Just a few days following a contentious exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has encouraged board chairs in Ontario to pivot away from American enterprises. This directive comes in light of a recent survey indicating a surge in approval ratings for Ford and his Progressive Conservatives this month.
In a written communication directed to the chairpersons and shared on social media platform X, Ford emphasized the importance of backing local businesses and adhering to Ontario’s Buy Ontario policies in response to “unwarranted tariff hikes.”
Ford remarked, “We have the power to make a difference for a company that may face closure or layoffs due to these tariffs.”
Amid the breakdown in U.S.-Canada negotiations this month, support for Ford’s Progressive Conservatives has rebounded, with the party now holding a four-point lead over the Ontario Liberals among decided and leaning voters, as per a recent survey by Liaison Strategies. The survey, conducted from Aug. 23 to 24, encompassed a random sample of 1,500 Ontarians during the latest tariff developments.
Trade talks between the U.S. and Canada deteriorated last week, resulting in the U.S. imposing 50 per cent tariffs on approximately $28 billion worth of Canadian goods on Saturday. Prime Minister Mark Carney subsequently pledged retaliatory tariffs, set to take effect on Sept 8.
Although Ford’s personal approval rating has risen by 12 points this month, 61% of respondents still express disapproval of his performance as premier, according to David Valentin, principal at Liaison Strategies. Valentin stated, “While Ford’s standing has improved compared to last month, he remains significantly unpopular. The party’s position is stronger than that of the Premier personally.”
Survey participants are largely in favor of retaliatory tariffs, providing Ford with leeway to take a firm stance against Trump. Valentin revealed that 83% of respondents supported Canadian tariffs on American goods, and 85% supported keeping U.S. alcohol out of LCBO stores until a trade agreement is reached.
Despite current favorable ratings, Ford has criticized unfavorable polling in recent months, even going as far as dismissing a June poll by the Angus Reid Institute as “fake.” His office contested the findings of a Liaison poll in July, claiming they were inconsistent with their own data and that of credible polling firms, without disclosing their findings at the time.
In the wake of a heated online exchange between U.S. and Ontario leaders earlier this week, with Ford telling Trump to “kiss my ass” and Trump dubbing Ford “Flunky Ford,” the tone appears to have simmered down. Trump even hinted at renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” on Truth Social.
Ford expressed to CNN the necessity of toning down the verbal sparring with the president and refocusing on returning to the negotiation table. At a housing announcement event in Vaughan, Ford humorously attributed buzzing bees to “President Trump’s bee drones, as they’re after me.”
Ford has signaled readiness to restrict electricity and critical minerals from Ontario to the U.S. if the trade war persists, reiterating this stance and highlighting that Ontario is not the sole province supplying electricity to the U.S. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow emphasized the need for decisive action to mitigate economic uncertainties and losses on both sides of the border.
Carney, however, has expressed skepticism regarding using Canadian energy exports as a bargaining chip with the U.S., diverging in opinion from Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. They unite in advocating for increased oil flow within Canada, particularly through a proposed pipeline from Alberta to refineries in Sarnia, Ont.