South Dundas joins Border Mayor Alliance

CORNWALL – Politicians at all levels are bracing for the impact of possible American tariffs. While the response to the tariff action has been centred on federal and provincial government officials, an ever-growing group of municipal mayors are banding together to deal with the local effects. South Dundas is joining that group.

Dubbed the Border Mayors Alliance, the group is looking at working collaboratively within their communities to help address the potential economic impact on border communities. The group is focusing not only on the disruption to cross-border industrial trade, but the tourism industry.

South Dundas Mayor Jason Broad highlighted possible impacts to potential tariffs at the January 27 SDG Counties Council meeting.

“One of the things that is not really talked about is cross-border travel,” Broad said. “If there are tariffs, how does that affect personal shopping? What does that traffic look like if there are tariffs?”

Broad continued that with there being some social media campaigns supporting more buy in Canada or travel in Canada ideas, how can they help support this idea.

The effects on local industry is another issue for potential tariffs by the US

“Ross Video exports millions of dollars to the US,” Broad said. “Safavieh is building a warehouse which is going to be exporting to the US. How does this [tariff] affect all these projects?”

The Border Mayor Alliance has also drawn in Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale, who announced Monday of his city joining.

“With President Trump threatening to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports to the United States, we must take action to protect our local and national economies,” Towndale said. “These tariffs threaten to disrupt the strong and mutually beneficial relationship we’ve built with our neighbours to the south. The negative economic impacts that these tariffs will have will not only affect the Canadian economy, but the United States economy as well.”

Broad said at the SDG meeting that several mayors locally have expressed interest in joining and hoped to have a local group from Eastern Ontario to meet in the near future.

The Alliance is chaired by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens who said in a statement that the Canada-US trade relationship is worth nearly $1 trillion per year.

“The extent of our trade relationship enjoys vast regional diversity, including manufacturing, tech and innovation and highly integrated supply chains,” said Dilkens in a statement. “The impact of these tariffs will ripple through our communities and be felt on every level. Our two nations have never faced a circumstance that so profoundly threatens our shared economy and poses such devastating impacts on our country, our cities, and our families.”

The Border Mayors Alliance is working with mayors from the US side to, to attempt to help communities on both sides deal with the possible fall out from the tariffs and any retaliatory action by Canada.

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