Premier Doug Ford, here holding a Monday news conference at the Royal Ontario Museum, is set to speak with the media again on Tuesday.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
The latest
Doug Ford urging federal government to meet NATO targets, crack down on illegal immigrationPremier set to meet with federal finance minister at Queen’s Park later TuesdayUpdates
January 14
18 hours ago
Ford offers limited details about possible support plan
John Rieti
The premier was asked how he’d flow money to those hurt by tariffs – potentially something like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit that many used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ford offered few firm details.
“We’ll determine that when we see the tariffs come at us,” he said.
Ford stressed he’d rather work with the U.S., but feels Ontario’s manufacturing sector is something Trump wants to hamper.
“We’re the ones with the target on our back,” he said.
18 hours ago
What could tariffs mean for Ontario?
John Rieti
Ford said he’s been speaking with various government ministries to get a handle on what damage U.S. tariffs could do to the province’s labour market.
The grim news: it could cost as many as 500,000 jobs, according to Ford.
Ford has said he may need a fresh mandate from the public – see, an election – in order to spend billions of tax dollars to support various sectors affected by potential tariffs.
Ford said he thinks Trump will “slow roll” the tariffs, but still believes they’re coming.
18 hours ago
Ford says he ‘wouldn’t stop working’ if there was an Ontario election
John Rieti
Ford, asked if launching an Ontario election would create a leadership vacuum at the moment Donald Trump may impose tariffs, once again said he and his party “haven’t decided” to call an early vote.
He said even if there was an election he “wouldn’t stop working.”
As a reminder, Ford has currently paused work at the Ontario Legislature until the beginning of March.
19 hours ago
Ford has meeting with feds later today
Lane Harrison
Just in: Ford is set to meet with Dominic Leblanc, Canada’s finance minister, on Tuesday afternoon.
19 hours ago
Ford issues another call for border security
John Rieti
Ford is speaking again about his “Fortress Am-Can” idea on Tuesday, and urging the federal government to take eleven specific actions on the security front.
That list includes meeting the NATO target for defence spending, building new ice breaker ships to patrol the Arctic and cracking down on illegal immigration.
All of this messaging comes with Donald Trump’s inauguration less than a week away. Ford has expressed deep concern about Trump’s plan to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods.
What is “Fortress Am-Can”, you ask? Here’s more on Ford’s energy plan.
20 hours ago
Will he or won’t he?
John Rieti
One day after Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he may have to “let the people decide” if his government should spend billions of dollars to weather the punch of potential American tariffs, he will be speaking with reporters again in Toronto on Tuesday morning.
Ford has for weeks avoided giving a yes/no answer on whether he’ll call an election this year – potentially before a federal election that’s expected sooner than later. The fixed date for the next Ontario election is in June 2026, so this would be Ford’s move.
CBC Toronto will be livestreaming the news conference and updating this story as it happens, so check back when you can.
For more on the election speculation, check out this story from the CBC’s Lane Harrison.
