Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is headed to Washington, D.C. to speak with U.S. politicians to discuss the country’s business relationship with Canada.
Meed Ward, along with other members of the Ontario Big City Mayors, will share that the tariffs put in place by U.S. President Donald Trump this morning will hurt both sides of the border.
“People will expect us to do something, and often that something will be exactly what we’ve done,” Meed Ward said in a city council meeting Tuesday, March. 4. “Passing a buy Canadian resolution, having a resource page for folks who want to use their dollars in support of local businesses, and the task force I’ve started with Deputy Mayor for businesses and red tape reduction Kelvin Galbraith, and Deputy Mayor of strategy and budgets Paul Sharman.”
The big city mayors will meet with representatives of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, of which Burlington and Halton is a member.
Meed Ward said there are dozens of meetings set up with U.S, counterparts and congressional decision makers to discuss supply chains, and the negative impact of the tariffs.
“We hope folks will get back to the negotiating table and sort this out, in the interest of both our countries,” she said.
The mayor will be in Washington until March. 7, saying during council that she is leaving tonight.
“I will report back to committee and council on those discussions,” she said. “We will be bringing Burlington, Halton, and Ontario’s voice to the table.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both said they think Trump is attempting to weaken Canada’s economy in separate press conferences early Tuesday.
Trudeau also announced retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products, with more expected in the next few weeks.
In light of today’s imposition of tariffs by the United States, please see my update.
— Marianne Meed Ward (@MariannMeedWard) March 4, 2025
Full update: https://t.co/Euf63QlrEu pic.twitter.com/AORKqRBMiJ
