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

Bodywork cameras for Okanagan RCMP

R-C-M-P officers in the central Okanagan will soon start wearing body cameras. The acting officer in charge of the detachment based in Kelowna says they are among the first in B-C to deploy the equipment that will be the national standard

Bodywork cameras for Okanagan RCMP

Province releases mandate letters for cabinet

The BC government has released Premier David Eby's mandate letters for his new cabinet, outlining priorities for each ministry. Almost every minister has instructions to grow the economy and "reduce costs for families."

Province releases mandate letters for cabinet

Federal IT contracting cost more than in-house services: PBO report

The federal government spent more on contracted information technology services in four federal departments in 2022-23 than it would have if the work had been done by public servants, the parliamentary budget officer found in a new analysis. A report from the PBO published Thursday said the federal government spent $18.6 billion on professional and special services in 2022-23, with $2.6 billion of that money going to IT.

Federal IT contracting cost more than in-house services: PBO report

Capital gains reversal if party forms govt: Poilievre

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he will reverse an increase on the capital gains tax introduced last June if his party forms the next government. Speaking in Tsawwassen today at the site of a housing development under construction, Poilievre says the Liberal governments changes in the capital gains tax changes have stunted job creation, while funding handouts to large businesses and corporations.

Capital gains reversal if party forms govt: Poilievre

Copper theft in Port Moody

Police in Port Moody are investigating after thieves made off with telephone wire from a pole. Police say the theft happened on January 13th, when officers were called to an area near Ioco Road and First Avenue at around 4 a.m.

Copper theft in Port Moody

Unmarked graves: Supreme Court won't hear Mohawk Mothers appeal over McGill expansion

The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear an appeal from Indigenous elders who were seeking greater oversight over a university construction site in Montreal where they suspect unmarked graves of children are located. An application for leave to appeal was dismissed today by the country's highest court, which gave no reason for its decision, as is custom.