Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
BRACEBRIDGE — Ontario Premier Doug Ford welcomed national Indigenous leaders to Muskoka on Monday as Canada’s premiers gathered for a three-day summer meeting focused on trade, tariffs and economic development.
The opening day of the Council of the Federation meeting featured discussions between premiers and leaders from several Indigenous organizations, including the Assembly of First Nations, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, the Métis National Council, and the Native Women’s Association of Canada. Elder Hilton King of Wasauksing First Nation opened the session, which included Ontario Indigenous leadership.
The talks centred on Indigenous-led economic development and advancing reconciliation through meaningful partnerships, particularly as Canada braces for the impact of potential U.S. tariffs.
“We had a productive discussion focused on economic development and advancing economic reconciliation, particularly in the face of President Trump’s ongoing threat of tariffs,” Ford said in a statement following the meeting. “It has never been more important to build Canada… and that includes strong partnerships with Indigenous communities.”
Partnerships should include equity participation in resource development, including critical minerals, and reiterated the importance of consultation, he said.
The meeting with Indigenous leaders set the tone for what’s expected to be a high-stakes week in cottage country, where trade and national economic interests top the agenda.
The premiers are meeting as trade negotiations with the United States reach a critical point. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose sweeping 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods as early as Aug. 1 if a new trade agreement is not in place. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is set to meet with the premiers on Tuesday, had initially agreed with Trump to pursue a deal by July 21.
Carney is coming to the table after meeting last week with hundreds of First Nations chiefs, many of whom have warned that the push to fast-track major infrastructure projects must not come at the expense of their rights or Canada’s duty to consult.
Premiers say Indigenous participation is critical to any long-term economic strategy — especially in areas like resource development and critical mineral extraction.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said he intends to raise concerns about softwood lumber access and fair regional treatment during talks with the prime minister.
“We want access to the same level of attention, for example, on the softwood lumber as Ontario gets on the auto parts sector,” Eby said last week in Victoria.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has also made Indigenous engagement a key theme in her calls for new pipelines and interprovincial trade. Earlier this month, she signed a memorandum of understanding with Ford to study new transportation links between provinces.
“I was really pleased to sign that MOU with Doug Ford… and other provinces are working on those same kinds of collaborative agreements,” Smith said Friday.
“We need to do more to trade with each other, and I hope that’s the spirit of the discussion.”
Ford, who currently chairs the Council of the Federation, has positioned himself as a champion of internal trade. His government has removed all Ontario exceptions under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and signed multiple MOUs with other provinces.
Beyond trade and economic resilience, the premiers are also expected to discuss emergency management, energy security, public safety and health care. Carney has said bail reform will be on the table Tuesday, and legislation is expected this fall.
As negotiations with the United States intensify, the premiers say Canada must present a united front — and include Indigenous voices in that effort.
“When all of us — provinces, territories, Indigenous communities and the federal government — work together, there’s nothing we can’t achieve,” Ford said. “Team Canada is unstoppable.”
