While a good part of Canadians live in a few hours by car from the American border, it is very different to live directly in front of our American counterparts, according to the mayor of Niagara Falls, Jim Diodati.
“We all grew up here. We lived our lives here. We have a family and friends on both sides, “he told Global News on Monday.
“Browning the border is like crossing the city elsewhere in the country. So we don’t even see the border when you live here.
This family relationship may have broken down during the weekend when Donald Trump announced that a series of prices came for Canadians, a move that was postponed for a month on Monday.
“The majority of us are fans of bills. And, you know, we are going to Buffalo, we fly from Buffalo airport. It’s just a way of life here, ”said Diodati. “In the same way, many Americans do the same things here in Canada. They like to come to Costco and they like to come and visit the casino and etc.
“It was therefore like a punch in the intestine.”
Diodati said he was traveling to the community this weekend and that his voters were turned upside down by the news. A resident told the mayor of Niagara Falls that they no longer felt welcome to cross the United States
“A lady of the grocery store said,” You know, I don’t know if I want to cross the river “,” he said. “She said,” I’m not sure to feel welcome right now. “”
There is a similar feeling of shock and resentment in other border communities such as Sault Ste. Marie, in Ontario, who shares a border with Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
“There is a real feeling of betrayal across Canada, and in Sault, Ontario, this feeling is reinforced because of our close relations with Sault, Michigan,” said Mayor Matthew Shoemaker on Monday.
“The Saults twins share a name, a river, a story of friendship and cooperation and a bridge that connects us. Each day, thousands of Canadians and Americans cross this bridge for work, shopping or even simply to play hockey.
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“If these prices are implemented, we will see a significant drop in the number of Canadians crossing Michigan to spend money.”
He noted that Canadian Sault is the largest of the two cities and that the effects of slower border traffic would probably have more impact on its American neighbors.
Mike Bradley, the mayor of Sarnia, Ontario, also noted that trade barriers would have more impact on the daily life of voters in border cities than other places.
“The real impact in border communities will be trade, jobs and daily relations,” he said in an email on Monday, noting that this could harm the tourism industry in both directions. “You cannot prick a country in your eyes without consequences.”
No one needs to talk about Diodata on the effects it could have on the tourism industry while Niagara Falls is largely built on tourism.
The mayor of Niagara Falls noted that Americans represent 25% of visitors to his community, but more importantly, they represent 50% of income in a community that sees 40,000 people employed in the tourism industry.
If Trump goes ahead with the tariffs on the road, it will be interesting to see how the Americans will react when they feel the effects of Canadian countermeasures.
“If the Americans do not feel welcome, they will not come,” said DioData.
“It is therefore interesting to see what will be a larger traction there. The idea that their dollar can go further and that they can get 30% more vacation just by coming to Canada or will they feel this nationalism and say, no, we will stay at home. »»
Fort Erie, who is right next to the Niagara falls, also has a border crossing between the two countries. The city mayor, Wayne Redekop, says that, while Canadians seek to “buy Canadian”, the Americans, I also consider similar measures.
“Once Americans are starting to feel the effect of the prices imposed by Canada, they can decide to avoid Canada and our products,” he said in an email.
“The high exchange rate between our currencies can still encourage Americans to continue to come to Fort Erie.”
But the Niagara region which includes the two communities also has other things at stake outside the tourism industry.
“Fort Erie has 53 companies that export products to the United States, some fairly large and some small ones. Niagara has more than 600, “he wrote in an email.
“Many products exported by Fort Erie companies are of crucial importance for customers and some are successfully competing with American manufacturers in the same fields.
“The prices are large enough not to be absorbed by the exporter or the importer, it will therefore be necessary to have been transmitted and Canadian customers or, alternately, sales will be lost.”
To Sault Ste. Marie, the largest employer is Algoma Steel, who sends most of her products to the United States
“Beyond the steel factory itself, a network of local businesses – including suppliers, entrepreneurs, transport companies and service providers – are based on Algoma Steel operations”, explained Shoemaker.
“A slowdown in steel production would be raised in these industries, leading to financial difficulties for families throughout our community.”
At the end of the day, it will be interesting to see if there are lasting effects of a tariff war, or if it will be quickly forgotten between those on both sides of the border.
“We make sure that we choose our words from the world carefully, because when it is finished and at some point, it will be finished and that too, we are going to be neighbors, and we are probably going to be the number one business partners on the other, ”said Diodati.
“And we want to make sure that we are continuing this tradition of being large partners, big neighbors and allies.”