The Daily Populous Saturday March 8th, 2025 morning edition
Authored by cbc.ca and submitted by AlwaysBlaze_

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province will charge an extra 25 per cent on electricity going to the United States as of Monday. The retaliatory move will affect 1.5 million customers in three states. CBC’s Lorenda Reddekopp has the latest.

Ontario will charge 25 per cent more for electricity shipped to 1.5 million Americans starting Monday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, Premier Doug Ford said Thursday.

The province provides electricity to Minnesota, New York and Michigan. Earlier this week, Ford warned the governors of those states about the coming changes.

"You touch the stove once, you get burned, you don't touch that stove again," Ford said. "We're going to make sure that we follow through with what we said we were going to do."

Ford said he felt bad about laying the surcharge.

"I feel terrible for the three governors, I have a phenomenal relationship (with them)," he said.

CBC Radio's Just Asking wants to know — what questions do you have about the trade war, and what does it mean for you? Fill out the details in this form and send us your questions ahead of our show this Saturday, March 8.

He said he spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday.

"All three governors think tariffs on their closest allies and friends is absolutely terrible," Ford said.

"And Republicans, as well, behind closed doors, say this is the worst thing that he could do. And now I need the Republicans to come out and speak out about it. They're too scared."

Walz, a Democrat who was Kamala Harris's running mate in her failed bid for the presidency, said Trump's tariffs "pose a serious threat" to future trade with Canada.

"But while the president may not value the partnerships that contribute billions of dollars to our economy, Minnesota does," Walz said in a written statement on Wednesday.

"I am working closely with Canadian leadership to help Minnesota get through this unnecessary and costly trade war."

WATCH | Canada will respond strongly to tariffs, PM says: Canada committed to ‘responding strongly’ until U.S. tariffs are dropped, Trudeau says Duration 1:32 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking in Ottawa on Thursday, said the federal government is focused on ‘reducing the impacts of the tariffs’ but that Canada will continue to be in a trade war started by the United States for ‘the foreseeable future.’

His office said the increased costs will be "particularly acute for industrial customers in the northeastern part of the state where energy and supply chains will get more expensive."

"The new tariffs and response from Canada will reduce Minnesota's competitiveness with other less-impacted regions of the United States," Walz's office said.

Ford said there is only one person to blame: Trump.

"This whole thing with President Trump is an absolute mess. You see uncertainty in the markets and investments around the U.S. and in Canada. People are going to lose their jobs, their pension funds that people work their whole lives for."

On Tuesday, Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods and a 10 per cent levy on energy. He announced a month-long reprieve for the auto sector on Wednesday.

Canada responded with 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products and said tariffs on another $125 billion in goods would follow after three weeks.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said earlier Thursday that it was "likely" Trump would pause most of the sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico until April 2. Trump confirmed in a social media post that Mexico will get a one-month pause on tariffs for most imports, but made no mention of tariffs on Canada.

Later on Thursday, according to The Associated Press, Trump signed an order that delays new tariffs on Canada for one month, similar to reprieve announced earlier for Mexico.

Ford said the two countries need to end the tariffs and immediately renegotiate the Canada-United States-Mexico free trade deal.

Ford pushing for tariffs to be dropped

Both Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have said they will not back down from retaliatory measures until all tariffs are removed.

"We have to follow through until he drops tariffs completely," Ford said.

The premier added that Trump has miscalculated Canada's resolve.

"I've never seen the patriotism running across this country like we have over the last couple (of) months," Ford said.

"He underestimated the resilience of the Canadian people, the strength of the Canadian people, and let's just keep moving forward and fight for what's right."

WATCH | Americans react to Trump's tariffs: Americans in Buffalo react to Trump’s tariffs on Canada Duration 4:38 CBC’s Haydn Watters spoke to people in Fort Erie and Buffalo to find out how the trade war is impacting the border cities.

Ford said he still wants to work with the U.S. to create the two most prosperous countries in the world by sharing more energy and critical minerals.

The premier has also threatened to shut off power completely to the three U.S. states by early April if the tariffs remain.

He has also mused about stockpiling nickel, a mineral widely used by the American military and aerospace industry.

Ontario has already ripped up a $100-million deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink's high-speed internet to rural and northern communities and remote First Nations.

Ford has also banned U.S. companies from bidding on the province's $30-billion worth of procurement contracts, and instructed the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to stop selling American products.

Warlord68 on March 8th, 2025 at 00:32 UTC »

Saskatchewan needs to put a surcharge on Potash.

RubixRube on March 7th, 2025 at 23:47 UTC »

Hi there, as a resident of ontario, we just very recently elected effetively and loud mouth idiot, for the THIRD Time. and hey, I don't love that he is hell bent on privatizing public services and has been on a mission to destroy public lands and greenspaces, however on the other end of the spectrum having a loud mouth idiot in your corner right now, plays out well in dealling with the USA.

We can deal with Ford in a few years, we can revesrse the damage, but right now having a loudmouth in your corner who is down for a good old fashion weiner wag contests, isn't totally a bad thing.

Side note, This time line sucks.

CostumeJuliery on March 7th, 2025 at 23:42 UTC »

Ok Quebec, you next 🇨🇦👏🏻