LILLEY: Canada must make clear to the U.S. that we are a reliable trading partner

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WASHINGTON — In early January, when all 13 of Canada’s premiers announced they were coming to Washington, D.C. in February, they hoped for — but didn’t expect — a meeting at the White House. As the premiers were attending a lunch with business executives, they got the word: There would be a meeting at the White House with a senior advisor to President Trump.

“We listened, we communicated, and we look forward to further conversations,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said as he left the White House.

Ford was flanked by Quebec Premier Francois Legault and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who also both made comments. Ford was trying to stay tight-lipped about the meeting and whom he had spoken to, which might lead some to think it was an insignificant meeting. However, it wasn’t.

That meeting was with James Blair, Trump’s deputy chief of staff.

Blair was a political consultant in Florida, an advisor to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and worked as political director for Trump’s winning 2024 campaign with a focus on bringing out people who don’t normally vote.

The appointment of Blair as his deputy chief was one of Trump’s earliest appointments after being elected. This meeting was an important one.

All the premiers were under fire by critics who said that they hadn’t achieved anything, hadn’t met with the right people. Let’s be clear: The meetings set up for the premiers as a group on Wednesday were fairly weak, three Democrat members of the House and two Republicans

Individually, various premiers had been able to secure their own meetings with elected officials that seemed more promising. No one, though, had been able to secure a meeting with anyone close to the centre of power — Donald Trump.

Ford’s office had hired a Washington lobby firm, Capital Counsel, to help Ontario deal with these issues. Meanwhile, the Council of the Federation, the group representing all provinces, had hired a firm called Checkmate to help them get meetings.

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While both firms helped secure the meeting at the White House, one source said it came about in a bizarre manner.

Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai had met Donald Trump Jr. at a hunting conference in Nevada in January 2024. Trump Jr. is someone who has hunted often in the Yukon and took a liking to Pillai.

That liking paid off as Trump Jr. introduced the premier to his hunting buddy Ches McDowell, a North Carolina lobbyist who recently opened up an office in D.C. It was this connection that allowed the meeting for the premiers at the White House to move ahead.

“It just shows the relationship that we have, and the respect they have in Canada regarding Canada, and they’ve said it numerous times how they respect Canada, and really appreciate the friendship over the years,” Ford said.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said the meeting was frank and fruitful.

“They urged us to take the president at his word,” Eby said, regarding trade and border issues.

Eby elaborated that the officials explained that when President Trump spoke of his concerns about fentanyl at the border, that he meant it and wanted action. Those comments were similar to what federal finance minister Dominic LeBlanc heard during meetings with White House officials on Wednesday, including with National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.

In both meetings, Canadian officials were encouraged to come back for more meetings later in the year after Trump’s full cabinet — especially economic advisors like Howard Lutnick — have been confirmed.

“There was an understanding that what Canada had done around the border had caught the president’s attention and resulted in the pause, but their work needed to continue,” Eby said.

One trade expert from the United States said recently that if Canada took military and border security issues seriously, 70% of Canada’s trade issues would disappear. The Americans are frustrated with us on trade, including issues like dairy, but where they lose their cool with us is when it comes to security.

They don’t think we are serious, and to be frank, for the last decade we haven’t been. To improve our trading relationship with the United States, we need to take our military and border issues seriously.

Canada needs to be Canada again: A serious, reliable partner that keeps its word.