
Friday January 17, 2025 | MISSISSAUGA, ON [Posted 8:24 am | Updated 7 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Just one day after appointing a new council on Canada-US Relation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held the council’s first meeting.
Of the 18-member council, six attended in the room and the rest attended virtually.

As announced yesterday, the council is comprised of leaders in business, industry, labour, innovation and policy including attention to regional considerations. There are no sitting elected cabinet ministers or MPs on the council.

During the meeting in Mississauga today, the Prime Minister and Council members highlighted the strong and successful relationship between Canada and the U.S. — two countries described the prime minister as “steadfast allies and partners, with the world’s most comprehensive trading partnership, which supports millions of jobs on both sides of the border”.
Everything is on the table:
“Everything is on the table,” said Trudeau if it comes to that. “There are no winners in a trade fight,” he added. “No one area will be singled out to fight for all of Canadam” he said, as was announced earlier this week during his meeting with Premiers in Ottawa.
Trudeau’s office reported out that he underscored the importance of building on this relationship and highlighted the economic benefits for the two countries. He also reiterated the harm that the proposed U.S. tariffs would have on both Canadian and American consumers and businesses.
Council members reinforced the potential economic and social impacts these tariffs could have and discussed options to minimize their effect.
A full range of possible measures was outlined as to what is being considered by the federal government to ensure a robust response and protect Canadians. Team Canada efforts are underway with provinces and territories to strengthen Canada’s relationship with the U.S. and protect Canadian investment and jobs.
Trudeau also highlighted the actions Canada has undertaken to strengthen border security and immigration, as part of the recently announced $1.3 billion border action plan. Council members shared their perspectives and offered advice to support the government’s ongoing work on Canada-U.S. relations.
Fast assembly:
“Thank you for being here in person, for being here online. I know we’re all incredibly busy people. You have important jobs but you also care deeply about this country and about Canadians. I want to make sure we’re doing all the right things to create opportunities, prosperity for Canada, for Canadians and, quite frankly, for people on both sides of the border here in North America,” said Trudeau in his opening statement.
He thanked the assembled team for “stepping up as soon as I asked”. The team includes Canada’s current and a past ambassador to the US, three former premiers, and business leaders with connections across the border.
This is the first of more meetings to come.
Important connections:
Trudeau highlighted that the connections of people on the council will be important to the success of Canada’s strategy against tariffs. Building strong relationships with key players in the US (including governors and business leaders) is an important part of the negotiating strategy. Trudeau will be picking the brains of his council members for ideas and asking them to use their connections effectively.
“There was no hesitation. You are all patriots. You believe in fighting for Canada and contributing to what we’re doing. It really makes a difference to have you all around the table from across the countries, from different industries, from different backgrounds, to weigh in on this council on Canada-US relations,” said Trudeau.
“This is our latest piece to the in-Canada approach to make sure that we have all hands on deck as we approach the challenge of the incoming administration,” said Trudeau.
“Canada and the United States are the closest of friends, steadfast allies, and partners in the world’s most successful bilateral relationship,” said Trudeau in a media release yesterday.
Council members:
The 18 members of Canada’s Council on Canada-US relations are as follows:
Former Premiers:
- Jean Charest (Canadian lawyer, 29th premier of Quebec – 2003 to 2012)
- Stephen McNeil (28th premier of Nova Scotia, from 2013 to 2021)
- Rachel Notley (17th Premier of Alberta NDP)
Ambassadors:
- Kirsten Hillman (Canada’s ambassador to the United States – 2020 to present)
- David MacNaughton (former Canadian ambassador to the United States – 2016 to 2019)
Business, industry, labour & strategists:
- Tabatha Bull (Ontario business CEO, member of Nipissing First Nation)
- Martin Caron (expert on international mobility)
- Arlene Dickinson (businesswoman, investor, author, television personality)
- Tim Gitzel (chief executive officer of Cameco)
- Wes Hall (Canadian businessman and entrepreneur, known a “Dragon” investor)
- Linda Hasenfratz (Canadian businesswoman – president, chair and CEO of Linamar since 2002; Member of the Order of Canada)
- Lana Payne (Unifor National President since 2022)
- Shahrzad Rafati (Iranian-Canadian chairwoman and CEO of RHEI, formerly BBTV – a global media company headquartered in Vancouver)
- Jody Thomas (national security advisor to the prime minister of Canada since 2022)
- Brian Topp (NDP political strategist)
- Steve Verheul (Canada’s Chief Trade Negotiator during 2017-2021)
- Flavio Volpe (leads the APMA, Canada’s OEM supplier industry body, Member of the Order of Canada)
- Hassan Yussuff (former labour leader, Canadian senator)
Timeline:
This comes in the wake of an escalating aggressive stance against Canada since Trump was elected on November 5, 2024. Trump met with Trudeau in Florida on November 29 and since then has continued taunts about making Canada “the 51st state”.
It may sound like a joke but Canada is taking the incoming president’s threats extremely seriously. [See BC response to tariff threat]
This council is also formed within the political context of Trudeau in transition as prime minister (his last day is March 9). The alacrity with which this council was formed and the willingness of its participants indicates that Trudeau still pulls weight across leadership in this country.
The council will be supporting key cabinet ministers who are focussing on the Canada-US file including Dominic LeBlanc (Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs), Melanie Joly (Foreign Affairs), and Jonathan Wilkinson (Energy and Natural Resources).

Trump inauguration next week:
President-Elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as President of the United on January 20, 2025. Trump has vowed to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian exports to the United States.
Trudeau met in Ottawa on January 15 with Canada’s premiers of provinces and territories to continue working on a ‘team Canada’ approach to facing the tariff threats from the United States.

Trudeau has now two or three times expressed dismay at Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith being the outlier from the Team Canada approach. That sort of strident ‘Alberta first’ approach is perhaps attractive to some within Alberta but it seems clear to all other premiers and to business that an all-of-Canada approach is necessary at this time.
A team of Canadian representatives including Premiers will visit Washington, DC on February 12 to meet with lawmakers and business leaders.
===== RELATED:
- Trudeau announces Canada’s Council on Canada-US relations (January 16, 2025)
- Eby delivers tough tariff talk as ministers get mandate letters (January 16, 2025)
- Premiers & PM discuss Canada’s strategy around US tariffs (January 15, 2025)
- Ontario premier proposes AmCan strategy for critical minerals in new geopolitical reality (January 13, 2025)
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