Chow lights match that could burn down Toronto’s economy

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It’s only fitting Mayor Olivia Chow chose Fire Station 334 to announce Toronto’s economy could soon be set ablaze as a result of her retaliation to President Donald Trump’s tariff war.

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And just to be sure it becomes an economic inferno, she threw extra accelerant on the already hot coals.

Chow not only said that from now on, “only Canadian companies can bid on construction work that is worth under $8.8. million, and goods and service under $353,000,” but added that “U.S. based suppliers will no longer be able to bid on city contracts.”

Those words could trigger a domino effect that could turn Toronto’s economy into a dumpster fire. The tariff war just moved from Pennsylvania Ave. to Bay St.

“People are feeling anxious about a senseless and harmful U.S. trade war — they are worried about their jobs and the rising cost of living,” the mayor said Monday.

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So, what’s she doing to ease this worry? Cutting off business with American companies and imposing welfare-like measures to help local companies.

She even said it on CNN, too.

“Right now, Toronto, the city, we are just really upset. We are the fourth largest city in North America and we have a $79-bilion budget, which is about the size of Florida,” Chow told CNN’s John Berman. “And we are saying we will not allow any American companies to bid on our contracts anymore . . . worth about a billion dollars over 10 years.”

Pure madness — and an example of shooting off your nose to spite your face.

“What we need is common sense,” said Paul Godfrey, former CEO and president of Postmedia, as well as a former Metro Toronto chair and one-time head of the Toronto Blue Jays. “Why are they picking a fight at the local level? You are really going to mess up what’s going on when you do. It’s bad enough now.”

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Chow and other leftists politicians do not seem to be listening.

But what she isn’t saying is what will happen to all of those Canadian jobs should those hundreds of American companies, including 85 U.S. Fortune 500 firms in Toronto alone, decide to pull out of Canada all together in retaliation?

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Same goes for Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish who has ordered all American flags brought down from Port Credit’s harbour and sports complexes. What if the 75 Fortune 500 companies decide they don’t feel welcome anymore and pull all of the jobs back to the U.S.

How will that be for local economies?  It’s a tricky game local leaders are playing.

“All this is doing is getting everybody into a war with each other and it is going to be catastrophic,” said Godfrey. “Just let the national and provincial governments handle the overall negotiations. Having the local councils do that is a foolish move.”

Chow is not listening.

Calling it “Building on Sidewalks to Skylines: Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy” the “action plan accelerates key initiatives to address the immediate and long-term impacts of rising U.S. protectionism,” including “prioritizing Canadian suppliers in city procurement to support local businesses, deferring property taxes for industrial properties to provide cash-flow relief, launching a ‘Love Local’ campaign to encourage residents and businesses to choose Canadian-made goods and services, partnering with regional municipalities and the province to reduce reliance on U.S.-based suppliers” and “directing city staff spending toward Canadian-owned and local businesses.”

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These “key changes” mean contracts under $353,300 for goods and services and those less than $8.8 million for construction will be awarded exclusively to Canadian suppliers.

This would mean “American-based suppliers may be deemed ineligible to bid on new competitive contracts” and to “find local alternatives for key goods, such as construction materials, technology, municipal water equipment and paramedic supplies” and “expansion of procurement opportunities for Indigenous, Black and diverse suppliers to increase participation under the city’s social procurement policy.”

Chow also said Toronto would now buy 17 new fire truck pumpers from a Canadian company, although neither she nor Fire Chief Jim Jessop provided any details or costs.

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“We stand united as proud Canadians. Toronto will emerge stronger than ever,” said Chow.

How?

What happens if Americans don’t come to Toronto to visit or shop anymore in response? What happens when an American sports teams decide they don’t want to be booed anymore?

It’s a weird, volatile time.

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For example, unelected Prime Minister Mark Carney is talking about Canada being “European” while meeting with the leaders of France and Britain at a time Parliament remains prorogued and opposition parties are vowing to defeat the government. Apparently it means nothing that a French nuclear powered submarine docks in Halifax and while China promises similar tariffs on Canadian seafood and canola, there’s no action from Toronto or Canada.

Retired vice-admiral Mark Norman questioned whether Canada should move as soon as possible to using a new command system for the CSC fleet that is not under American control.

You know it’s a strange time when you have Norman on with John Moore on Newstalk 1010 Monday saying while he doesn’t see such a scenario “likely” happening, “I am sure there is planning going on somewhere” that American troops could be on the ground in Canada for security reasons as they engage Canada in a “sort of ongoing shakedown, some coercion where by the U.S. administration wants to reset the relationship on their terms.”

Somebody better get the hose from one of those fire trucks and pour water all these flames before this raging fire burns everything down.

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