February 03, 2025
Premier Doug Ford announced new retaliatory measures against the U.S. including the end of a $100M contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that the province will dissolve its $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s incoming 25 per cent tariffs.
Ford made the announcement Monday and said the government is also banning other American companies from provincial contracts until the tariffs are reversed.
“That’s just one step, and there’s many more coming,” Ford said in his capacity as premier during a campaign stop in Etobicoke. “You know, that’s a small, small drop in the bucket, the $100 million. It sends a message to President Trump, but there’s many more.”
In a previously issued statement, Ford said Ontario would not do business with “people hellbent on destroying” the provincial economy, referring to the Starlink deal which was inked in November and was set to bring internet access to 15,000 people in rural communities across the province.
Musk owns Starlink through his tech company, SpaceX, and heads Trump’s newly-minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Ford said Ontario hasn’t “paid a penny” to Starlink and stated that if Musk takes the province to court over the cancellation of the deal, his government is prepared.
“We didn’t break the rules of our agreement, the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) deal, they did. I never believe in starting a fight, but I believe in winning the fight,” he said. It’s unclear what financial consequences the province would face for breaking the contract.
The decision to scrap the Starlink deal comes after Trump signed an executive order Saturday to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian oil, natural gas and electricity starting Tuesday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada will impose its own tariffs in retaliation, including a 25 per cent levy on $155 billion worth of American-made goods, like alcohol and fruit.
Trump and Trudeau spoke earlier this morning and are expected to discuss the tariffs again later today.
According to the province, Ontario and its agencies spend $30 billion every year on government procurement, which is money Ford said U.S.-based businesses will lose out on amid the trade war.
“I don’t care if it’s a cracker or a toothpick; we’re going to do everything we can, within that realm, to manufacture it, if we don’t have it, or to purchase it from an Ontario-made company,” Ford said.
The premier added that he anticipates inflation and interest rates will rise on both sides of the border until an agreement is reached to reverse the tariffs. He’s previously said Trump’s move could cost 500,000 Ontario jobs.
Last week, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie called on Ford to cancel the contract with Starlink, calling it a “sweetheart deal.”
“We’re happy Doug has finally listened to Bonnie and ripped up the bad Starlink deal and is finally putting Ontario first,” a spokesperson said in a statement issued after Ford’s announcement. “But we can’t help but wonder: What other shady deals has he signed with the super-rich?”
Amid the trade war, Ontarians will head to the polls for an early election on Feb. 27. Crombie, along with NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, have decried the snap election as unnecessary.
PC Leader Ford said that his government will continue to pursue domestic options to bring high-speed internet to rural communities following the collapse of the Starlink deal, though he believes that could take up to two years, citing a lack of Canadian infrastructure.
Ford calls Trump administration ‘a disaster’
After saying he was optimistic about Trump returning to the White House following his landslide victory in the U.S. election, Ford struck a very different tone on Monday.
“It’s been a disaster. I’d never support that guy in my entire life. He goes up and just stabs you right in the heart. Forget that,” Ford said.
Trump issued the tariffs through the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), which has never been done before by a sitting president. It’s unclear if the move will survive any legal challenges.
Trump has said the tariffs on Canada will remain in place until the country stems the flow of what he has described as illegal migrants and drugs. Ottawa recently unveiled its $1.3 billion plan to bolster the border, but that did little to assuage Trump, who said Saturday there was “nothing” the federal government could do to prevent the sanctions.
The tariffs were also imposed on Mexico, but President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday they have since been paused for one month.
Phil Tsekouras
CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that the province will dissolve its $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s incoming 25 per cent tariffs.
Ford made the announcement Monday and said the government is also banning other American companies from provincial contracts until the tariffs are reversed.
“That’s just one step, and there’s many more coming,” Ford said in his capacity as premier during a campaign stop in Etobicoke. “You know, that’s a small, small drop in the bucket, the $100 million. It sends a message to President Trump, but there’s many more.”
In a previously issued statement, Ford said Ontario would not do business with “people hellbent on destroying” the provincial economy, referring to the Starlink deal which was inked in November and was set to bring internet access to 15,000 people in rural communities across the province.
Musk owns Starlink through his tech company, SpaceX, and heads Trump’s newly-minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Ford said Ontario hasn’t “paid a penny” to Starlink and stated that if Musk takes the province to court over the cancellation of the deal, his government is prepared.
“We didn’t break the rules of our agreement, the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) deal, they did. I never believe in starting a fight, but I believe in winning the fight,” he said. It’s unclear what financial consequences the province would face for breaking the contract.
The decision to scrap the Starlink deal comes after Trump signed an executive order Saturday to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian oil, natural gas and electricity starting Tuesday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada will impose its own tariffs in retaliation, including a 25 per cent levy on $155 billion worth of American-made goods, like alcohol and fruit.
Trump and Trudeau spoke earlier this morning and are expected to discuss the tariffs again later today.
According to the province, Ontario and its agencies spend $30 billion every year on government procurement, which is money Ford said U.S.-based businesses will lose out on amid the trade war.
“I don’t care if it’s a cracker or a toothpick; we’re going to do everything we can, within that realm, to manufacture it, if we don’t have it, or to purchase it from an Ontario-made company,” Ford said.
The premier added that he anticipates inflation and interest rates will rise on both sides of the border until an agreement is reached to reverse the tariffs. He’s previously said Trump’s move could cost 500,000 Ontario jobs.
Last week, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie called on Ford to cancel the contract with Starlink, calling it a “sweetheart deal.”
“We’re happy Doug has finally listened to Bonnie and ripped up the bad Starlink deal and is finally putting Ontario first,” a spokesperson said in a statement issued after Ford’s announcement. “But we can’t help but wonder: What other shady deals has he signed with the super-rich?”
Amid the trade war, Ontarians will head to the polls for an early election on Feb. 27. Crombie, along with NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, have decried the snap election as unnecessary.
PC Leader Ford said that his government will continue to pursue domestic options to bring high-speed internet to rural communities following the collapse of the Starlink deal, though he believes that could take up to two years, citing a lack of Canadian infrastructure.
Ford calls Trump administration ‘a disaster’
After saying he was optimistic about Trump returning to the White House following his landslide victory in the U.S. election, Ford struck a very different tone on Monday.
“It’s been a disaster. I’d never support that guy in my entire life. He goes up and just stabs you right in the heart. Forget that,” Ford said.
Trump issued the tariffs through the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), which has never been done before by a sitting president. It’s unclear if the move will survive any legal challenges.
Trump has said the tariffs on Canada will remain in place until the country stems the flow of what he has described as illegal migrants and drugs. Ottawa recently unveiled its $1.3 billion plan to bolster the border, but that did little to assuage Trump, who said Saturday there was “nothing” the federal government could do to prevent the sanctions.
The tariffs were also imposed on Mexico, but President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday they have since been paused for one month.
Phil Tsekouras
CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist
LCBO halts U.S. liquor sales to all stores, restaurants, grocers and bars
By Alex Arsenych and Joanna Lavoie
All American liquor will be removed from LCBO shelves starting Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the day after the U.S. levied punishing tariffs on Canadian products.
“As part of Ontario’s response strategy to the imposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, the government of Ontario has directed (the) LCBO to indefinitely stop all sales of U.S. alcohol products in our stores and online and to stop wholesale sales of U.S. products to restaurants, bars, grocery and other retailers no later than February 4, 2025,” a spokesperson from the Liquor Control Board of ONtario (LCBO) confirmed to CTV News.
The Crown agency said it sells up to $965 million worth of American alcohol annually, with more than 3,600 U.S. products available.
“Every year, LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, sprits and seltzers. Not anymore,” Ford said in an early morning post on X.
It said more information will be made available to their customers and suppliers.
The Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA) expressed its full support in the complete removal of U.S. liquor given “this current climate.”
“There are plenty (of) alternative products including our own Ontario wines and spirits. We need to stay united,” Tony Elenis said in a statement to CTV News Toronto.
On the campaign trail on Sunday morning, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie says she supports this move, but questions where the rest of Ford’s plan is to hit the U.S. back, accusing him of putting his focus on his snap election campaign while “in the middle of a crisis.”
British Columbia and Nova Scotia also moved to pull American liquor from its provincially-owned stores. Additionally, B.C. Premier David Eby specifically directed BC Liquor stores to “immediately stop buying American liquor from red states.”
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles called the move a “step in the right direction.”
“Across the board, we need to stand united with every province and the federal government,” she said in a statement.
“We also need to implement a Buy Ontario procurement strategy and stock our shelves with locally made products. Ontario has world class wine, beer and spirits produced right here, so let’s use this as an opportunity to boost our local industry.”
Chris Swonger, the president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, called the retaliatory measures “extremely disappointing and counterproductive,” urging the two North American countries to reach an agreement.
“Some spirits are recognized as ‘distinctive products’ by the U.S. and Canada, and can only be made in their designated countries such as Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey in the U.S., and Canadian Whiskey in Canada,” Swonger told CTV News Toronto in a statement. “As a result, the production of these products cannot simply be moved to another country or region.”
By Alex Arsenych and Joanna Lavoie
February 02, 2025
All American liquor will be removed from LCBO shelves starting Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the day after the U.S. levied punishing tariffs on Canadian products.
“As part of Ontario’s response strategy to the imposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, the government of Ontario has directed (the) LCBO to indefinitely stop all sales of U.S. alcohol products in our stores and online and to stop wholesale sales of U.S. products to restaurants, bars, grocery and other retailers no later than February 4, 2025,” a spokesperson from the Liquor Control Board of ONtario (LCBO) confirmed to CTV News.
The Crown agency said it sells up to $965 million worth of American alcohol annually, with more than 3,600 U.S. products available.
“Every year, LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, sprits and seltzers. Not anymore,” Ford said in an early morning post on X.
It said more information will be made available to their customers and suppliers.
The Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA) expressed its full support in the complete removal of U.S. liquor given “this current climate.”
“There are plenty (of) alternative products including our own Ontario wines and spirits. We need to stay united,” Tony Elenis said in a statement to CTV News Toronto.
On the campaign trail on Sunday morning, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie says she supports this move, but questions where the rest of Ford’s plan is to hit the U.S. back, accusing him of putting his focus on his snap election campaign while “in the middle of a crisis.”
British Columbia and Nova Scotia also moved to pull American liquor from its provincially-owned stores. Additionally, B.C. Premier David Eby specifically directed BC Liquor stores to “immediately stop buying American liquor from red states.”
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles called the move a “step in the right direction.”
“Across the board, we need to stand united with every province and the federal government,” she said in a statement.
“We also need to implement a Buy Ontario procurement strategy and stock our shelves with locally made products. Ontario has world class wine, beer and spirits produced right here, so let’s use this as an opportunity to boost our local industry.”
Chris Swonger, the president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, called the retaliatory measures “extremely disappointing and counterproductive,” urging the two North American countries to reach an agreement.
“Some spirits are recognized as ‘distinctive products’ by the U.S. and Canada, and can only be made in their designated countries such as Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey in the U.S., and Canadian Whiskey in Canada,” Swonger told CTV News Toronto in a statement. “As a result, the production of these products cannot simply be moved to another country or region.”
Craft beer is poured in this undated photo.
The Ontario Craft Brewers Association (OCBA), meanwhile, is lending its support to the province as it moves to remove and delist U.S. alcohol brands from LCBO store shelves.
“American tariffs will hurt Ontario craft breweries, driving up costs on key inputs like the aluminium we use in our beer cans,” the organization’s president Scott Simmons said in a statement.
He said two things must be done to help Ontario’s small businesses “weather the headwinds of this trade war.”
“First, the LCBO must seize this opportunity to truly support local. We call on the government and LCBO to ensure all American-owned brands are removed from store shelves and replaced with real locally-made beer, made in breweries owned by Canadians,” Simmins said.
“The positive impact of this move would be massive - it would help Ontario craft brewers withstand the coming tariffs, create more good jobs in our communities, and put more money back into the local economy at this critical time.”
Secondly, Simmons said the provincial government must fast track tax reforms for the craft beer sector.
“As Ontario looks to support home-grown sectors and industries, it is critical that it move to immediately lower Ontario’s marginal tax rate in line with Alberta, to help ensure craft breweries are in a position to compete, grow, and thrive now and into the future,” he said.READ MORE: Ottawa releases full list of retaliatory targets
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed across-the-board tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. The commander-in-chief’s reasoning to enact this new tax, as explained in a post on TruthSocial, comes as a result of the “major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our citizens, including fentanyl.”
Less than one per cent of fentanyl and illegal crossings into the U.S. come from Canada, however, the federal government has started lobbying efforts with D.C. officials about their $1.3-billion border security enhancements.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the White House’s move to enforce 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports, and 10 per cent on Canadian energy—including oil, natural gas and electricity—has “split us apart instead of bringing us together.”
In response, Canada is putting its foot down and matching Trump’s tariffs, laying down 25 per cent tariffs in return on $155 billion in U.S. imports, including alcohol and fruit. Trudeau revealed at a press conference on Saturday night that he and Trump have not yet spoken about the trade war.
“If President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us,” Trudeau said.
On Saturday, Ford called the new import tariffs “unjustified, unfair and frankly, illegal.”
“This is going to hurt Americans. It’s going to hurt Canadians. We’re going to see inflation happening down in the U.S. and Canada, and it’s unjustified,” he said in an interview with CNN.
“It’s unfortunate. We don’t want to do it. We’d rather have a strong trading partner with the U.S., build an Am-Can fortress. We want to ship down more products, more critical minerals, more oil. That’s what we want to do.”
The premier, who’s also running as PC leader in the middle of a provincial election campaign, has previously threatened to cut the power the province currently supplies for three U.S. states—Michigan, New York and Wisconsin—as a retaliatory measure to these tariffs.
According to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, $3.6 billion in goods and services cross between Canada and the U.S. on a daily basis, paving a $1.3 trillion annual trading relationship employing millions of workers on both sides of the border.
With files from CTV News’s National Correspondent Rachel Aiello
Alex Arsenych
CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist
Joanna Lavoie
Journalist, CP24.com
The Ontario Craft Brewers Association (OCBA), meanwhile, is lending its support to the province as it moves to remove and delist U.S. alcohol brands from LCBO store shelves.
“American tariffs will hurt Ontario craft breweries, driving up costs on key inputs like the aluminium we use in our beer cans,” the organization’s president Scott Simmons said in a statement.
He said two things must be done to help Ontario’s small businesses “weather the headwinds of this trade war.”
“First, the LCBO must seize this opportunity to truly support local. We call on the government and LCBO to ensure all American-owned brands are removed from store shelves and replaced with real locally-made beer, made in breweries owned by Canadians,” Simmins said.
“The positive impact of this move would be massive - it would help Ontario craft brewers withstand the coming tariffs, create more good jobs in our communities, and put more money back into the local economy at this critical time.”
Secondly, Simmons said the provincial government must fast track tax reforms for the craft beer sector.
“As Ontario looks to support home-grown sectors and industries, it is critical that it move to immediately lower Ontario’s marginal tax rate in line with Alberta, to help ensure craft breweries are in a position to compete, grow, and thrive now and into the future,” he said.READ MORE: Ottawa releases full list of retaliatory targets
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed across-the-board tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. The commander-in-chief’s reasoning to enact this new tax, as explained in a post on TruthSocial, comes as a result of the “major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our citizens, including fentanyl.”
Less than one per cent of fentanyl and illegal crossings into the U.S. come from Canada, however, the federal government has started lobbying efforts with D.C. officials about their $1.3-billion border security enhancements.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the White House’s move to enforce 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports, and 10 per cent on Canadian energy—including oil, natural gas and electricity—has “split us apart instead of bringing us together.”
In response, Canada is putting its foot down and matching Trump’s tariffs, laying down 25 per cent tariffs in return on $155 billion in U.S. imports, including alcohol and fruit. Trudeau revealed at a press conference on Saturday night that he and Trump have not yet spoken about the trade war.
“If President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us,” Trudeau said.
On Saturday, Ford called the new import tariffs “unjustified, unfair and frankly, illegal.”
“This is going to hurt Americans. It’s going to hurt Canadians. We’re going to see inflation happening down in the U.S. and Canada, and it’s unjustified,” he said in an interview with CNN.
“It’s unfortunate. We don’t want to do it. We’d rather have a strong trading partner with the U.S., build an Am-Can fortress. We want to ship down more products, more critical minerals, more oil. That’s what we want to do.”
The premier, who’s also running as PC leader in the middle of a provincial election campaign, has previously threatened to cut the power the province currently supplies for three U.S. states—Michigan, New York and Wisconsin—as a retaliatory measure to these tariffs.
According to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, $3.6 billion in goods and services cross between Canada and the U.S. on a daily basis, paving a $1.3 trillion annual trading relationship employing millions of workers on both sides of the border.
With files from CTV News’s National Correspondent Rachel Aiello
Alex Arsenych
CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist
Joanna Lavoie
Journalist, CP24.com
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