Wednesday December 17, 2025 | OTTAWA, ON [Posted from VICTORIA, BC at 2:45 pm PT | Updated 3:14 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
On Thursday December 18, a virtual First Ministers’ meeting with Canada’s premiers will be hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney. That takes place at 3:30 pm ET (12:30 pm PT).
Tonight US President Donald Trump is delivering a live address about the US economy, at 9 pm ET (6 pm PT).
Ontario lead:
Ahead of the prime minister’s December 18 meeting with all premiers, Carney will be meeting with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and then holding a joint press conference and signing ceremony with Ford.
Until mid-2025, Ford for one year led Canada’s Premiers as chair of the Council of the Federation (COF).
Ford’s leadership will still be key in Canada’s economy in the next few years. Back in February, Ford got a renewed electoral mandate (possibly for up to four years) to lead that province with this country’s largest provincial economy including significant industrial sectors like auto-assembly, steel and aluminum.
PEI Premier as COF Chair:
The current COF chair Bloyce Thompson (PEI Premier) is new to the job as of last week upon becoming PEI Premier after Rob Lantz resigned from that position; Lantz was the COF Chair from July 23 to December 11 this year.
BC Premier riding high:
Today BC Premier David Eby restated his pleasure at BC having four of the major projects being backed by the federal government through their Major Projects Office.
Eby had a meeting today with the Major Projects Office.
“BC is a steady partner, we are ready to do,” said Eby in a media session today in Vancouver. Eby also said that the economy is “uneven”, i.e. some people and businesses are doing better than others.
Today Eby reiterated how impactful the US change in trade policy has been on Canada and BC. Eby is hoping that BC’s pitch to have the new Defence, Security and Resiliency Bank located in Vancouver will be successful (Toronto and two other cities are also bidding).
Discussion about the status of Canada-US trade negotiations is almost certainly part of Carney’s meeting with Canada’s premiers tomorrow.
===== RELATED:
- Rob Lantz resigns as PEI premier to run for provincial Progressive Conservative leadership (December 11, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: MAJOR PROJECTS OFFICE | COUNCIL of the FEDERATION | BUSINESS & ECONOMY