Border Mayors Alliance launched across Canada; Manitoba excluded from initial group

Emerson-Franklin Reeve Dave Carlson tells CTV News it's concerning that Manitoba isn’t being represented.

Canadian mayors of cities and towns across the Canada-U.S. border are joining forces to form a new partnership – the Border Mayors Alliance – in response to 25 per cent tariff threats on Canadian imports from President Donald Trump.

However, so far, there is no Manitoba representation in this alliance.

In an email to CTV News Winnipeg, a spokesperson for the Office of the Mayor of Windsor, said representation currently includes mayors in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.

Dave Carlson, the reeve of Emerson-Franklin – which is home to the Pembina-Emerson Border Crossing – said it is concerning that Manitoba isn’t being represented.

“I kind of wonder why. I don’t see the reason for that. I would think we should be invited to it because we are the northern tip of the midcontinent trade corridor. So we have a very important port of entry here. So I would think we should be involved,” said Carlson.

The border crossing is the second busiest port of entry west of the Great Lakes and processes more than one million people every year.

Carlson said if Trump follows through on implementing tariffs, it will have an impact on people living in the area and Manitobans as a whole.

“We have a lot of small businesses in the area and the region that really count on American trade. We also have farmers that sell their products with the United States. We have customs brokers that work at Emerson, obviously border service agents that work at Emerson, transport companies. Anyone that drives a truck typically will cross the border. So I think it will affect a lot of people and jobs.”

When asked about some of the new measures that Manitoba has implemented to beef up border security, Carlson said it’s nice to see this issue being taken seriously.

“I think we just have to be seen to be doing our part. I think it is the right thing to do because you do have, not only the potential migrant crisis, but you do have human smuggling, drugs coming across the border both ways, guns and things like that. Taking border security more seriously and more robustly is definitely welcome.”

There is still potential for Manitoba to be part of the alliance, as the Windsor spokesperson said there have been “inquiries from additional municipalities expressing an interest to join in.”

Trump has mentioned Feb. 1 as the potential start of tariffs on Canadian imports.

- With files from CTV’s Maralee Caruso