U.S. tariffs — a worry, a distraction or a positive? Voters in Alberta weigh in

Elise Stolte · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Sal Shivji was a manager successful the telecommunications manufacture erstwhile outsourcing made his occupation redundant. It was 2023, and the institution was moving its dispatching to the Philippines.  

That's wherefore helium sees the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump a small differently. 

"I deliberation it's a affirmative thing, to beryllium honest," said the begetter of two, who was waiting for his children astatine Genesis Place successful Airdrie, Alta., erstwhile CBC News stopped by.

"Trump is truly trying to tally a business," said Shivji. "He is simply a businessman, and I deliberation astatine the extremity of the day, he's trying to deliberation of his state and trying to support things successful house."

"We should beryllium focusing connected the aforesaid thing.… How are we going to enactment our ain people, and however are we going to summation jobs present — employment, support our state affluent and get retired of the indebtedness that we're in?" 

• What contented matters the astir to you this national election, and why? Share your idiosyncratic stories with america at [email protected].

CBC News has been asking Canadian voters successful communities crossed the state what matters to them this national predetermination campaign. Many mention tariffs arsenic apical of mind, but that's not ever successful the discourse of who is the champion person to enactment "elbows up" and propulsion back.

Some successful Alberta spot this arsenic a long-needed crushed to pause, to instrumentality a captious look astatine what Canada really needs to bash to thrive contempt U.S. tariffs. 

Shivji has moved connected from the layoff. He's present starting his ain business, a shawarma edifice successful Chestermere. 

He said successful his view, radical spot the tariffs arsenic antagonistic because if the threats were implemented, that could person a large interaction connected steel, beef and different markets. 

But successful the long-term, helium believes Canada volition beryllium amended disconnected producing and consuming products wrong the state arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. He's an undecided voter, and that's what helium wants enactment leaders to absorption connected successful this campaign.

"Instead of reasoning what's going to hap now, let's deliberation astir what we're going to bash semipermanent to lick this problem, due to the fact that astatine the extremity of day, it's hitting america successful the face."

On Wednesday, Trump said antecedently announced tariffs connected Canadian-made vehicles were going up but did not see Canada connected his database of countries with 10 per cent "baseline" tariffs.

The operation "elbows up" became a rallying outcry for galore aft Canadian comedian Mike Myers mouthed the words "elbows up" during an quality past period connected Saturday Night Live. It captures what galore Canadians explicit erstwhile they speech astir Trump.

There's a batch of choler and fearfulness astir the existing and imaginable interaction of the tariffs connected sectors of the economy.

Just extracurricular Calgary at the Airdrie recreation centre, parents were taking their kids to aquatics lessons, day parties, gymnastics tryouts and hockey games, juggling backpacks and hockey sticks.

Several tiny concern owners told CBC News they're trying to bargain Canadian but it's intolerable to get the close supplies without sourcing items from the States. Others talked astir the request to find caller commercialized partners successful Europe oregon Asia, and they talked astir wanting much pipelines to transport lipid and state crossed the country.

And for many, the thought of sovereignty was apical of mind. 

Andrea Adams is simply a parent of 2 who stopped to speech to CBC News. She runs a tiny business, an HR consultancy, which serves different tiny businesses.

"I'm acrophobic astir the interaction connected those businesses and the trickle-down effect it's going to person connected me," she said. "I'm conscionable seeing a batch of anxiousness close now. I haven't seen overmuch impact, but it does look to beryllium getting a spot quiet."

"I deliberation there's tons of opportunities for businesses successful Canada to get much efficient. There's an accidental for america to truly tackle that present — maximize our usage of AI to our vantage to marque america much businesslike businesses truthful we're amended capable to vie and stay effective. This is going to beryllium challenging times."

She said successful the past weeks she's besides been reasoning much astir unity, and astir however important it is for Canadians to truly wage attraction during this run and absorption connected the policies being proposed, not conscionable the politicians' speaking points. 

The different interest CBC reporters person been proceeding from Canadians is that each this tariff speech is overshadowing other, long-standing concerns that request airing and debate. 

"Sometimes these hot-button issues tin instrumentality up excessively overmuch of the conversation," Aamjiwnaang First Nation subordinate Christopher Pitre told a CBC London newsman astatine a Fanshawe College end-of-year celebration.

Many young Indigenous voters determination wanted candidates to absorption connected reconciliation and the environment.

In Alberta, voters often speech astir tariffs with concern they volition aggravate cost-of-living challenges and thrust up the outgo of business. That's immoderate of what CBC News heard portion visiting an cultivation expo successful Lethbridge and talking with residents successful Pincher Creek. 

A CBC newsman besides spent clip conscionable southbound of Calgary, talking with voters successful Okotoks, where Dan Rennie was with his children astatine the Okotoks Recreation Centre. 

Rennie is simply a stay-at-home dada and part-time adjunct hockey coach. He said helium worries Trump and his tariffs are a distraction, and that successful giving truthful overmuch attraction to Trump and his chaos, Canada is giving him excessively overmuch influence.

"I privation to perceive much astir Canada and little astir Trump. I deliberation the much we perceive astir Trump and the much we speech astir him, the much powerfulness helium has, and we should effort and disregard him arsenic overmuch arsenic we can," said Rennie. 

"Now that I person kids, I commencement reasoning astir what I privation Canada to look similar successful the future, and I don't privation America to person a large input connected it. I deliberation Canadians astatine a nationalist level and astatine a grassroots level request to person much input."

This predetermination campaign, Rennie said, helium wants the candidates to absorption connected giving a wide program for this country, particularly for dealing with the outgo of surviving and inflation. No "rage baiting," conscionable wide argumentation and vision.

What contented matters the astir to you this national election, and why? Share your idiosyncratic stories with america astatine [email protected]. Read much from Canadian voters astatine cbc.ca/whatmatters.