Mayor Josh Morgan believes a recent meeting of elected leaders from neighbouring municipalities regarding the impact of U.S. tariffs on southwestern Ontario has reached the ears of the federal government. On Monday, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Evan Solomon made a two-part announcement at a factory near Ottawa. A new $1 billion loan program has been launched for steel, aluminum and copper businesses impacted by U.S. tariffs, plus an additional $500 million has been provided to the already-existing Regional Tariff Response Initiative to help small and medium enterprises. Morgan believes the London region will benefit from both. “I’ve got to commend the federal government for listening and taking action on this,” he told CTV News. “And this is the kind of thing that we do when we advocate regionally and we work together.” In late March, Morgan met with elected leaders from communities around London. They committed to maintain their infrastructure and capital spending plans despite U.S. tariffs, and urged the senior levels of government to strengthen partnerships with municipalities. “It’s a first step, and its an important step,” Morgan said about the federal announcement. “Copper is very important to London with companies like Great Lakes Copper employing a good number of people here.” He added that small and mid-sized businesses could also benefit from the additional funding available from the Regional Tariff Response Initiative as they adjust to the current trade realities, “They may get support retooling, retraining, and refocusing because we know that we want to keep those jobs.” Based on the most recent data from Statistics Canada, the London area is experiencing 9.1 per cent unemployment, the highest rate in Canada. Several other cities in southwestern Ontario are not far behind. However, Morgan believes that local industries facing pressure from tariffs are showing flexibility and resilience. “Although they’re going through a tough time now, although there have been layoffs, they’re positioning themselves as best they possibly can,” Morgan explained. “But they’re taking no chances, and they’re seizing opportunities to look to new markets.” The regional leaders who met at London City Hall on March 23:
