Canada’s Big City Mayors call for a Team Canada approach to Tariffs & Trade

Ottawa – Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic joined Canada's Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Big City Mayors’ Caucus (BCMC) in Ottawa on Thursday for a series of meetings with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, and Housing, Infrastructure & Communities Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith to discuss urgent and coordinated actions to address the possible impacts of tariffs, efforts toward more diverse trade policy, and the need for increased housing and infrastructure investments in municipalities across the country.

“Both our federal, provincial and territorial governments have shown great leadership in the wake of recent U.S. trade threats and I am proud of our FCM Big City Mayors Caucus who stand together with them as part of a Team Canada approach to fiercely defend Canada and Canadians, “said City of Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Kitchener will stand united with our colleagues, and with elected representatives of all stripes who share in our joint resolve to protect our country, and the residents and businesses we all serve.”

Thursday’s discussions with federal officials highlighted the strain that tariffs will place on local economies, driving up costs for infrastructure projects, housing, and essential services. What is clear is that investing in critical infrastructure that supports both economic development and community resiliency is needed now, more than ever.

“Local governments are best positioned to respond with urgency to meaningfully support residents and businesses during challenging times by delivering the essential services that directly impact their daily activities,” added City of Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “We need to work together—municipalities, provinces and territories, and the federal government—as part of Team Canada, to build a strong and prosperous nation.”

During yesterday’s meetings, BCMC Mayors, including Mayor Vrbanovic continued to advocate for solutions that strengthen Canadian cities, including fair funding models, strategic infrastructure investments, and collaborative economic policies that help local businesses and communities thrive. They also continued developing their election strategy for whenever the next federal election is called, which could be as early as late March/early April.

Kitchener joined the Mayors of Canada’s 23 BCMC cities in calling on the federal government to work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to enhance its commitment to building strong cities by investing in the infrastructure required for a stronger tomorrow. This includes a commitment to develop a new Municipal Growth Framework, that will help ensure that we build a country that is more affordable, sustainable and prosperous for everyone.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) unites more than 2,100 local governments at the national level, representing more than 92 per cent of Canadians in every province and territory.

For more information, please contact:

Shannon Weber, Chief of Staff
City of Kitchener
519-904-5776
Shannon.weber@kitchener.ca