Ontario launches multimillion-dollar U.S. ad campaign amid Trump's tariff threat

Ontario has launched a multimillion-dollar U.S. ad campaign touting economic and cultural ties between the province and its southern neighbour as Canada faces the threat of 25 per cent tariffs enacted by president-elect Donald Trump.

"For generations, this ally to the north has been by your side: Ontario, Canada, a partner connected by shared history, shared values and a shared vision for what we can achieve together," a narrator says over new and archival video featuring shared landmarks like Niagara Falls and the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

"Stable and secure when the world around us isn't, you can rely on Ontario for energy to power your growing economy, and for the critical minerals crucial to new technologies," the 60-second ad says.

The ad also emphasizes that if Ontario were a country, it would be the U.S.'s third-largest trading partner and that the province is the top export destination for 17 states. 

"It's time to bring jobs back home and build together — more workers, more trade, more prosperity, more security. For generations, this ally to the north has been here — and for generations more we'll still be here, right by your side," the ad continues.

Released Monday morning, the ad is set to run throughout the holiday season, with expanded placements on television and streaming apps in the new year ahead of Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

Ads to run on Fox News, during NFL games

A spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford's office said the ad will run "where we know our audience is," namely during prime-time hours on Fox News and NFL football games, as well as at airports in the Washington area over Christmas.

In the new year, the campaign will include transit shelters and billboards, and digital channels in key states with deep economic ties to Ontario. A version of the ad will also stream on the Fox Sports app during the Superbowl, the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Progressive Conservative government declined to say exactly how much it is spending on the campaign, but confirmed various media reports the amount in the tens of millions of dollars.

Ford's office says the campaign is part of planning for a new U.S. administration that has been underway for months. Its launch comes as Canada scrambles to respond to a threat from Trump that he will place a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods on his first day in office.

NDP Leader supports ads that promote 'economic interests'

Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles told reporters at Queen's Park Monday that she isn't against the idea of the province running ads in the U.S. as long as they don't amount to what she called vanity ads for the premier.

"I support anything that's going to actually promote Ontario's economic interests in the United States," she said.

Canadian economists have calculated such a tariff would have a devastating impact on the country's economy, in losses ranging anywhere from one to five per cent of total GDP. The impacts could be felt especially hard in Ontario, as the province's auto manufacturing and energy sectors are deeply intertwined with the U.S.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several of his top aides dined with Trump at his Florida country club on Friday evening. Sources told CBC News Trump's top priority during the dinner was stopping the flow of fentanyl through North American borders. Trump did not, however, specify what he wants from Canada in exchange for dropping the tariff threat.

Trudeau has said Ottawa intends to bolster resources for the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in response to Trump's demand for a border clamp down.