U.S. boycotts. "Do they think Canadians are not going to respond when the president says, 'I want to turn you into the 51st state and begger you economically unless you bow to the U.S.'?" Eby said in an interview on CBC's Power and Politics Monday evening in Huntsville, Ont., where premiers are meeting this week. "Obviously, Canadians are outraged." Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, made the remarks about Canadians avoiding U.S. travel and booze when he was speaking at the annual Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation summit in Bellevue, Wash. The Canadian Press was provided with a recording of the ambassador's comments by Eby's office, which said it received the audio from someone who was in the audience. Eby said in a statement that Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are "having an impact," and he encouraged people to "keep it up." WATCH | Hoekstra says call '51st state' comments term of endearment: A representative of Hoekstra's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ambassador made the remarks in response to a question from a conference moderator about what could be done to get people travelling again as Vancouver and Seattle prepare to host games as part of next year's FIFA World Cup. President 'out on his own': Eby "Canadians staying home, that's their business, you know. I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine," Hoekstra said. "There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps." Hoekstra added that he "can get alcohol across the border if [he] wanted to." "We go back and forth to Michigan and they don't check my car when I come back," he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. WATCH | What you need to know about Canada's premiers meeting in Ontario: On Power and Politics, Eby said Canadians should "stick with it, hold the line, but at the end of the day, we need to get past that." The premier said he believes Americans don't share their government's stance. "They're saying things like, 'I'm sorry.' We're friends, we're neighbours, we're partners. Canadians feel the same way about everyday Americans and I think the president is out on his own on this," Eby said. B.C. is among the provinces that banned the sale of U.S. alcohol from government-run stores after Trump slapped steep tariffs on goods from Canada, a move that has prompted some Canadians to cancel their cross-border trips.
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
B.C. premier slams U.S. ambassador for saying Trump thinks Canadian boycotts are 'nasty'
Social Sharing B.C. Premier David Eby said he believes U.S. leadership has "very little awareness" of how offensive their remarks are, in response to the U.S. ambassador to Canada saying that President Donald Trump thinks Canadians are "nasty" to deal with because of U.S. boycotts. "Do they think Canadians are not going to respond when the president says, 'I want to turn you into the 51st state and begger you economically unless you bow to the U.S.'?" Eby said in an interview on CBC's Power and Politics Monday evening in Huntsville, Ont., where premiers are meeting this week. "Obviously, Canadians are outraged." Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, made the remarks about Canadians avoiding U.S. travel and booze when he was speaking at the annual Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation summit in Bellevue, Wash. The Canadian Press was provided with a recording of the ambassador's comments by Eby's office, which said it received the audio from someone who was in the audience. Eby said in a statement that Hoekstra's remarks show Canadians' efforts to stand up to Trump are "having an impact," and he encouraged people to "keep it up." WATCH | Hoekstra says call '51st state' comments term of endearment: Premiers meet ahead of PM briefing on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations | Power & Politics 4 hours ago The Power Panel discusses what's ahead as premiers gather before a briefing from the prime minister on the state of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations and the possibility of a deal that includes tariffs. A representative of Hoekstra's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ambassador made the remarks in response to a question from a conference moderator about what could be done to get people travelling again as Vancouver and Seattle prepare to host games as part of next year's FIFA World Cup. President 'out on his own': Eby "Canadians staying home, that's their business, you know. I don't like it, but if that's what they want to do, it's fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That's fine," Hoekstra said. "There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps." Hoekstra added that he "can get alcohol across the border if [he] wanted to." "We go back and forth to Michigan and they don't check my car when I come back," he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. WATCH | What you need to know about Canada's premiers meeting in Ontario: U.S. ambassador claims Carney sees 51st state talk as 'term of endearment' 21 days ago U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says the president's team had long made it clear that Canada's digital services tax was a 'red line,' and that stopping it took Canada from the 'back of the line' for a U.S. trade deal and returned it to the front. Hoekstra claims that Prime Minister Mark Carney characterizes the 51st state comments as 'a term of endearment.' On Power and Politics, Eby said Canadians should "stick with it, hold the line, but at the end of the day, we need to get past that." The premier said he believes Americans don't share their government's stance. "They're saying things like, 'I'm sorry.' We're friends, we're neighbours, we're partners. Canadians feel the same way about everyday Americans and I think the president is out on his own on this," Eby said. B.C. is among the provinces that banned the sale of U.S. alcohol from government-run stores after Trump slapped steep tariffs on goods from Canada, a move that has prompted some Canadians to cancel their cross-border trips.
