Last week, as the appointed representative for York Region, I joined mayors from Ontario, Quebec and the U.S in Washington, D.C., as part of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative advocacy efforts – not just to champion the protection of our precious natural resources and the largest watershed in the world, but to strongly push back against these unjust tariffs that threaten jobs, businesses, and the cost of living on both sides of the border.
In my meetings with U.S. Mayors, Senators, and Congressional leaders, both Democrat and Republican, I made it clear:
– These tariffs threaten jobs and disrupt industries that rely on our deeply integrated supply chains – putting at risk 50 million Canadian and American jobs.
– They weaken the $6 trillion Great Lakes economy, which drives 50% of all U.S.-Canada trade.
– They put decades of cross-border cooperation at risk – at a time when we should be strengthening economic ties, not undermining them.
Our conversations were cordial, productive, and centered on free trade — an issue that directly affects workers and businesses in both countries. If you want to get your message across to decision-makers, you have to sit down with them, regardless of party and have the tough conversations. Bipartisan discussions are how you build support and drive progress. At the end of the day, this trip was about strongly advocating for Aurora, Ontario and Canada, and I make no apologies for using every opportunity to do that, regardless of which side of the aisle the elected officials sit on.
The Great Lakes region is an economic powerhouse – representing the world’s third-largest economy, and this trade war will have real consequences for our communities on both sides of the border. This isn’t just about numbers — it’s about real people and the jobs that sustain them. We must work together, Municipalities, the Province, and the Federal Government to preserve and grow our economic partnership. Canada needs to be swift, strategic, and substantial – not just to protect jobs, but to stabilize industries and safeguard our local economy from major disruption. Now is the time to act. #LeadershipThatGetsThingsDone
