Derek Kilbourn
Sounder News
Creating a local response to trade tariffs was the topic of discussion this past Friday morning, as Gabriola Chamber of Commerce hosted a number of Gabriola businesses and organizations to a round table with local elected officials and trade experts at the Golf Course.
Gabriola-Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson, as well as Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie-Barron headed up the panel. They were joined by Brady Calancie, Export Advisor, Vancouver Island
The discussion started with Erin Udal, Chamber Executive Director, laying out the current situation with tariffs – including a 25% tariff on many Canadian exports and 10% on energy in the auto sector.
Udal said one of the responses from the BC Government is to establish the Premier’s BC Trade and Economic Security Task Force to address key concerns.
The BC Chamber – of which the Gabriola Chamber is a member – is on that Task Force.
The discussion on Friday was to talk about what key concerns for the island are, to inform elected officials as well as the task force on the response to the tariffs.
Key concerns voiced at the panel included the need for clear communication to customers, the potential for increased local tourism, and the challenges of interprovincial trade barriers.
Suggestions included expanding the Canada Summer Jobs program, supporting local agriculture, and leveraging existing resources like the Export Navigator program, which is run by Calenci.
The meeting emphasized the importance of collaboration and quick government action to mitigate economic disruptions.
The panel was asked about how the tariffs are going to be paid – that the information available is really confusing.
Calancie said for now, it will work just like duties, where it can be paid by the shipper, or the receiver. But with there being talk in the US of an External Revenue System, no one knows yet what that would look like.
His company, Export Navigator, is working on putting together a list of resources that are hard and fast ‘this is how it is done’ lists for businesses in BC.
Calancie compared the current situation to being like when COVID first hit. There’s a fire hose of information coming out, and his company is collecting the questions to have answers for Chambers in BC to use.
The panel was asked how tourism destinations like Gabriola should be planning for either an influx of Canadian and non-US international tourists, or
Graham – influx of tourists – with the dollar – any planning for that kind of influx?
According to the panel, DestinationBC is preparing a campaign to promote the West Coast Trail and other BC destinations to the European markets.
A number of programs coming out of the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation are being set up to help businesses prepare for shifts and potential downturn in the economy.
There is some concern coming from Tourism Vancouver Island that there may be some flights lost between the US and BC, but those could be made up as airlines expand coverage between BC and destinations within Canada.
The panel was asked how – as shoppers continue to trend away from US products, how will some of the US product being pulled from shelves be replaced with more Canadian product? Calancie said there are a number of conversations happening around that subject. The question now, he said, is how major retailers will respond to getting those products to their locations.
“The biggest thing you can do is request certain products, so their buyers can take that into account. That’s what we can do, request their help.”
The group also discussed the fact that if more product is getting on the shelves, Canadian manufacturers will have to make more – and the question for that is how?
Especially when labour is hard to find already.
One solution for increasing local production – especially in agriculture – was to expand the Canada Summer Jobs program.
Barron said she is actively advocating for this.
She said CSJ numbers were decreased down to pre-pandemic levels last year.
“The number of applicants that were able to be approved were significantly reduced. We are reviewing applications as we speak. We keep in mind how unique Gabriola is.
Diana Owens with Cresta Roca farm said for her, the concern is knowing where to channel things locally.
Her point being that her customers aren’t in the US. They are local. And there is an expectation from shoppers that they should be able to get more local product in local stores.
Malcolmson said she is worried for everyone.
For those businesses who ar reliant on on American customers. For those industries – like forestry – who will have losses in jobs in the thousands.
She said, “please think of the worst case scenario. Sorry, but that’s the time we are in. There’s no benefit in sugar coating it….the fallout of this [trade war] is unlike anything we’ve seen.”
She stressed that there are a number of programs that came out of the pandemic that can be resurrected to respond to the current situation.
A caution from Barron was that with a new leader chosen for the federal Liberal party, there is likely to be a federal election called, “within days.
“That means I’m no longer able to participate in the role of MP.”
Her office will still be able to be working on specific cases for specific non-partisan issues.
But she – and any other MP – won’t be able to bring concerns to Parliament until after the election is over.
Graham Bradley, local farmer, Chamber President, and Agi Co-op member, suggested that if there was a way to incentivize land owners to allow people to produce food.
He suggested that there are people on Gabriola who have experience, knowledge, and desire to ramp up local agriculture production, but they lack the land to do it on.
If land could be found, soon, those people could be producing this season.
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