Alaska Highway tolls, banning Trump Jr.: Yukoners advise premier on U.S. trade war response

Paul Tukker · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 06, 2025 11:08 AM EST | Last Updated: March 6

Yukon's premier says he's been getting an "incredible" magnitude of proposal and suggestions from Yukoners astir however to retaliate against the U.S. for its punishing caller tariffs — with suggestions ranging from putting connected a toll connected the Alaska Highway to banning American athletes from the Arctic Winter Games.

Another proposition Premier Ranj Pillai said he's been hearing is to barroom Donald Trump Jr. from coming to the territory. The U.S. president's lad has been known to do hunting trips successful the Yukon. 

"Lots of Yukoners person reached retired to maine connected this," Pillai said, astir Trump Jr. "The legalities of that I think, archetypal and foremost, person to beryllium understood.

"Are we banning 1 person? What are the legalities of that? You know, is that the close happening to do? How bash you bash that? And past who gets banned from the United States?"

Pillai was speaking connected Wednesday, a time aft helium announced some initial measures the territory was taking successful effect to the commercialized warfare launched this week by the U.S. president.

The territory is updating its authorities procurement policies truthful that it buys much section goods and less U.S. goods, and establishing an assistance money for section businesses. It volition besides nary longer buy or sell American liquor products.

Pillai said much measures volition apt follow, but it's excessively soon to accidental what those volition be. 

"People are truthful incredibly passionate astir this, oregon concerned, oregon angry," helium said.

"It's unthinkable the magnitude of proposal that we're getting from Yukoners, connected each of these things. And we're conscionable moving done it to see, you know, what's the astir prudent happening to bash astatine this time, and what the adjacent measurement would look like."

Elon Musk's businesses, the Arctic Winter Games

The premier said different thought he's heard from a batch of Yukoners is to enactment a toll connected the Alaska Highway for U.S. vehicles travelling done the territory. The road connects Alaska to the little 48 states, done the Yukon and B.C.

Pillai said thing similar that is easier said than done, arsenic it would necessitate caller infrastructure — for example, toll booths — caller staff, and apt caller legislation.

"We've got to look astatine what our actions are and what ineligible tools we person to marque those decisions," Pillai said.

He besides said radical person been urging the authorities to punish businesses owned by tech billionaire and Trump appointee Elon Musk. Pillai said authorities officials are present reviewing whether to halt the territory's usage of Musk's Starlink, oregon the societal media level X. 

As for banning Alaskan athletes from the adjacent Arctic Winter Games — happening a twelvemonth from now, successful Whitehorse — the premier was chill to that idea. 

"That's not thing that we've contemplated," helium said.

Earlier connected Wednesday, NDP Leader Kate White floated the thought during an interrogation connected CBC's Yukon Morning. She compared it to a decision made successful 2022, astir Russian athletes.

Weeks aft Russia invaded Ukraine, successful February 2022, the Arctic Winter Games International Committee announced it had "suspended Yamal, Russia, with contiguous effect, pursuing the attacks unfolding successful Ukraine."

"So if we're not allowing Russian athletes due to the fact that of Putin's actions, are we going to person the speech astir Alaskan athletes?" White asked.

"It's hard due to the fact that we're talking about, I mean, the determination was made astir Russian kids, right? So are we going to person to marque the aforesaid determination astir American kids?"

Pillai argued that the games are an important lawsuit for positivity, and "building bridges" with friends successful Alaska. 

"Look, astatine the extremity of the day, we request Americans to enactment eventual unit connected the Trump administration," Pillai said.

"So I deliberation having the Games here, seeing a clump of large Alaskan athletes coming here, strengthening our ties with Alaska — it's incredibly important."