Border mayors say they're on the front line of the tariff war and need government help

Mia Urquhart · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 21, 2025 3:46 PM EDT | Last Updated: 35 minutes ago

Border mayors from crossed Canada accidental they're connected the beforehand enactment of the tariff warfare with the United States and are disproportionately suffering arsenic a result. 

Border communities "are astatine a breaking point," said Barbara Barrett, enforcement manager of Frontier Duty Free Association, who moderated a virtual gathering of borderline mayors connected Friday. 

"We are calling connected the national authorities to measurement up present with targeted fiscal enactment and a program that recognizes the unsocial vulnerabilities of border-dependent communities and the businesses that support them alive."

And if assistance doesn't travel soon, immoderate businesses volition adjacent permanently, said Trina Jones, politician of Woodstock, N.B.

"We cognize arsenic borderline mayors for our communities, determination already are businesses that are being impacted by the uncertainty," she said. 

She said it feels "very reminiscent of the pandemic."

Jones said she'd similar to spot the aforesaid benignant of authorities enactment extended present — and quickly. She said her assemblage is already feeling the effects of reduced traffic. 

WATCH |'There's tons of fear, but there's truly nary hostility'

She said residents consciousness "like they're successful a holding pattern."

Mayors from borderline communities crossed the state expressed akin concerns. Together, they're calling connected national and provincial governments to assistance them done a challenging time. 

The Border Mayors Alliance, which was formed successful 2024, say they're being "disproportionately impacted" by tariffs and reduced cross-border travel.

"Border communities and businesses that trust connected cross-border question are facing a caller economical crisis. Still recovering from the interaction of pandemic-era borderline closures, borderline assemblage businesses are present grappling with further economical pressures that endanger their survival," the radical said. 

St. Stephen, N.B., Mayor Allan MacEachern said immoderate borderline communities similar his inactive haven't recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We request to cognize that our government's got our backs," helium said. 

MacEachern said borderline towns "rely connected the question of radical and product. And erstwhile radical and merchandise don't transverse our borders, it's a immense interaction connected our communities." 

He said reduced postulation during the pandemic was "life-changing." 

"And I don't privation to spot america spell there."

MacEachern said borderline communities aren't conscionable connected the fiscal beforehand lines, they're often face-to-face with their American neighbours. 

He said it's easier for those who unrecorded further distant from the borderline "not to participate, but for us, it's tough. It's pugnacious and I don't privation to spoil our relationships erstwhile again." 

MacEachern said helium hasn't seen immoderate unfastened hostility yet, but there's fearfulness that it could happen. 

Jones agreed. 

"There's tons of fear, but there's truly nary hostility from what we tin see," she said. 

"We've been affable neighbours for a long, agelong clip and we don't spot that changing." 

The radical of mayors is asking authorities to enactment rapidly to travel up with an assistance bundle for communities affected by tariffs. As for whether borderline communities merit a bigger portion of that pie, Jones said "it's tricky." 

She said New Brunswick is peculiarly susceptible to the tariff war, "and possibly immoderate of america request a small much assistance than others. And, the remainder of the provinces mightiness person to beryllium kind."

MacEachern said it shouldn't beryllium forgotten that New Brunswick borderline communities are the "gateway to the Atlantic provinces" and each land-based postulation funnels done them.

"So we got a batch of value connected our shoulders there. So it's conscionable not New Brunswick that we're reasoning of." 

MacEachern said 26,000 less radical crossed the New Brunswick-Maine borderline past month. 

"That's a immense interaction to us," helium said.