Lantz says P.E.I. happy to take tourism dollars from American 'friends and allies' as trade war heats up

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 3:16 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

With the United States threatening to slap much tariffs connected Canadian imports adjacent week, the P.E.I. authorities continued to travel nether occurrence Friday astir whether it plans to proceed investing southbound of the border.

The archetypal week of the outpouring sitting of the provincial legislature came to an extremity with interim Liberal Leader Hal Perry questioning respective furniture ministers astir the province's investments successful U.S. companies and products.

This came a time aft provincial Tourism Minister Zack Bell made remarks astir P.E.I. continuing to gully U.S. visitors to the Island arsenic portion of a woody with the National Hockey League that makes this state the NHL's authoritative question destination.

Premier Rob Lantz backed up Bell's presumption during Friday's question period, saying this is nary clip for the Island to halt trying to gully American tourists, oregon to clasp backmost connected showing them immoderate Island hospitality. 

"We've got friends and allies and advocates successful the United States… and we should invited them present with unfastened arms," Lantz said. 

"We should rotation retired the reddish carpet and amusement them the hospitality that we ever have, and nonstop them backmost to the United States arsenic ambassadors to Canada." 

U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to spot tariffs connected a wide acceptable of Canadian imports, including a 25 per cent taxation connected vehicles not made successful the U.S., aft April 2. 

The ongoing commercialized warfare has led to retaliatory tariffs and speech of loosening interprovincial commercialized rules wrong Canada, portion idiosyncratic provinces person pulled U.S. vino and spirits disconnected authorities liquor store shelves. 

A increasing anti-American purchasing sentiment has besides led to buy-local movements and has made Canadians question their investments successful U.S.-backed companies and contracts. 

During Thursday's question period, Perry asked Bell however the authorities could "talk tough" astir U.S. tariffs portion maintaining a declaration with the NHL that sends nationalist wealth into the pockets of an American company.

The tourism curate responded that American consumers person buying powerfulness associated with a beardown U.S. dollar, and P.E.I. is blessed to instrumentality their currency erstwhile they travel here. 

That didn't fulfill Perry, who continued to inquire respective furniture ministers whether they agreed with Bell's assertion that the provincial authorities should proceed to prioritize U.S. investments. 

"Which would you similar to see: Taxpayers dollars… spent connected made-in-Canada products, companies and opportunities, oregon are you connected the aforesaid leafage arsenic [Bell] that we should proceed putting millions of dollars for investments into the unfastened arms of Americans during the commercialized war… that is threatening our Island economy?" Perry asked Health Minister Mark McLane. 

McLane, who is simply a subordinate of the provincial Treasury Board, responded that tourism brings upwards of $500 cardinal into P.E.I.'s system each year. 

"The abbreviated reply is, we volition instrumentality the… Americans' wealth and put it successful Prince Edward Island," helium said. 

'This is simply a balancing act'

Darlene Compton, the provincial economical development, innovation and commercialized minister, told Perry that it's not arsenic elemental arsenic the state divesting each of its U.S. investments.

She said industries similar fishing, tourism and agriculture trust connected American dollars to survive.

WATCH | How parties are dealing with the menace of Trump tariffs:

"This is simply a balancing act," Compton said. "We are dealing with [a president] who is 1 time saying this, different time saying that. We volition enactment with each our Island sectors to marque definite we are doing what is champion for Islanders." 

Before the adjacent of question period, Perry asked P.E.I. Finance Minister Jill Burridge erstwhile a promised reappraisal of authorities contracts with American businesses volition beryllium completed.

Burridge said her squad is moving connected it.