If we want to be economic masters in our own house, then “buying Canadian” to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign to attack our sovereignty through a tariff war, while admirably patriotic, isn’t enough.
Nor is there any instant solution to this ongoing threat posed by an aggressive and often irrational Trump administration that we’re going to have to deal with for the next four years, based on its first two weeks in office alone.
Justin Trudeau woke up Monday morning believing that the Donald Trump tariffs were inevitable.
As the prime minister admitted on Saturday, he had not been able to speak to the U.S. president since the inauguration on Jan. 20 and the threat of tariffs had become reality over the weekend with the signing of an executive order.
It may harm the perps!
Related …
How many more chances do repeat violent offenders get before meaningful change happens? Thanks to @TPS22Div Major Crime unit for re-arresting this individual. 397 total charges, including assault, assault with a weapon, dozens of break-and-enters, and multiple failures to comply.… pic.twitter.com/pBE0Cms8XM
— Toronto Police Association (@TPAca) February 4, 2025
Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Doug Ford has reneged on his vow to tear up a $100 million agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink after U.S. President Donald Trump paused his tariff threat on Canada for 30 days.
Ford confirmed on Feb. 3 the Starlink agreement with Musk will proceed for the time being and other retaliatory measures planned by Ontario, such as banning U.S. alcohol from LCBO stores, will be put on hold.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Chief Science Advisor Dr. Mona Nemer spent more than $300,000, three quarters of her annual salary, on travel from Tokyo to Oslo, according to records obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“Science can be everywhere,” Nemer, a University of Ottawa biochemist, earlier told MPs.
“I am a science advisor.”
“I appreciate that science can be everywhere.”
Donald Trump is well-advised to pause his unprovoked act of aggression against Canada.
The once “friendly giant of the North” has the means to inflict a serious energy and industrial crisis on America if pushed too far. Ottawa has conspicuously refused to rule this out.
Canada is the world’s fourth biggest producer of crude oil, exporting some 4m barrels a day to the US. It is the fifth biggest producer of natural gas.
The imposition of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports—now suspended for a month—by President Trump was an outrage, but it is also an opportunity.
It is offensive because the president says the tariffs are a result of inadequate efforts on the part of Canada and Mexico to prevent the entry of undesirables and dangerous narcotics into the United States. As I’ve written elsewhere, Canada is not East Germany and does not construct a wall to keep people in the country. It is well-settled international law and usage that sovereign countries maintain their own borders. Mr. Trump’s complaint is not with us but with his predecessor, who wilfully allowed 10–12 million or even more illegal migrants to cross the southern border, a significant number of them dangerous criminals bringing with them horrifying quantities of fentanyl and other lethal drugs.
OTTAWA — The Canadian Armed Forces will not be sent to the Canada-U.S. border, but it will sending more drones to the RCMP and assist with logistics, according to National Defence Minister Bill Blair’s office.
Calls to send the military to the border rang out Monday from Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who requested Prime Minister Justin Trudeau do so as the clock ticked down to the U.S. imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports and 10 per cent on energy resources.
This week we witnessed the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” strategy. It was a fiasco for markets with tariffs threatened against two allies — Canada and Mexico at 25 per cent (10 per cent for Canadian energy) — and levied against one foe, China, at 10 per cent.
Trump is already basking in another “victory” while many will say he balked because of the disruption. Canada and Mexico agreed to toughen border security and curb fentanyl smuggling across the border, which was the focus of the executive order issued last Saturday.
Public Safety Minister David McGuinty says the new “fentanyl czar” position Canada is creating after a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump will be a commanding role to coordinate a national campaign against illegal production and distribution of the deadly opioid.
“This new fentanyl czar position is one that will transcend any one part of the government will pull together a full Canadian national response between our provinces, our police of local jurisdiction, and work with our American authorities,” Mr. McGuinty told CNN in an interview Tuesday.
While we talk about how a trade war is also harmful to Americans, how do Americans feel about it?
There are 335 million of them, so I didn’t get around to everyone over the weekend, but I did talk to three of my more politically engaged and conservative friends in the U.S., in three different states, and I thought you might find it interesting from their viewpoint.
Canadian sports fans might be persuaded to stop jeering the American national anthem. At least for the next 30 days.
The trade war is off. At least for now. But that is of limited solace. And even if the next deadline somehow comes and goes without the resumption of hostilities, it’s not clear when Canadians will again be able to view the United States as a reliable friend or predictable ally.
The resolution, such as it is, came on Monday after Canadian officials agreed to a handful of additional measures to respond to Donald Trump’s stated concerns about fentanyl moving across his country’s northern border — the appointment of a “fentanyl czar,” listing Mexican drug cartels as terrorist entities, and investing $200 million toward gathering intelligence on organized crime.
So long as Trudeau masquerades as PM we’ll be in trouble.
It took Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum a single phone call to get Donald Trump to back off — at least temporarily — from his threat of tariffs.
Canada’s Justin Trudeau needed two.
Why did it take so long?
Justin Trudeau got a last-minute reprieve from Donald Trump on the 25% tariffs that were set to take effect, but only after a lot of drama, a drop in the stock market and the Canadian dollar dropping briefly into 67-cent territory.
Why so long? Because Canada’s China class along with Justin’s Khalistan pals made out like bandits.
Unless nothing changes, President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canada will come to fruition on Tuesday. Barring last-minute negotiations between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the two countries are heading for a trade war.
Canada is now in the early phases of what might be called the Seven Stages of Tariff Grief.
