As Canada faces the threat of 25 per cent tariffs enacted by President-elect Donald Trump, Ontario is moving ahead with a multi-million dollar U.S. project touting the province’s economic and cultural ties with its neighbor to the south. Started an advertising campaign.
“For generations, this northern ally has been by your side. Ontario, Canada, is committed to a shared history, shared values, and a shared commitment to what we can achieve together.” We are partners connected by a vision,” the narrator says in a new archival video featuring the shared video. Landmarks like Niagara Falls and the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
“Even when the world around us is unstable, Ontario is stable and secure. We can rely on Ontario for the energy to power our growing economy and the critical minerals essential to new technologies. .” 60 second ad Say.
The ad also highlights that if Ontario were a country, it would be the third largest trading partner of the United States, and Ontario would be the largest export destination for 17 states.
“It’s time to bring jobs home and come together to build more workers, more trade, more prosperity, more security. For generations, this northern ally has been here. And for many more generations, we’re still here, right next to you,” the ad continues.
The ad, released Monday morning, is scheduled to air throughout the holiday season and will be expanded to appear on TV and streaming apps in the new year ahead of President Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
A spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s office said the ad will run “where we know the audience will be” – on Fox News, in prime time at NFL football games, and in Washington during the Christmas period. He said it will also be posted at area airports.
The new year’s campaign will include traffic shelters, billboards and digital channels in key provinces with strong economic ties to Ontario. A version of the ad will also be streamed on the Fox Sports app during the Super Bowl, a spokesperson said in a statement.
The Progressive Conservative government declined to say exactly how much it is spending on the campaign, but acknowledged that various media outlets have reported that the amount is in the tens of millions of dollars.
Ford’s office said the campaign is part of the new U.S. administration’s plans, which have been in the works for months. The program’s launch comes as Canada scrambles to respond to President Trump’s threat to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican goods on his first day in office.
Canadian economists estimate that such tariffs would have a devastating impact on the country’s economy, costing between 1 and 5 per cent of total GDP. The impact could be especially large because Ontario’s auto manufacturing and energy sectors are deeply tied to the United States.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several aides dined with President Trump at a Florida country club on Friday night. Officials told CBC News that Trump’s top priority during the dinner was to stop the flow of fentanyl through the North American border. However, President Trump did not say what he would ask Canada to do in exchange for reversing the tariff threat.
Prime Minister Trudeau said Ottawa will beef up resources for the RMCP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in response to President Trump’s calls for border enforcement.
