'Working together' key to keeping Canada-U.S. relations on track
Relationships between the Twin Saults isn't expected to be negatively affected withe new U.S. President. In fact, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker hopes to call on Michigan Sault counterparts to be Sault, Ont. chief advocates.
Published Nov 06, 2024 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 5 minute read
Continuing to work together for the benefit of all North America is the approach Canadian elected officials are taking in the wake of the U.S. presidential election results.
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Donald Trump easily won the U.S. presidential election Wednesday, claiming 292 electoral votes to Kamala Harris’ 224. Under the American system, a candidate requires 270 electoral votes to claim victory. He will be sworn into office in January.
Sault Ste. Marie MP Terry Sheehan said the U.S. is the largest democracy in the world and shares with Canada many values and beliefs.
Sheehan, who also served as the city’s MP during the first Trump presidency, said the renewal of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), now called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), remains important to both countries.
“We’re not just the friendly cousins in the North. We are strategic partners in the success of the American people and Canadians and work together with a lot of industries, including steel,” Sheehan said.
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The USMCA is in place until 2026. It was inked by Trump, and Sheehan sees no reason why the United States wouldn’t want to renew it.
“Obviously it was a few years ago and things have changed . . . but I don’t know if he’d rip up his own agreement … but certainly it will be reviewed and modernized and we will emphasize the positive effects it has had, and will have, in the future,” Sheehan said.
Sheehan is a member of Canada’s trade committee and wants to start working on a pre-study to get ready for future negotiations. He’s also the co-chair of all-party steel caucus and wants to visit Washington to reconfirm the importance of trade within the steel industry that exists between both countries daily.
“I was part of successful Team Canada approach when Trump was president and we will go back with a similar strategy of demonstrating our great friendship, our shared history, beliefs and values, and how important it is to work together for both nations for workers and the economies of both countries,” he said.
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Sheehan said Canada will stay focused on growing and modernizing its industries, all of which are part of the supply chain, including electric vehicle batteries, critical minerals for electric vehicles, steel and natural resources.
“I think there is a benefit to us because we have a lot of what the world wants and we have some of the best workers around,” he said. “You’re seeing unprecedented investments in Canada from other countries because they know that what is produced here is the best in the world and that will continue.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump, calling the friendship between Canada and the U.S. “the envy of the world.” He said he’ll work with Trump on prosperity and security.
Sault MPP Ross Romano said he hopes relationships forged between Ontario and other states continues to grow opportunities for both jurisdictions.
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“We’ve always worked very closely with anyone who wants to work with us, and we have very strong partners with all of our political levels and leaders and I anticipate that will continue,” he said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued a congratulatory statement to President-Elect Donald Trump, focusing on the two nations having important friendships “built on strong economic ties, shared values, national security interests and integrated supply chains.”
He said a “Buy Can-AM” approach must be taken to create new job and business opportunities on both sides of the border.
Romano agreed, noting that integrated supply chains are the best way of doing things for both countries, and that is evident through the steel industry where raw materials are brought into Ontario, processed and sold across North America.
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“Whenever you can have that maximum level of integration, the better it is,” he said. “We do share a lot of commonalities in our supply chains, and we want to continue to facilitate that and grow it in the future.”
Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said his city’s relationship with Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., is sound – and can only improve.
“I think we have a need now, more than ever, to rely on them to be our chief advocates with their government. We have built up our relationship with (Sault, Mich.) and we should continue to build those relationships to have them voice that their economy would suffer if things like steel tariffs or protectionist policies are enacted,” he said.
Shoemaker said a lot of Canadian dollars are spent in the U.S. and citizens work on both sides of the border, and the American sister city relies on a continued relationship between the two communities.
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While discussions about imposing tariffs on Canadian steel were part of Trump’s election campaign, Shoemaker said the strategy would be similar to that used last time – ensure American companies reach out to their government and voice their concerns, especially how it will impact their own economy.
Diligence and advocacy will be required to mitigate any different approaches of governance, he said.
Michigan Sault Mayor Don Gerrie agreed the new federal government will not affect relationships between the sister cities.
“We understand the importance of Sault, Ontario and we have several Memorandum of Understandings in place for mutual aid, both with economic development and police and fire and your community remains a partner,” he told The Sault Star. “We will be able to work through any policy changes that develop on our borders, as we did in the past, during COVID, with the partnerships we created then to advocate and get our borders open.”
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He said the U.S. election did not really create a divisive community on the American side of the St. Mary’s River.
“We’re unique from much of the state because we are a decent size community and we’re separated in the Upper Peninsula from the state and federal governments,” he said.
More importantly, Gerrie said the community values its relationships with Sault, Ont.
“We benefit from your citizens, and I think your community benefits from ours as well,” he said. “We share opportunities in education, in economic development and in tourism and we really want to see that grow.”
Trump will be sworn in to office on Jan. 20.
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