Prime Minister Mark Carney said unity is Canada's greatest strength as he and the premiers huddled Thursday to prepare a response to fresh tariff threats from the United States.
Carney told reporters ahead of his meeting with the first ministers that Canada is "in a stronger position than we were when this trade war started," thanks to the focus of the people around the table.
Gathering with the premiers in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Carney spoke about the Fathers of Confederation who signed the binding agreements to form the federation in the same location.
"We may face similar challenges to the Fathers of Confederation but we have many more advantages. We are more diverse, more prosperous, more generous, and we have the lessons of history that when Team Canada is united, there is nothing we cannot do," Carney said.
The prime minister made the remarks ahead of a private roundtable discussion with all 13 provincial and territorial leaders scheduled to run into the afternoon.
This first ministers meeting comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed orders to impose 50 per cent tariffs on a variety of Canadian goods, ranging from hockey sticks to honey to cement.
Trump administration officials say the tariffs, to be applied Aug. 19, are in response to provincial bans on U.S. liquor, Canada's supply-managed dairy system and quotas on certain U.S. vehicles.
"We have different areas that we want to focus on but our No. 1 focus is Team Canada led by the prime minister," Ontario Premier Ford told reporters earlier in the day.
Speaking with reporters while headed into a breakfast with the other premiers, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz called for an "aggressive" approach to trade negotiations with the U.S.
"Put everything on the table. Let's get this done," Lantz said.
The premiers have called for Carney and his negotiators to intensify efforts to de-escalate trade tensions and work on renewing the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement on trade.
But the 13 provincial and territorial leaders are also coming to the table with their own requests for increased federal health care funding and accelerated approvals for major projects.
The premiers' face time with Carney comes at the end of a three-day conference in Charlottetown hosted by Lantz.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
