By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s anticipated 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from Canada into the US, mayors of border towns and cities across Canada are uniting under the Border Mayor’s Alliance.
Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff spoke on the issue at this week’s Jan. 28 regular council meeting noting she had received a letter of invitation from Drew Dilkens, Mayor of the City of Windsor who is serving as chair of the alliance. The mayor said she had informed Dilkens of her interest in the alliance and in getting more information.
McKortoff added that in particular she’s keen on seeing how Osoyoos could fit into such an organization given that many of the border communities – such as Windsor – are magnitudes larger. The Windsor-Detroit corridor, for instance, facilitates approximately 25 per cent of all merchandise trade between Canada and the US alone. Many of these larger border cities have thriving transnational manufacturing interests driving trade, something virtually non-existent in the case of Osoyoos.
In his letter to mayors of Canadian border municipalities Dilkens said that through the alliance “we will represent our communities from coast to coast, particularly those poised to suffer immensely from these tariffs, and we will work to protect our economic and developmental interests.”
He noted that the situation is “ever evolving, demanding immediate action to counteract the looming pressures on our economy.” He noted that a unified, national voice was key to safeguarding communities and “offer a municipal perspective within our national discussion.”
While the big ticket trade number between the two countries is estimated at $950 billion per year supporting millions of jobs on both sides of the border, he noted that the breadth of the trade relationship covers a “vast regional diversity,” including manufacturing, technology and innovation alongside highly integrated supply chains.
McKortoff noted the many businesses in town and the vital supply chain connection that Hwy. 97 from the border north plays in the economy.
Dilkens said the Alliance has already begun identifying alternative supply chains to mitigate immediate disruptions and are working together to develop contingency strategies.
“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,” Dilkens continued in his letter.
