North Okanagan bracing for trade war with help from Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Municipalities across the province are bracing for a trade war with the U.S. – and the North Okanagan is no exception.

At Wednesday’s Regional District of North Okanagan board meeting, director Shirley Fowler, from Armstrong, raised a recent information session she’d attended about Canada/U.S. relationships.

Fowler said the virtual meeting was put on by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and there were about 40 people on the call.

“There were many, many mayors, and interestingly enough, many small communities, as opposed to a lot of the larger communities,” said Fowler.

“It was a very robust discussion about how all the little things that can be done will cause a bit of a ripple. And then you put all those ripples together, and you’re actually making a difference.”

Fowler didn’t go into details about the discussions, saying the group would be sending out its own debrief to members

In an email to Castanet, FCM said virtual meetings were held last week to hear member municipalities views on the impacts they will experience.

The group says it’s to ensure the FCM advocacy reflects what’s happening on the ground.

“Municipalities are central in Team Canada’s response to today’s economic challenges and the impact that a trade war with the U.S. would have on our communities,” said FCM in an email.

On Feb. 1, the FCM strongly condemned President Donal Trump’s announced 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods.

“Municipalities are the backbone of the Canadian economy and the engine that drives growth, productivity and jobs,” said FCM President Rebecca Bligh in a news release.

“Tariffs put local businesses, workers, and supply chains at risk. Any response to the actions of the U.S. administration must be co-ordinated across all orders of government, as municipalities play a crucial role on Team Canada.”

Tariffs were paused for 30 days on Feb. 3, but are expected to be implemented on March. 4.

After the pause, Trump signed an executive order to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports starting March 12.

All RDNO member municipalities are members of the FCM – Vernon, Coldstream, Armstrong, Spallumcheen and Lumby.

-with files from The Canadian Press