By Pepper Parr
October 29th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Those advertisements that Ontario Premier Doug Ford ran in the United States, one appeared during a World Series game, are going to reverberate for some time.
They were created by the provincial government. The Prime Minister was aware of the advertisements.
Premier Ford being interviewed by an American TV network.
Ford can’t get over how successful they were. He has them reaching more people than any other advertisement – ever.
The immediate response to the advertisements was a reaction from the petulant American President, who said two things: He was slapping a 10% tariff on everything coming out of Canada, and he wasn’t going to talk to the Prime Minister “for a long time”.
There are some who think Trump was looking for a way to completely stop the negotiations with Canada.
What impact is this having on the relationships between American citizens and Canadian citizens?
And what impact is it having on the way Americans are beginning to look at the economic pain the tariffs are having on American consumers?
Last November, Enten, an American polling organization said, a slight majority of Americans — 52 per cent — were in favour of tariffs. Now, 60 per cent are telling the pollsters they oppose new tariffs.
“The bottom line is this,” Enten said. “If I were advising President Donald John Trump when it comes to his policies, I’d say step off the tariffs, at least from a political point of view, because the bottom line is, it doesn’t sell with the American people. It’s one of the largest shifts that we have seen during Trump’s second term in office.”
Enten then went on to compare how Americans feel about Trump to how they feel about Canada. The president is definitely in a popularity slump, Enten said, while Canada is not.
“The net popularity rating of Canada is plus 49 percentage points,” Enten said. “Look at the net popularity rating of Donald Trump here in the United States. It’s minus 10. We’re talking about Canada coming out nearly 60 points ahead on the net popularity rating.”
Susan Delacourt, writing in the Toronto Star said “Clearly that was Doug Ford’s purpose in running the ad that sent Trump into a vengeful frenzy. An unrepentant premier was boasting in the legislature on Monday that the ad had netted “earned media” valued between $300 million to $400 million. Ford’s office told the Star that by their estimates, the ad had netted 11.4 billion “impressions” across the airwaves, media coverage, and social media platforms.
“Much of those impressions likely came from the U.S., where Ford has also been doing the rounds on American news networks.
No longer BFF.
“In the aftermath of the Trump tantrum and his vague threat to punish this country with a 10 per cent increase in tariffs, there’s been a lot of reflection on whether Ford should have run the ad. The pointed question is: was it worth what it might cost Canada?”
Delacourt says: “My anecdotal evidence is that a lot of people didn’t mind the idea of getting under Trump’s thin skin. As that Environics Institute survey showed, this is a country largely fed up with the president and his threats. In that way, the ad found its populist mark, giving people in this country a vent for their frustration.
“In reality, the effectiveness of this ad has to be measured, like all advertising, on its reach with the target audience. If it was intended to administer a push to Trump and his trade team, directly, then it had the opposite effect. That’s a simple fact. The trade talks are off for now.
Pals for life – life turned out not to be forever.
“If it was intended to be more of an indirect push, to influence public opinion that could then in turn be an influence on Trump, then it’s going to take some time to see whether the ad met its objective.”
Many Canadians are coming to the conclusion that Trump has no intention of entering into a trade deal with Canada and that Prime Minister Carney is doing the right thing in realigning who Canada’s trade partners are going to be.
Cheryl …..
I appreciate your thoughtful response, but I think where we differ is in how we define “offensive.” To me, buying expensive U.S. ad time and patting ourselves on the back for “getting Trump’s attention” isn’t strategy — it’s theatre. Sure, it made headlines, but has it shifted the balance of power or changed U.S. behaviour ????? Not even close.
Real offence means protecting our industries — auto manufacturing being one of them — before they disappear completely. It means having a coordinated national trade strategy that defends Canadian jobs, not just trying to score media points.
The hard truth is, Canada doesn’t have much leverage here. We’re tied to the U.S. economy at every turn — dependent on their markets, their supply chains, and their investment. That’s precisely why leadership matters. Instead, Carney and company are standing on the sidelines hoping the other side plays nice. His lame attempt at diplomacy may sound good in theory, but it’s been weak in practice. He has right to be fearful however because, someone threatened Trump with hydro restrictions, and his response sent them back down into their bunker. Perhaps that should be put back on the table ???
Carney continues to act like a spectator in a game where the stakes couldn’t be higher. If he’s serious about standing up for Canadians, he should do it with real leverage — tariffs that hurt, export restrictions that bite, and policies that prioritize Canadian workers over photo ops. Because right now, it feels like we’re reacting to every move instead of driving any of our own as I suggested in my original note.
Wayne
“Real offence means protecting our industries — auto manufacturing being one of them — before they disappear completely.”
It’s all well and good saying things like that. But just like Pitiful Pierre you don’t say how that is possible or what actions should be taken to accomplish that.
What is “a coordinated national strategy”? Our very loose federation makes it very difficult for the Federal government to impose a strategy or an approach on Provinces. The Federal government is fulfilling is duty through its efforts to reduce our reliance on exports to the USA by increasing trade with other countries. What else would you have the Federal government do?
“Carney and company are standing on the sidelines hoping the other side plays nice.”
Have you listened to the USA’s Trade Secretary Lutnick or their Ambassador to Canada or members of their negotiating team? They all loudly complain Canada and it’s negotiating team are not playing nice and are being nasty. That is Trump administration speak for we are not rolling over and allowing ourselves to be walked on.
“Carney continues to act like a spectator in a game where the stakes couldn’t be higher….” saying he’s like a spectator is completely wrong. As said before, the Canadian team is trying to negotiate quietly but firmly.
“..…If he’s serious about standing up for Canadians, he should do it with real leverage — tariffs that hurt, export restrictions that bite, and policies that prioritize Canadian workers over photo ops. Because right now, it feels like we’re reacting to every move instead of driving”.
We are not and never will be in the driving position. All we can hope for is that any actions we take will in short order bring so much pain to the average American they will demand an end. I agree with you that it is time for Canada to get really nasty. Impose export tariffs on such items as electricity, oil, gas, germanium. Impose a transit fee/duty on all trucks and product passing through Canada destined for Alaska.
These measures will bring hurt to the average American. However the USA will retaliate on a huge scale which will hurt all Canadians not just in higher prices but in a huge number of lost jobs. Are we ready for that?
Cheryl.
Fair points — no one’s pretending this is easy. But the problem is, Canada’s been “negotiating quietly” for years while our leverage keeps shrinking and our auto sector fades away. At some point, quiet diplomacy starts to look like surrender by degrees.
You’re right that Canada doesn’t have the upper hand — but that’s exactly why we need a plan beyond just waiting for the next tariff threat. A coordinated national strategy doesn’t mean Ottawa dictating to provinces; it means setting clear priorities, backing key industries, and making sure trade policy actually protects Canadian jobs instead of reacting to Washington’s every move.
Carney may be working behind the scenes, but results matter — and the results so far are more plant closures, fewer exports, and more dependency on U.S. goodwill. That’s not a plan, that’s wishful thinking.
Canada can’t win a trade war — but we can sure lose one by doing nothing.
Only fools and that includes both Ford and Carney who are obviously complicit in routinely antagonizing and playing chicken with the toddler to the south.
Average Canadians will pay a higher price due to our inability to negotiate relief in any sector at all or on a macro level. Our politicians and political system are a joke.
Why not offer to drop all of our tariffs, dairy etc and request the America to do the same?
This will not end well. It seems to me the Liberals are gunning for a Christmas election in which they can (try and) play the Trump and fear card again to obtain a majority government.
“drop all our tariffs and ask the Americans (Trump) to do the same”. You should do stand up improv ! Sure! Why not? Because Trump is known to be a free trade advocate and responded so positively when we eliminated our retaliatory tariffs. He eliminated/reduced their tariffs on our……….. That’s right he did nothing. Don’t you get it? There is no pleasing him.
As for the Liberals wanting another election, why would they? No party has the money needed? Neither the NDPs nor the Greens have a party leader. The country cannot afford one either in terms of dollars or it’s divisiveness.
I wonder who could be better than Carney…he is measured and smart …the PC premiers are making life on top of his challenge??? with the narcissist in the White House impossible…all out for themselves. We need one voice and it must espouse unity and strength not dividiness and back stabbing..
We are fortunate that anyone of character wanted the PM job…time for some optimism, patience and support not whining and negative comments.
Maybe you would be prouder and happier if Trump were Prime Minister..
there are some interesting views in your article and some supposed poll results calling Doug Ford’s recent TV ads a success. I see something very different.
Ford’s war of words may make for good headlines, but they do nothing to actually strengthen Canada’s position in this dispute — and probably make things worse.
Picking fights with Washington through television ads isn’t leadership; it’s theatre. The truth is, Ontario and Canada remain on the defensive. Tariffs, trade uncertainty, and strained relations hurt real people —– who can’t afford more political grandstanding —— workers, families, and businesses.
Instead of bluster and edited Reagan soundbites, Ford should be focused on practical diplomacy and real economic solutions. Talking tough on TV doesn’t move the needle in trade negotiations — it only feeds egos and deepens the divide. If this is Ford’s idea of standing up for Canada, we’re all paying the price for his showmanship.
In support of Ontario’s interests, Ford should be:
Working with Ottawa and the private sector on a united trade strategy rather than solo PR stunts.
Supporting homegrown manufacturing and innovation so our economy isn’t at the mercy of U.S. tariffs.
Offering tax incentives and fast-track approvals for companies that produce and hire here in Ontario.
Building trade deals with Europe, Asia, and South America to reduce dependency on a single market.
Using diplomacy, not division, to restore productive dialogue with U.S. governors and business leaders who share Canada’s interests.
And most urgently, making auto manufacturing a top priority again — because once it leaves Ontario, it’s not coming back. We’ve already seen the warning signs, and political chest-thumping won’t keep those plants open.
This isn’t about who can shout the loudest on TV — it’s about who can quietly deliver results that last.
And of course the entire country should be questioning the non-performance of Carney !!!!!!
I find your position confusing.
On the one hand you say Canada is on the defensive which implies you think Canada should be on the offensive – pushing back on the USA and in particular Trump.
It would seem from the coverage given to the ads by USA news media and I guess the information provided by the advertising agencies running the ads, the TV slots have been seen by huge numbers of people in the US, hit their marks and importantly got Trump’s attention. That cannot be bad.
I am a strong supporter of Carney and of diplomacy. However, it would seem diplomacy with Trump does not work. He sees it as weakness. He only appreciates those who push back at him; people like Putin and Xi. The US ambassador to Canada, supposedly a diplomat, perfectly reflected Trump’s approach of rudeness and effrontery when he in public slagged off Ontario’s trade minister using the f-bomb on many occasions.
If you are saying we should go on the offensive, then I agree with you. I think we should begin employing strong retaliatory tariffs and maybe apply export levies paid by the US consumer on certain products (energy & minerals) critical to the USA. Yes, Canada and Canadians will hurt, but in the long term we all will benefit.