National

How it started, how it ended: A chronology of Ontario's ad blitz against U.S. tariffs

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 03 Nov, 2025 02:14 PM

Here is a day-by-day chronology of the controversy over Ontario's advertising campaign against U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods:

Tues., Oct. 14: The office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province will spend $75 million to broadcast an anti-tariff ad in the United States using video of an address by former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who said in 1987 that in the long run, "such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer."

Tues., Oct. 21: A day after the ad airs during a broadcast of a baseball playoff game won by the Toronto Blue Jays, U.S. President Donald Trump says he saw the commercial, adding "if I was Canada I'd take that same ad also."

Thu., Oct. 23: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute says the ad misrepresents Reagan's remarks and that Ontario did not seek or receive permission to "use and edit the remarks."

Trump says he is ending trade negotiations with Canada over the commercial.

The ad isn't a "fake" as Trump claims, but Reagan's quotes are spliced together from different sections of the original speech.

Ford's office defends the ad.

Fri., Oct. 24: Trump accuses Canada of "cheating" by saying that Reagan did not like tariffs, which Trump claims the late president "loved."

David McLaughlin and Geoff Norquay, who worked as senior policy advisers for former prime minister Brian Mulroney, say the ad did not misconstrue Reagan's views on trade.

Ford says his government will pull the ad after the weekend, though it's still set to run during the first two games of the World Series.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew encourages Ford to keep the ad campaign going, saying Trump's tariffs betray Reagan's legacy.

Sat., Oct. 25: Trump says the U.S. will impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods because Ontario didn't immediately pull down the ad.

Mon., Oct. 27: Ford vows he will "never apologize" for pushing back against hostile trade measures designed to poach jobs from his province.

Fri., Oct. 31: Trump says Prime Minister Mark Carney apologized for the ad but the U.S. president adds that trade talks are not resuming.

Sat., Nov. 1: Carney confirms he apologized to Trump and says he told Ford he didn't think the province should run the ad campaign.

Sun., Nov. 2: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the ad amounted to foreign interference in American public policy.

Mon., Nov. 3: Ford says Carney called him "a couple of times" from a trip to Asia to ask him to pull the ad campaign.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Laura Proctor

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Ottawa provides $20M for B.C.'s forest sector amid softwood duties, trade war

The federal government is providing about $20 million in funding to support British Columbia's forestry sector, part of Ottawa's effort to bolster the economy amid the Canada-U. S. trade war. Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says it's more important than ever to support the sector, which is subject to American duties on softwood lumber and now faces the additional threat of steep tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ottawa provides $20M for B.C.'s forest sector amid softwood duties, trade war

Commercial truck hits B.C. highway overpass, losing lumber load and snarling traffic

British Columbia's Highway Patrol says another commercial truck has hit an overpass in Metro Vancouver, causing no visible damage, but snarling traffic on Wednesday. Police say a load of lumber the tractor trailer was hauling along Highway 99 hit the Blundell Road overpass.

Commercial truck hits B.C. highway overpass, losing lumber load and snarling traffic

Consumers could find 'meaningful savings' as carbon price ends: Desjardins

Canadians can expect to feel the absence of the consumer carbon price at the pumps immediately but it may take longer to notice a difference in the price of other goods, a new report released Wednesday suggests. The analysis by Desjardins Economics comes less than a week after Prime Minister Mark Carney and his new Liberal cabinet ordered that the consumer levy be set to zero on April 1.

Consumers could find 'meaningful savings' as carbon price ends: Desjardins

End of consumer carbon tax leaves $1.5-billion hole in B.C. budget

The budget released earlier this month shows the province was forecasting revenue of just over $2.5 billion from the tax in the 2024-25 fiscal year, while the estimated cost of the climate action tax credit was $995 million.

End of consumer carbon tax leaves $1.5-billion hole in B.C. budget

Ottawa caps non-sufficient funds fees at $10 starting March 2026

Ottawa has put in place new rules limiting the fees banks can levy on customers who don't have enough in their accounts to cover a cheque or other pre-authorized charges. The updates, included in an order-in-council last week, cap non-sufficient funds fees at $10 for personal deposit accounts, prohibit charging more than one NSF fee in a period of two business days, and prohibit charging an NSF fee when an account shortfall is under $10.

Ottawa caps non-sufficient funds fees at $10 starting March 2026

Federal government promises $2.55B in low-cost loans to build Toronto rental homes

The federal government is promising billions in low-cost financing to help build thousands of rental homes in Toronto, including more than a thousand affordable units. Ottawa says it will provide $2.55 billion in financing through its Apartment Construction Loan Program, to be administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.