Tuesday February 11, 2025 | NATIONAL NEWS [Posted from VICTORIA, BC] | Updated February 12, 2025
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
UPDATE: Click here for report on the February 12 meetings in Washington, DC
For the first time ever, all 13 of Canada’s Premiers are in Washington, DC as part of a joint mission aimed at strengthening Canada-US relations.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Chair of the Council of the Federation, will lead the group as they undertake a series of meetings and events int he US capital.
The other premiers are Dennis King (PEI) who is Vice-Chair; Francois Legault (Quebec), Tim Houston (Nova Scotia), Susan Holt (New Brunswick), Wab Kinew (Manitoba), David Eby (BC), Scott Moe (Saskatchewan), Danielle Smith (Alberta), Andrew Furey (Newfoundland and Labrador), R J Simpson (Northwest Territories), Ranj Pillai (Yukon), and P J Akeeagok (Nunavut).
Ford addressed a Chamber of Commerce meeting in Washington today, attended mostly by Canadians working in Washington or representing Canadian interests. He continues to repeat the ‘Fortress AmCan’ concept to promote the idea of the two countries working together.
The primary concern of Canada and all the premiers is economic stability between Canada and the United States, with a specific goal of seeing that tariffs are not imposed by the United States on products exported from Canada into the US.
The mission strategy is to inform and influence elected officials (of both parties) and leaders in business and labour, regarding the problems that US tariffs (and Canada’s retaliatory tariffs) would cause.
Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc is also in Washington to meet with Howard Lutnick, the US President’s commerce secretary, and Kevin Hassett, top economic adviser to Trump.
Media/photos on Wed Feb 12:
- Media will have a photo opportunity with the premiers at 7 am Eastern Time (4 am Pacific)
- Possibly a media scrum and photo opportunity at 8:15 am Eastern (5:15 am Pacific) as premiers depart the hotel for meetings.
- Another scrum and photo opportunity will take place at 11:30 am Eastern (8:30 am Pacific) as premiers depart for a lunch meeting.
Leading up to the Washington visit:
Eby made a tariff announcement on February 1. He has also set up a tariff-response committee within the BC cabinet.
Last night BC Premier David Eby held a brief hastily-organized media availability at the Vancouver International Airport before his air departure for Washington.
All the premiers have had weekly meetings with the prime minister for the last few weeks.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also established a Canada-US council of influential leaders in policy, business and labour — several of the council members have fanned out into media appearances to address various aspects of the tariff challenge.
A strong pro-Canada sentiment has risen among Canadians in recent weeks.
A buy-Canadian momentum has begun, though it’s unclear how long that can last as many products produced in the US are cheaper than Canadian-made products (based on sheer volume); that makes ‘buy Canadian’ an economic luxury for many.
===== RELATED:
- Canadian Premiers hustled through a day of meetings in Washington DC (February 13, 2025)
- Canada’s first-ever Fentanyl Czar is Kevin Brosseau (February 11, 2025)
- Premier Eby addresses media Feb 10 as he heads to Washington (February 10, 2025)
- BC retaliatory tariffs are suspended for now but procurement shift continues (February 3, 2025)
- BC Premier David Eby on Feb 1 US tariff announcement (February 1, 2025)
- Hillman, Champagne & Ng about their Washington trip (January 23, 2025)
- BC Premier calls Trump tariff threat ‘bizarre’, announces BC task force (January 21, 2025)
- Trudeau announces Canada’s Council on Canada-US relations (January 16, 2025)
- Canada’s Premiers to discuss tariffs on Feb 12 in Washington DC (January 10, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: CANADA-USA