Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed that he received calls from Prime Minister Mark Carney while the latter was in Asia, urging him to halt an advertisement campaign that allegedly led to the breakdown of trade discussions with the United States. Carney had expressed his opinion to Ford that the province should refrain from running the ad, which featured footage of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. Ford, in response to questions regarding Carney’s statements, chose not to disclose the specifics of their conversations but hinted at a differing interpretation of events.
Following President Donald Trump’s termination of trade negotiations last month, attributing it to the TV commercials, Ford eventually agreed to withdraw the ads. However, they continued to air for a few additional days, coinciding with the World Series games, before being taken down. Trump subsequently threatened to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on Canadian products. Ford confirmed that Carney had contacted him multiple times from Asia, insisting on the removal of the ads, leading Ford to halt the campaign as of Monday.
Despite these events, Ford emphasized that he and Carney maintain a positive relationship. Carney admitted that Trump took offense to the ad and personally apologized to the President, a move that Ford claimed he was not informed about in advance. The Prime Minister’s Office declined to directly address Ford’s assertions, emphasizing the government’s commitment to engaging with the U.S. administration to reach a mutually beneficial agreement for both nations.
Ford remains supportive of the ad, which he claims garnered 12.4 billion views, dubbing it the most-watched commercial in history and attributing it to a U.S. Senate resolution denouncing tariffs. While the original ad campaign was estimated to cost $75 million and extend through the winter, its premature cessation is expected to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers, though the final expenses have yet to be disclosed. Despite the pause in Canada-U.S. trade discussions, the Canadian government has expressed readiness to resume negotiations when the opportunity arises.