Border Mayors Alliance hoping for positive news from Carney’s meeting with Trump

Residents in border communities are skeptical the meeting between Mark Carney and Donald Trump will lead to major changes in the trade war.

As the dust settles from last week’s federal election which saw Mark Carney elected as prime minister, focus has shifted back to Canada’s trade tensions with the United States.

Carney is meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump today in Washington for the first time since the election.

The Border Mayors Alliance - a group of mayors representing roughly 40 municipalities along the Canada-U.S. border - would like some good news from the face-to-face meeting.

“We’re all just hoping that it’s a positive meeting and that he’s able to reset the relationship,” Drew Dilkens, the Mayor of Windsor, Ont. and Chair of the Alliance, tells CTV News Ottawa. “I’m optimistic that a new face and a new leader for our country will be able to do that.”

According to Dilkens, the alliance formed quickly once Trump started focusing on Canada, with the municipalities knowing they would be impacted first by any tariffs.

Municipalities are represented in the alliance from Surrey, B.C. to towns in New Brunswick, which Dilkens says is indicative of how widespread the impact of Trump’s decisions can be.

“It’s about linking arms across the country. It was very easy to do, because every mayor in these border communities understands what the negative impact of a tariff will be and mean to their community,” says Dilkens.

Some Canadians don’t share the same optimism.

Angie McKenzie, a resident of Brockville, doesn’t think anyone will be able to deal with Trump.

“It’s neat that the States are so close, but I feel so disconnected from them right now,” she said as she looked at northern New York State from the seat of her car on Blockhouse Island.

“I don’t know what Trump is pulling. Like, we’re his closest allies.”

Carol McDonald has concerns over Carney’s inexperience as a prime minister.

“Our new prime minister is very new in his position. I hope it all turns out all right but a little bit weary of how it’s going to turn out,” McDonald said.