Five days before the new president was inaugurated, Justin Trudeau gathered the premiers in Ottawa to discuss the coming crisis.
They emerged, Trudeau said, with a “shared sense of purpose, a shared sense of understanding and a commitment to stand together on a united path forward.” Seated to Trudeau’s right, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said it was “truly a Team Canada approach we’re taking.”
The assembled first ministers didn’t agree on everything. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was notably unwilling to consider a surcharge on oil exports to the United States. But Ford offered a thoughtful — perhaps even inspiring — take on the display of some broader political unity.
