Tariffs were a big topic of discussion at the spring caucus of Alberta Municipalities — a gathering of local leaders from across the province — as President Donald Trump continues to test US-Canada relations.
On Thursday, mayors and councillors had questions for Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver on how the tariffs could impact Alberta communities on a local level.
He called the trade war a lose-lose situation.
“I think local leaders are on the same page as our provincial government — we don’t know what’s coming next,” McIver said. “The president of the United States ought to know tariffs are a bad idea.”
Many members expressed concern over how Alberta’s economic engine, the energy industry, could be affected. Kara Westerlund, the president of Rural Municipalities of Alberta, said smaller communities have little buffer zone before the impact will be felt.
“The pain is felt by us directly and quite quickly,” Westerlund said. “The biggest thing we are looking at is job loss, project cancellation — which would be our lost revenue.”
Premier Danielle Smith is set to address the Alberta Municipalities conference on Friday.
Watch the story by Morgan Black in the video player above for more.