Trump's tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, which took effect just after midnight Wednesday, are separate from the other tariffs Trump levied on Canada last week — and later partially dialled back— to supposedly pressure the country to do more at the border on drugs and migrants.

Canada immediately levied tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods in response to those initial tariffs — and didn't take them off even after Trump rejigged his tariff regime.

All told, Canada is applying a 25 per cent tariff to some $60 billion worth of American goods as payback for both Trump's border- and metals-related tariffs.

The government is also holding back tariffs on another roughly $100 billion worth of American goods that will be imposed if Trump goes ahead with a third round of what he's calling "reciprocal" tariffs on goods from around the world on April 2.

The mother of a B.C. woman who was detained for nearly two weeks by immigration officials in the United States says her daughter is back on home soil.

Alexis Eagles confirmed Saturday that her daughter, Jasmine Mooney, landed at the Vancouver International Airport at around midnight and returned to her home in the city.

Eagles said she was at the airport to greet her 35-year-old daughter, along with friends of Mooney's.

 

B.C. woman detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be deported back to Canada

 

A B.C. woman who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is expected to be deported back to Canada Friday. Jasmine Mooney's father says the family "pulled political strings" to hasten her release after more than a week of detention. Rafferty Baker has more.

"The nature of our relationship is so fraught right now that this case makes us all wonder, what about our relatives who are working in the States?" Eby said.

Eagles said she had already determined she "would not be travelling to the States for the foreseeable future" in response the Trump administration's actions, but her daughter's ordeal had "solidified" her mindset.

A U.S. federal judge on Saturday temporarily barred the implementation of an 18th-century law that gives Donald Trump policy leeway to speed up deportations hours after the president invoked it in his campaign to combat a Venezuelan gang he claims is invading the country.

James E. Boasberg, chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said he needed to issue his order immediately because the government was already flying migrants it claimed were newly deportable under Trump's proclamation to El Salvador and Honduras to be incarcerated there. El Salvador already agreed this week to take up to 300 migrants that the Trump administration designated as gang members.

"I do not believe I can wait any longer and am required to act," Boasberg said during a Saturday evening hearing in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Democracy Forward.

"A brief delay in their removal does not cause the government any harm," he added, noting they remain in government custody but ordering that any planes in the air be turned around.

The ruling came hours after Trump claimed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) was invading the United States and invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a sweeping wartime authority that allows the president broader leeway on policy and executive action to speed up mass deportations.

The act has only been used three times before in U.S. history, all during wars. Its most recent application was during the Second World War, when it was used to incarcerate Germans and Italians as well as for the mass internment of Japanese-American civilians.

In a proclamation released just over an hour before Boasberg's hearing, Trump contended that Tren de Aragua was effectively at war with the United States.

"Over the years, Venezuelan national and local authorities have ceded ever-greater control over their territories to transnational criminal organizations, including TdA," Trump's statement reads. "The result is a hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger to the United States."

The order could let the administration deport any migrant it identifies as a member of the gang without going through regular immigration proceedings, and also could remove other protections under criminal law for people the government targeted.

The Tren de Aragua gang originated in a prison in the South American country and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nation's economy came undone last decade.

U.S. Drug Enforcement agents and Colombian police escort an alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang in Bogota on Feb. 6. (Fernando Vergara/The Associated Press)

Trump and his allies have turned the gang into the face of the alleged threat posed by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and formally designated it a "foreign terrorist organization" last month.

Authorities in several countries have reported arrests of Tren de Aragua members, even as Venezuela's government claims to have eliminated the criminal organization.

Flurry of litigation

The government said Trump actually signed the order Friday night. Immigration lawyers noticed the federal government suddenly moving to deport Venezuelans who they would not otherwise have the legal right to expel from the country, and scrambled to file lawsuits to block what they believed was a pending proclamation.

Boasberg issued an initial order at 9:20 a.m. ET on Saturday blocking the Trump administration from deporting five Venezuelans named as plaintiffs in the ACLU suit who were being detained by the government and believed they were about to be deported. The Trump administration appealed that order, contending that halting a presidential act before it has been announced would cripple the executive branch.

If the order were allowed to stand, "district courts would have license to enjoin virtually any urgent national-security action just upon receipt of a complaint," the Justice Department wrote in its appeal.

Trump moves quickly on immigration raids, arrests

Boasberg then scheduled the afternoon hearing on whether to expand his order to all people who could be targeted under Trump's declaration.

Deputy assistant attorney general Drew Ensign contended that the president had broad latitude to identify threats to the country and act under the 1798 law. He noted the U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Harry Truman to continue to hold a German citizen in 1948, three years after the Second World War ended, under the measure.

"This would cut very deeply into the prerogatives of the president," Ensign said of an injunction.

But Lee Gelernt of the ACLU noted the law has only been invoked three times before and contended that Trump didn't have the authority to use it against a criminal gang rather than a recognized state. Boasberg said that precedent on the question seemed tricky but that the ACLU had a reasonable chance of success on those arguments, and so the order was merited.

Boasberg halted deportations for those in custody for up to 14 days, and scheduled a Friday hearing in the case.

The flurry of litigation shows the significance of Trump's declaration, the latest step by the administration to expand presidential power. Ensign argued that, as part of its reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, Congress had given the president power to delegate "transnational" organizations threats on the level of recognized states. And Gelernt warned that the Trump administration could simply issue a new proclamation to use the Alien Enemies Act against another migrant gang, like MS-13, which has long been one of Trump's favourite targets.

As state-level Republicans in Alaska work to affirm their close relationship with Canada amid U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and threats of annexation, an Alaskan senator has warned British Columbia's premier that "you don't want to mess with Alaska."

Dan Sullivan of the Republican Party, who represents Alaska in the U.S. Senate, made the remarks in an interview with an Anchorage radio station posted to his Facebook page.

During the conversation, which touched on topics ranging from energy development to Ukraine, Sullivan, one of two senators who represent the state in Washington, was asked about B.C. introducing legislation that grants the province the ability to levy new fees on U.S. commercial trucks heading to Alaska.

"I don't know the premiers of the different provinces but it is a bit of a dangerous game," Sullivan said before launching into his desire to repeal, either through the senate or by executive order from Trump, the Passenger Vessel Services Act. 

Under the act, foreign-built ships are not allowed to carry passengers between two U.S. ports without a stopover in a foreign country. The law is meant to protect U.S. shipping interests, much the same as the Jones Act which applies the same rules to cargo ships.

Many Alaska-bound cruise ships stop in B.C. — primarily Vancouver but also Nanaimo, Victoria and Prince Rupert — bringing in significant tourism revenue to the province's economy.

Sullivan said in a radio interview that preventing cruise ships from stopping in B.C. ports would cost Western Canada billions of dollars in tourism revenue. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Sullivan says he would like to see that rule repealed, noting it was done when COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

"Canada, you don't want to mess with Alaska. And if you do, we are going to work hard on having our cruise ships bypass your ports, and that will help our economy tremendously," Sullivan said. "They're playing a dangerous game here, and I hope they back down."

'We can't imagine Alaska without Canada'

B.C. Premier David Eby said he had no current plans to enact tolls but he wants the ability to do so should Trump escalate his actions against Canada.

"This is not something that we would do lightly," he told reporters Friday. "We know the consequences for Alaskans are a big deal. We would expect them to respond in kind. Trade wars only hurt people."

He hopes Alaskans worried about the fallout of a trade war will speak up.

"We need Alaskans to send a message to Donald Trump about how intertwined we are, about the connections between our economies," he said.

B.C. Premier David Eby speaks on the lawn on the legislature in Victoria on March 6, 2025. He says he wants Alaskans to send a message to U.S. President Donald Trump about 'how intertwined we are." (Mike McArthur/CBC)

That message was heard in Alaska's state capitol building on Friday afternoon when Republican Rep. Chuck Kopp tabled a House Joint Resolution, Recognizing and honoring the relationship between Canada and Alaska, which he described as "an unqualified affirmation of the strong bonds of friendship, shared history, mutual defence and support that have bound our state to Canada over centuries."

An almost identical Senate Joint Resolution is also moving through Alaska's senate, sponsored by Republican Cathy Giessel, who has also spoken out against the trade war.

"The friendship, trust and affection that we hold for our Canadian neighbours extends to their identity as citizens of the sovereign nation of Canada," Kopp said at Friday's meeting, gesturing to a map of the two countries. "We can't imagine Alaska without Canada."

Kopp and several other speakers highlighted the joint effort to build the Alaska Highway from northern B.C. to Alaska during the Second World War, as well as the number of families and friendships that span both sides of the border.

Rep. Chuck Kopp has tabled a house joint resolution that affirms "the strong bonds" between Alaska and Canada. (Becky Bohrer/The Associated Press)

Also invited to speak was Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, the president of the Arctic Winter Games and several members of the border community of Skagway, Alaska. 

Skagway Vice-Mayor Deb Potter called on politicians to "think of Alaskans over your party," and encouraged them to affirm the resolution, which is still moving through the house.

Kopp said he hoped the messages coming from Alaskans would be heard by the powers that be elsewhere in the United States.

"The temperature is rising between the countries based on economic reasons," he said. "This resolution recognizes that relationships matter and are far more important than maybe the almighty dollar at times."

Eby wasn't alone in threatening higher prices for U.S. trucks in Canada: In Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston said he would be doubling tolls for commercial vehicles entering his province through the Cobequid Pass. And on Monday, prior to Trump agreeing to a 30-day delay on his tariff threat, Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai told CBC News many of his constituents wanted to see similar measures take place there, as well.

"We've seen Yukoners reach out and say, 'You should be doing something on the Alaska Highway,'" he said. "British Columbia might be looking to do something on the Alaska Highway, so we're looking to work in conjunction to understand what that would look like."

Traffic lined up along the Alaska Highway during a road closure in August 2017. (Philippe Morin/CBC)

The Alaska Highway is, in fact, a Canadian one. With its origin point in Dawson Creek, B.C., it extends more than 2,000 kilometres through Whitehorse, before ending just southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska.

It was built in the Second World War by the U.S. Corps of Engineers after the bombing of Pearl Harbour as a way to ensure the United States had land access to Alaska, in order to serve as a defence against Pacific incursions. It was funded by the United States, with Canadian leaders allowing the build on the condition that it be turned over to Canada following the war.

The highway remains a popular tourist route and the only way for goods shipped by truck to reach Alaska.

But that doesn't mean Canada could easily block it off — or that it would want to.

Pillai pointed out that, unlike Nova Scotia, there are no toll booths set up in the Yukon that could be used to impose higher fees on traffic. The same goes for most highways in B.C.

Beyond that, he said, there is still a strong relationship between the Yukon and Alaska. That includes a recent commitment from the U.S. state to spend more than $40 million improving a stretch of the Alaska Highway on the Yukon side of the border that could be at risk should fines be imposed.

Then there's the question of retaliation: while U.S. truck traffic is currently able to travel through Canada to Alaska duty-free, the same agreement is in place for most Mexican goods coming to Canada the same way, said Andrea Bjorklund, a McGill University professor and an expert in international commercial law.

Having duties imposed on items going to and from Mexico could further harm the Canadian economy as Mexico is Canada's third-largest trading partner, including more than $2 billion worth of fruits and vegetables coming into the country every year.

Flags for British Columbia, Canada and the United States mark Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, B.C. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC)

Alaska, meanwhile, is not actually as dependent on trucks from Canada as some might think, with most of its goods arriving by sea, rather than road.

In fact, according to numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Transport Statistics, shared by University of Alaska economics professor Mike Jones, trucking only represents about one percent of cargo entering the state every year, with the bulk coming through the Port of Alaska in Anchorage, primarily from U.S. destinations.

It is China that is Alaska's most important international trading partner, with Canada coming anywhere from third to fifth, depending on how it is measured.

That doesn't surprise Ken Coates, a historian focused on Canada's North, based at Yukon University. He recalls visiting Fairbanks, Alaska, in the 1970s and discovering most people didn't know where the Yukon was — instead, he said, their primary point of reference for the outside world was Seattle, Wash.

"It's kind of a distant cousinship," he said. "You know, second cousins twice removed on Mom's side."

Figures from the Port of Alaska illustrates the state's reliance on goods shipped by boat relative to those arriving via truck from Canada. (CBC News)

That's not to say Alaskans aren't paying attention to the deterioration of relationships with Canada: many political leaders in the state have expressed alarm about the possibility of tariffs, including Republican Senator Cathy Giessel who has been working on joint resolutions opposing economic sanctions being placed on Canada.

"I oppose these tariffs because we are neighbours," she said. "We are partners. It's not only economic, but it's security and defence, as well."

She also pointed out that there are key goods from Canada that Alaska is unlikely to get from elsewhere, including timber for home building and the possible future import of B.C. natural gas as current heating sources run low.

And ties between the two are growing: Canada has been identified by Alaska as one of its fastest-growing economic partners, and last year, Yukon and Alaska signed an accord taking note of their close ties.

Then there are the Alaskan border towns, places like Haines, Hyder and Skagway, where residents frequently cross into Canada for necessities like food, health care and medicine.

Orion Hanson, who runs a construction business and sits on Skagway's local government, said he and many others are reliant on Canada for everything from fresh produce to building supplies.

"I don't expect Washington to understand the logistical difficulties of living in a small, remote place in the corner of Alaska," he said.

"This tariff will just make it more expensive to be here and more difficult and challenging to be a citizen of Skagway."

A lone pickup truck travels the Alaska Highway heading towards the St. Elias Mountains and Haines Junction, Yukon, on March 4, 2007. (Chuck Stoody/The Canadian Press)

Yukon's premier says he's been getting an "incredible" amount of advice and suggestions from Yukoners about how to retaliate against the U.S. for its punishing new tariffs — with suggestions ranging from putting on a toll on the Alaska Highway to banning American athletes from the Arctic Winter Games.

Another suggestion Premier Ranj Pillai said he's been hearing is to bar Donald Trump Jr. from coming to the territory. The U.S. president's son has been known to do hunting trips in the Yukon. 

"Lots of Yukoners have reached out to me on this," Pillai said, about Trump Jr. "The legalities of that I think, first and foremost, have to be understood.

"Are we banning one person? What are the legalities of that? You know, is that the right thing to do? How do you do that? And then who gets banned from the United States?"

Pillai was speaking on Wednesday, a day after he announced some initial measures the territory was taking in response to the trade war launched this week by the U.S. president.

The territory is updating its government procurement policies so that it buys more local goods and fewer U.S. goods, and establishing an assistance fund for local businesses. It will also no longer buy or sell American liquor products.

Pillai said more measures will likely follow, but it's too soon to say what those will be. 

  'It's incredible the amount of advice that we're getting from Yukoners, on all of these things,' said Premier Ranj Pillai. (Crystal Schick/The Canadian Press)

"People are so incredibly passionate about this, or concerned, or angry," he said.

"It's incredible the amount of advice that we're getting from Yukoners, on all of these things. And we're just moving through it to see, you know, what's the most prudent thing to do at this time, and what the next step would look like."

Elon Musk's businesses, the Arctic Winter Games

The premier said another idea he's heard from a lot of Yukoners is to put a toll on the Alaska Highway for U.S. vehicles travelling through the territory. The highway connects Alaska to the lower 48 states, through the Yukon and B.C.

Pillai said something like that is easier said than done, as it would require new infrastructure — for example, toll booths — new staff, and likely new legislation.

"We've got to look at what our actions are and what legal tools we have to make those decisions," Pillai said.

He also said people have been urging the government to punish businesses owned by tech billionaire and Trump appointee Elon Musk. Pillai said government officials are now reviewing whether to halt the territory's use of Musk's Starlink, or the social media platform X. 

As for banning Alaskan athletes from the next Arctic Winter Games — happening a year from now, in Whitehorse — the premier was cool to that idea. 

"That's not something that we've contemplated," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, NDP Leader Kate White floated the idea during an interview on CBC's Yukon Morning. She compared it to a decision made in 2022, about Russian athletes.

Weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, in February 2022, the Arctic Winter Games International Committee announced it had "suspended Yamal, Russia, with immediate effect, following the attacks unfolding in Ukraine."

Arctic Winter Games athletes and other participants crowd the stage at the closing ceremonies of the 2023 games, in Alberta. (Julie Plourde/Radio-Canada)

"So if we're not allowing Russian athletes because of Putin's actions, are we going to have the conversation about Alaskan athletes?" White asked.

"It's hard because we're talking about, I mean, the decision was made about Russian kids, right? So are we going to have to make the same decision about American kids?"

Pillai argued that the games are an important event for positivity, and "building bridges" with friends in Alaska. 

"Look, at the end of the day, we need Americans to put ultimate pressure on the Trump administration," Pillai said.

"So I think having the Games here, seeing a bunch of great Alaskan athletes coming here, strengthening our ties with Alaska — it's incredibly important."

Nunavut's finance minister says the territory is considering banning American companies from bidding on government contracts in the wake of the trade war with the United States. 

Responding to a question about whether it would do so from Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Lorne Kusugak said it was tough to answer – but that the government was considering the pros and cons.

The premiers of both the N.W.T. and Yukon have directed their governments to review procurement policies to reduce or eliminate purchases from U.S. companies where possible after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all Canadian goods this week. 

Canada responded by putting tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods, and has said it will put tariffs on $125 billion more in three weeks time.

Brewster told the house that the tariffs imposed by Trump are "irrational and indefensible." She also raised the matter of Starlink – a technology now used by many Nunavummiut to access high-speed internet.

"The premier of Ontario announced last month that he was prepared to rip up the province's $100 million contract with Elon Musk's Starlink corporation in the face of the threat of Trump tariffs," said Brewster.

Doug Ford followed through on his threat, but when Brewster asked if the Nunavut government would do the same – Kusugak was more careful.

Lorne Kusugak, Nunavut's finance minister, said the government was considering the pros and cons of banning American contractors from bidding on its contracts. (Nunavut Legislative Assembly)

"We're taking a very close look at that … to ensure that there is no detrimental impact in the care of Nunavummiut in doing that," he said. "Unlike the southern provinces, Starlink might be the only real way to … communicate for the betterment of Nunavummiut in healthcare and so on.

As other jurisdictions, such as Ontario and British Columbia, pull all American liquor from their shelves, Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok announced that Nunavut would do the same.

Kusugak, who is also the minister responsible for the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said it has between $650,000-700,000 worth of inventory that is made in the U.S.

MLAs ask about contract costs

Two other MLAs also had questions for the government about the new tariffs.

Arviat South MLA Joe Savikataaq asked whether the government of Nunavut would increase how much its spending on particular contracts if they grow because of tariffs. 

Community and Government Services Minister David Joanasie responded that the territory was monitoring the situation.

"This has involved looking at our existing project tender schedules and the existing project contracts that, if there's any due increases as a result of the tariffs, what budgets we might have to adjust," he said. 

  P.J. Akeeagok is the Premier of Nunavut. He attended a meeting with the prime minister and other provincial and territorial premiers on Tuesday, which he later called 'constructive.' (TJ Dhir/CBC)

Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA George Hickes was also curious about how the Qulliq Energy Corporation's capital plan and procurement activities would be affected by tariffs in the short-term.

In response, John Main, the minister responsible for the corporation, said while they're unable to quantify the impact right now, it's something the corporation is concerned about.

"It's very difficult to see how [Trump's tariffs] would be of any help in terms of looking for ways to do business cheaper or as cheap as possible on behalf of Nunavummiut," said Main.

'They were ready for day one'

Akeeagok said he attended a meeting with the prime minister and other provincial and territorial premiers on Tuesday. Afterwards, he told reporters it had been "constructive" and that everything was on the table in terms of Canada's response to the tariffs. 

"It's important that we stand up for Canadians and that's exactly what we're doing right now," he said.

Speaking with CBC News after question period, Brewster said while she wasn't surprised Kusugak didn't have more substantive responses to her questions, she was encouraged by what she heard.

"I am happy to know that, at the very least, they were ready for day one," she said.

Canada's three northern premiers say they're focused on removing trade barriers within Canada — while both the N.W.T. and Yukon have also told government departments to avoid buying American goods — in response to the trade war with the United States. 

U.S. President Donald Trump has slapped 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all Canadian goods, as of Tuesday. Canada responded by putting tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods, and has said it will put tariffs on $125 billion more in three weeks time.

P.J. Akeeagok, the premier of Nunavut, says his territory relies on imported goods and is vulnerable to the effects of a trade war with the United States. N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson said in a statement that his territory was expecting goods to cost more and for supply chain disruptions to affect businesses, communities and families. 

"It is very unfortunate that the U.S. has brought forward this tariff war on us all," said Akeeagok in an interview with CBC News.

Ranj Pillai, the premier of the Yukon, said in a news release that the territory is updating its government procurement policies so that it buys more local goods and fewer U.S. goods. 

Simpson said in the N.W.T.'s Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that he too had directed departments not to buy American products where possible, and that the territory was also looking to end contracts it had with Elon Musk's Starlink. 

In a statement on Tuesday, Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok said his government is 'taking measured steps to support Canadian suppliers and safeguard the affordability and availability of goods for Nunavummiut.' (Justin Tang/CP)

Pillai said his government would also put $1 million into an assistance program to help businesses adapt to the "uncertain economic environment." The financial support, he said, was intended to be "as flexible as possible" and is also contingent on legislative approval.

Neither the N.W.T. or Nunavut governments have announced similar assistance programs. 

Breaking down barriers to internal trade

The N.W.T., Nunavut and Yukon governments all say they will no longer buy or sell American liquor products. Pillai said, however, that because the Yukon didn't want to hurt local businesses, those businesses would still be able to sell the rest of the American alcohol they have in stock.

All three premiers expressed support for Canada's retaliatory response, and said that they were looking at exploring ways to break down barriers to trade within the country. 

"I am hopeful that in this year, we're going to see significant changes in Canada's internal trade landscape," Simpson said in an interview.

Simpson said Caitlin Cleveland, the N.W.T.'s minister of industry, tourism and investment, is the chair of the committee on internal trade – which has been meeting to untangle things like regulatory changes needed for goods to flow more easily between provinces and territories. 

Northwest Territories Premier R. J. Simpson at a news conference in Ottawa in 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

The statement from Akeeagok on Tuesday said the Nunavut government is "taking measured steps to support Canadian suppliers and safeguard the affordability and availability of goods for Nunavummiut."

The Nunavut government says it's "actively monitoring" supply chain disruptions and working with contractors and suppliers to make sure infrastructure projects – which are now cast into uncertainty – can continue. 

Simpson also said that keeping critical minerals from the N.W.T. being sold to the States is a "natural discussion," but that right now, no mines in the territory are selling directly to the U.S.

The U.S. is 'Canada's closest friend and ally, but this is not how you treat your friends,' said Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Buy local, premiers say

The premiers of Yukon and Nunavut have also encouraged residents to spend money on local goods, with Pillai saying the government would support "Buy Yukon" campaigns.

"Buying Canadian not only strengthens our economy but also reinforces the importance of investing in domestic industries," Akeeagok said.

In his statement, Pillai also spoke directly to Alaska, which shares a border with the Yukon.

"The United States is our most important trading partner and Canada's closest friend and ally, but this is not how you treat your friends," said Pillai.

"To our friends and family in Alaska: our lives and economies are interconnected, and we hope you will continue to visit our territory and experience all that it has to offer. Please know these measures are not directed at you." 

A spokesperson for Tourism Nanaimo commended Maffin for highlighting the city "as an inclusive and safe destination."

"Although it is still early days and things have moved quickly, it's clear that people are serious about coming," the spokesperson said.

Right now, the plan is to have Americans visit from April 25 to 27. Maffin's goal is to get about 200 people to actually come to Nanaimo.

So what will visitors do in The Harbour City?

Maffin says plans could include a self-guided tour dedicated to the Nanaimo bar, the popular confection featuring a chocolatey coconut crust, yellow custard and chocolate.

He hopes his invite sends a message to those beneath the 49th parallel.

"I just want the Americans to know that we don't hate the individual rank-and-file people living their lives in America and that we're still friends," he said. "And we're really glad that they're willing to come up and put a little bit of their money into our economy."

B.C. MLA Adrian Dix says he gets texts, emails, and even stopped at his local Safeway. He says people urge him to cut off power or even water to the U.S.

"People are angry," said Dix, B.C.'s Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions and the minister responsible for the Columbia River Treaty.

"They ask me, well, can't we cut off something? People want to take action."

This is happening as tensions rise over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats and repeated calls to make Canada his country's 51st state, while eyeing Canadian resources, like water.

Last year he mused about a "very large faucet" that could be diverted to the U.S. While the faucet is fiction, questions about what will happen next for the 61-year-old water treaty under renegotiation are very real.

Pressure was on to finalize a renegotiated Columbia River Treaty before U.S. President Donald Trump, seen here at a campaign event last fall, took office. That didn't happen. (AP)

The waters of the mighty Columbia River — with headwaters north of Cranbrook in southeastern B.C. — are at the heart of a key cross-border pact.

Since 1964, the Columbia River Treaty has required Canada to control the flow of the river, via dams, to meet U.S. needs for hydropower and flood prevention. The treaty also obliges the U.S to give Canada half the additional potential hydroelectric power produced by treaty dams, which can be sold at market value.

Provisions expired in September. A three-year interim agreement is in place to allow continued operations of flood control and some components of a new agreement, but the renegotiated, modernized treaty isn't finalized and is expected to stall longer under the new U.S. administration.

Dix says B.C. and Canada are "fiercely defending Canadian interests" and staying the course on renegotiations. Meanwhile, some observers are now wanting to see it scrapped, arguing that with the shifting cross-border relationship, the stakes have changed.

What Canada lost

The Columbia River is the fourth largest watershed in North America, flowing about 2,000 kilometres from B.C's Columbia Lake into Washington State, entering the Pacific near Astoria, Ore. With some 60 dams on the river and tributaries, it today delivers more than 40 per cent of U.S. hydroelectric power, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and about half the hydropower in B.C.

When the treaty was ratified in 1964, Canada agreed to build three dams in B.C. to manage the flow of the Columbia, flooding 110,000 hectares in southeastern B.C.

The Spicer family farm near Nakusp, B.C., in 1968 after floods had cut off part of the property. (Jean Spicer )

First Nations land was lost, and salmon habitat affected.

"It inundated sacred sites and burial sites, and commenced a lot of damage," said Jay Johnson, chief negotiator and senior policy advisor to the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA)'s Chiefs Executive Council last July.

The Secwépemc, Syilx Okanagan and Ktunaxa Nations, who were not part of the original Columbia River Treaty, were part of the negotiation team when treaty modernization talks began in 2018. The Sinixt, whose traditional territory includes flooded lands, are also vying for a seat at the negotiations, following a court ruling in 2021.

For those who lost land when dams flooded valleys back in the '60s, it remains a struggle to cope with fluctuating water levels that leave docks airborne and dead fish.

Even in dry years, B.C. Hydro is required to release water downstream when it is needed by the U.S., often depleting water in the seven-million-acre Arrow Lakes Reservoir.

Crystal Spicer stands on the edge of the Arrow Lakes Reservoir, created by flooding land, including her parent's farm, after the signing of the Columbia River Treaty in the 1960s. (Tom Popyk/CBC News)

Edgewood B.C resident Crystal Spicer was a teenager when her family farmland was swallowed under the waters of the new reservoir when the Arrow Lakes Valley was dammed. To this day, Spicer can't stand seeing the reservoir that washed the valley's rich silt soil out to sea.

"It's devastating to look at," Spicer said, as she stood on the bank in February.

"It was so drastic – I'll never forget the paradise it was before."

She'd like to see the treaty be modernized – or terminated – and the river return to a more natural state.

 

Could ending a water treaty help Canada fight U.S. tariffs?

Modernized treaty stalled

Under the original treaty, Canada was paid an upfront payment of $64 million for 60 years to manage the river waters to prevent flooding in Washington and Oregon downstream. Canada also received benefits — half of the revenue generated from the U.S. hydropower made possible by the treaty — amounting to between $100 million to $450 million per year.

The modernized treaty took years to renegotiate, with an agreement-in-principle reached last summer. At that time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the new agreement addressed concerns about ecosystems and Indigenous values, when it came to water control.

                                   Even in very dry years, like 2023, the Columbia River Treaty requires Canadian dams to keep water flowing to the U.S. for hydroelectricity, which has raised concerns among locals about low levels in the Arrow Lakes Reservoir. (Submitted by Victoria Youmans)

There was pressure to finalize the agreement before Trump took office, but that didn't happen. The failure to get it ratified by the U.S. Senate or signed off on by the federal cabinet, some fear, makes it more legally vulnerable.

John Wagner, who has spent decades studying political ecology, water governance and the treaty, fears Trump's administration will balk at signing the new deal because it takes into consideration Indigenous rights and ecological concerns. That could stall the process and improvements further.

"That could be the big issue," said Wagner, a professor of environmental anthropology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna, B.C.

As for Trump floating the idea of diverting Canadian water to drought-stricken and fire-ravaged California, Wagner says it's a pipe dream that would cost billions.

The Columbia doesn't flow anywhere near California.

"The idea that there is a faucet first of all, it is misinformation," said Wagner. "It's a crazy idea. There is no tap."

Time to signal an end?

But even the potential threat is riling those who have always seen the treaty as inequitable.

Historian Eileen Delahanty Pearkes, a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. and author of A River Captured, would like to see Canada trigger the treaty's 10-year termination notice, signalling an end to the long-held agreement.

Pearkes says Canadians underestimate the powers they have, like the treaty, which she described as a "sharp" negotiating tool as it threatens flood control and reliable electricity the U.S. has come to rely on.

"If Canada really wants to play hardball, it can say we're serving notice of termination and say we're going to run this river exactly how we want to run this river," Pearkes said.

The Columbia River, which flows nearly 2,000 kilometres from southeastern B.C. to the Pacific Ocean, provides some 40 per cent of U.S. hydropower, and about half of B.C.'s. (CBC News)

Pearkes says Canada was never compensated enough for treaty losses. As for potential retaliation from the U.S. administration, she said, "Fear-based responses are not helpful."

Wagner says losing the treaty could benefit Canada, despite the loss of payments.

"The United States would be in a much worse position than we are. We could generate an awful lot more hydropower on the Canadian side of the border, for instance," Wagner said. "I mean, we could do really wonderful things."

CBC approached negotiators to get their thoughts, but they declined comment, deferring to the minister in charge.

Stay the course, says minister

Dix is adamant that treaty termination is a wrong turn.

"I don't think we'd have a lot of effect one way or another, but it would certainly harm Canadian interests," Dix said. Dix says the termination process would take a decade, which dates past Trump's term in office, so would have little effect on the current U.S. threats.

Adrian Dix, B.C. minister responsible for the Columbia River Treaty, says negotiators are 'fiercely defending Canadian interests.' (Dillon Hodgin/CBC)

And despite the slow and complex negotiations, Dix says there's strong cross-border support for the treaty.

"We are fiercely defending Canadian interests here," Dix said.

"We don't do that by gestures. We do it by substantive actions."

Brar said it takes roughly five years to get an aluminum smelter up and running, so U.S. consumers would be paying more for goods made from aluminum for at least that amount of time. 

"It's a fact that B.C. is well positioned to diversify our trade and help businesses access new markets," Brar said.

The 25 per cent U.S. tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports were announced Monday and are set to take effect on March 12. Trump previously threatened 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy, and said those tariffs could still proceed in early March.

B.C. produces aluminum as well as metallurgical coal, which is used to make steel. While some of B.C.'s metallurgical coal is exported to the U.S., most of it is shipped to other markets such as Asia, Brar said.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says he believes the recent tariff friction with the United States will fundamentally change the way Canadians approach trade with their southern neighbours, and things "will never go back to the way that we were before."

Eby says Canadians were "way too reliant on the decisions of one person in the White House" and "took our relationship for granted," adding that he believes the province and the country will emerge stronger from this experience because "the world needs what we have."

The premier made the comments before he flew from Vancouver to Washington, D.C., where he will be joined by other provincial leaders to meet with U.S. lawmakers about trade and tariffs as the threat of a steep levy on more Canadian goods looms.

The trip comes just after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum.

Previously, Eby had called the U.S. threat of tariffs on Canadian goods a "declaration of economic war against a trusted ally and friend" and "a complete betrayal" of the historic bond between Canada and the U.S.

The premiers' trip, which will include meeting with business and labour leaders this week, comes after Trump's threat of tariffs was delayed until at least March 4.

When asked if the premiers will have access to "decision makers who are the closest to the president," Eby says they are working to set up those meetings but may not get confirmation until "the day before or the day of" the meeting, if it were to happen.

"We are trying hard to get those meetings," he says. "And I can assure you that we do have meetings set up with a number of senior decision makers in [U.S.] government."

One group of politicians the Canadian premiers will seek to actively engage with will be those from Trump's Republican Party, Eby adds.

"This is a Republican-led initiative against Canada," Eby says of the tariff threats. "It's a group we need to talk to. Obviously, we need to help them understand the importance of our tightly linked economies, and that while they may think they're trying to get something from Canada, it's just mutually assured damage.

"It's a war where the shrapnel goes in all directions."

Eby also says his government will ensure that B.C. businesses can diversify and that interprovincial trade barriers can be brought down.

Since the tariff threat was made, the B.C. government announced it will fast-track 18 critical mineral and energy projects, set up a trade and economic security task force and a new cabinet committee "war room" to co-ordinate ways to protect workers, businesses and economy.

"I am convinced, because the world needs what we have, that we're going to come out the other side of this stronger, more independent, more resilient and more prosperous," Eby says of the tariff tensions. "But in the meantime, a bunch of unnecessary damage will be done."

Ravi Kahlon, the government minister appointed to co-ordinate the tariff threat, said Monday that the government has been working with aluminum maker Rio Tinto and others on how to move their products to other markets away from the United States.

He said that Eby recently met with leaders at Rio Tinto and the company had confidence that it could find fresh markets for its aluminum produced at the Kitimat facility.

Though B.C. has a more diversified economy than other provinces, there are concerns that if the tariffs are realized, it will cause a significant number of job losses and throw the economy into a recession.

When the United States was initially expected to implement the hefty tariffs on Feb. 1, Eby directed the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch to stop buying American liquor from "red states" and Crown corporations to stop buying U.S. goods and services.

The provincial retaliation was paused after the one-month reprieve was negotiated at the federal level.

The tariff threats have caused a wave of retail patriotism across the country as governments encourage residents to buy Canadian-made goods.

Tamara Krawchenko, associate professor in public administration at the University of Victoria and chair of the school's local governance hub, said Vancouver has been a leader in procurement policies in the past and Tuesday's motion could inspire other local governments.

"I think that B.C. might be quite particularly progressive in thinking about sustainability and local supply chains in procurement at the local level," she said. "And I don't know that that's actually true across Canada."

Other local B.C. governments are making plans for "buy Canada" or already have them in place in relation to procurement and services.

On Feb. 3, Delta councillors passed a motion to have staff write to B.C. Premier David Eby to ask the province to, "amend all applicable legislation to allow cities to accept only Canadian businesses in procurement bids.

The next day on Feb. 4, Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley posted a notice of motion calling for a 'buy local and buy Canadian," from all residents and a similar approach be implemented for the city's procurement, "where feasible and in accordance with trade agreements and best value principles."

Already buying Canadian?

An email from City of Vancouver staff said in 2024, the city did direct business with 224 U.S. vendors worth $6.1 million dollars Cdn.  From 2009 to the present, the city has done business with 32,000 vendors, with the vast majority, 91 per cent, of them Canadian.

Eight per cent of suppliers, 2,451, were from the United States, while one per cent, 189, were from other countries.

In a report going to councillors in New Westminster on Tuesday, staff said of the 2,788 vendors the city has or currently uses, 2,699, or 97 per cent, are Canadian vendors.

"The city's practices around procuring goods and/or services has always been to source Canadian made alternatives first before sourcing foreign made products," said the report.

On Wednesday, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke cancelled plans to purchase portable bleachers from a U.S. supplier. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

On Wednesday, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke cancelled a proposed contract with an American supplier, "to prioritize Canadian interests amid looming U.S. tariffs," according to a news release from the city.

It had planned to spend $740,000 for eight mobile towable bleachers, primarily sourced from a U.S. company.

"In light of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs, it is imperative that we act decisively to protect Canada's interests," Locke said in the statement.

"I have decided to reevaluate our sourcing options for critical infrastructure improvements. This challenging situation underscores the need to prioritize Canadian jobs, bolster local businesses, and ensure the economic stability of our communities."

She said more than 99 per cent of Surrey's procurement has been from Canadian suppliers since 2020, while only 0.58 per cent has been from U.S. companies.