Monday January 26, 2026 | OTTAWA, ON [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
As chair of the Council of the Federation (COF), Prince Edward Island Premier Bloyce Thompson will host the 2026 Winter Meeting of Canada’s Premiers on Wednesday January 28 at the Andaz Ottawa Byward Market Hotel in Ottawa.
This comes one day ahead of the premiers meeting with Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Carney also met virtually with Canada’s Premiers last month, on December 19.
Trade diversification & affordability:
When Doug Ford was the COF Chair last year that was US President Trump’s first year in his second term — when the 51st state and trade war issues were first mounting.
Previous to PEI Premier Bloyce Thompson becoming chair in December 2025, the COF chair during the trade diversification phase of responding to the US trade war was then PEI Premier Rob Lantz‘s leadership.
Issues with premiers this week:
Based on recent challenges in the economy and the ongoing trade impacts of the United States, issues on the table for the premiers this week are likely trade diversification and affordability, as well as security and sovereignty-related issues that the prime minister has been dealing with.
Carney said today in a press conference that he will be discussing the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (announced January 26, 2026) with the premiers later this week.
The premiers seem to still be standing strong on being aligned in terms of boosting Canada’s economy and standing up to 51st-state type rhetoric. This ‘Team Canada’ approach may seem strained at times — such as Ford protesting about allowing Chinese EV’s into Canada (potentially impacting demand for Ontario-manufactured vehicles) in favour of seeing the canola tariffs dropped on agricultural products in Saskatchewan and Atlantic region.
Things move slowly in government due to sheer size and complexity, but all provinces and territories seem to be developing strategies and taking actions where they can. In BC, that is embraced by the Look West strategy.
In various provinces certain products or markets have been targeted, such as removing US liquor products from the shelves of government liquor stores or warehouse supply. Watching out for the impact of the trade war on workers in key sectors has been a significant requirement, such as forestry workers in BC and auto-assembly workers in Ontario.
This past weekend, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said essentially that premiers will squabble as part of protecting the needs of workers and sectors in their own provinces, but that the unity among premiers to stand up to the forces of economic challenges from the United States remains strong.
Defence spending and the north:
Hand in hand with strengthening Canada’s domestic economy is the challenge of fortifying this country’s borders.
As such, this week Carney is likely to discuss with the premiers the promised boost in defense and military spending, as well as the challenge of building infrastructure in Canada’s north where this country is most geographically exposed.
Many of the major national projects have to do with energy and the critical minerals that will be integral to strengthening this country’s economic and sovereign sustainability.
About COF:
The Council of the Federation comprises all 13 provincial and territorial Premiers.
COF enables Premiers to work collaboratively, form closer ties, foster constructive relationships among governments, and show leadership on important issues that matter to Canadians.
===== RELATED:
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit replaces GST rebate to help Canadians with affordability (January 26, 2026)
- BC’s trade mission to India focused on partnership & innovation (January 18, 2026)
- Carney to meet with Canada’s premiers day-after Trump’s economic address (December 17, 2025)
- Rob Lantz resigns as PEI premier to run for provincial Progressive Conservative leadership (December 11, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: COUNCIL of the FEDERATION | TARIFFS & TRADE