Federal government hosts Canada-U.S. economic summit during tariff threat pause [Video]

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, left, and London Mayor Josh Morgan, right, look on as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Big City Mayors Caucus meeting, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The federal government is hosting a summit in Toronto today aimed at bolstering the economy in the face of Canada’s rapidly changing relationship with its largest trading partner.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to impose sweeping tariffs this week has been put on pause until March 4.

That looming threat and the volatility of his administration has many business and labour leaders urging Canada to look for alternative trading partners and ways to strengthen internal trade.

The summit is being hosted by the government’s newly created advisory council on Canada-U.S. relations, and includes business and labour leaders, Indigenous leaders and public policy experts.

Flavio Volpe, a member of the advisory …