{"id":15173,"date":"2025-02-05T10:12:20","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T10:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/05\/punch-in-the-gut-ontario-border-towns-crushed-by-trumps-tariff-threats\/"},"modified":"2025-02-05T10:12:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T10:12:20","slug":"punch-in-the-gut-ontario-border-towns-crushed-by-trumps-tariff-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/05\/punch-in-the-gut-ontario-border-towns-crushed-by-trumps-tariff-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Punch in the gut\u2019: Ontario border towns crushed by Trump\u2019s tariff threats"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

While a good portion of Canadians live within a couple of hours\u2019 drive of the U.S. border, it is very different than living directly across from our American counterparts, according to Niagara Falls<\/a> Mayor Jim Diodati.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all grew up here. We lived our lives here. We\u2019ve got family and friends on both sides,\u201d he told Global News on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing across the border is like going across town anywhere else in the country. So we don\u2019t even see the border when you live here.\u201d<\/p>\n

That familial relationship may have become fractured over the weekend when Donald Trump announced that a round of tariffs were coming for Canadians, a move which was postponed for a month on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe majority of us are Bills fans. And, you know, we go to Buffalo, we fly out of the Buffalo airport. It\u2019s just a way of life here,\u201d Diodati said. \u201cIn the same way a lot of Americans do the same things here in Canada. They like coming to Costco and they like coming to visit the casino and etc.<\/p>\n

\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cSo it was like a punch in the gut.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Click
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Diodati said he was out and about in the community over the weekend and his constituents were upset by the news. One resident told the Niagara Falls mayor that they no longer felt welcome to cross over into the U.S.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne lady at the grocery store said, \u2018You know, I don\u2019t know if I want to cross over the river\u2019,\u201d he said. \u201cShe said, \u2018I\u2019m not sure I feel welcome right now.’\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a similar feeling of shock and resentment in other border communities such as Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., which shares a border with Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a real sense of betrayal across Canada, and in Sault, Ont., that feeling is heightened due to our close relationship with Sault, Michigan,\u201d Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said Monday.<\/p>\n

\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe Twin Saults share a name, a river, a history of friendship and cooperation and a bridge that links us together. Every day, thousands of Canadians and Americans cross that bridge for work, shopping or even just to play hockey.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Get\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

Get daily National news<\/h3>\n

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIf these tariffs are implemented, we will see a significant decline in the number of Canadians crossing into Michigan to spend money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Click
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

He noted that the Canadian Sault is the larger of the two cities and the effects of slower border traffic would likely have more of an impact on his American neighbours.<\/p>\n

Mike Bradley, the mayor of Sarnia., Ont, also noted that the trade barriers would have more of an impact on the daily lives of constituents in border towns than other places.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe real impact in border communities will be the day-to-day trade, jobs and relationships,\u201d he said in an email Monday, noting that it could hurt the tourism industry in both directions.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYou can\u2019t poke a country in the eye without consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

No one needs to tell Diodata about the effects it could have on the tourism industry as Niagara Falls is built largely on tourism.<\/p>\n

The Niagara Falls mayor noted that Americans account for 25 per cent of visitors to his community but more importantly, they account for 50 per cent of the revenue in a community which sees 40,000 people employed in the tourism industry.<\/p>\n

If Trump does go ahead with the tariffs down the road, it will be interesting to see how the Americans will react when they feel the effects of Canadian countermeasures.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Americans don\u2019t feel welcome, they won\u2019t come,\u201d Diodata said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s interesting to see what will have a bigger pull on them there. The idea that their dollar can go further and they can get 30 per cent plus off of a vacation just by coming to Canada or are they going to get that nationalism feeling and say, no, we\u2019ll just stay home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Click
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n