On the heels of the United States delaying new 50 per cent tariffs on Canada, Montreal’s Chamber of Commerce has put out its economic wish list for the upcoming election. One of its priorities is to reverse a controversial CAQ decision. The new tariffs were the talk of the business world on Wednesday, as it faces an uncertain future with an unpredictable U.S. president. “Those protective approaches in the USA are probably there to stay. So it is for us … a wake-up call,” said Isabelle Dessureault, president of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce. The chamber’s so-called Livre blanc starts by showing just how loud those alarm bells are. The global uncertainty index, which measures economic doubts worldwide, peaked in January 2025 when U.S. President Donald Trump took office. It’s in that context that the chamber is preparing for the upcoming provincial election. The top priority is to cut down on bureaucracy. “We are, right now, one of the worst places, in terms of jurisdiction, to open new business, in terms of regulation,” said Gregoire Baillargeon, BMO president. The chamber says small businesses spend more than $40,000 per year filling out government paperwork. “Putting the same information all the time. So what we’re saying is once is enough,” Dessureault said. That eye towards efficiency extends to construction. It’s calling for the creation of an independent oversight body to ensure provincial infrastructure projects are on budget and on time. Some of the projects it’s supporting include modernizing Montreal’s Olympic stadium, redeveloping the hippodrome site, and updating IGA stadium to ensure the National Bank Open stays in Montreal. The chamber is also attacking a specific government policy. It wants the tuition hikes for out-of-province and international students to be scrapped. In February, McGill and Concordia universities gave up their legal battle over the fees. “I think that many of us are very sad, and, at some point, angry about it, and that right now we should completely reverse how we see those jewels — our universities,” Dessureault said. The Chamber of Commerce has presented its recommendations to all provincial parties. It says now the uncertainty isn’t just the economic situation but who will be in power to navigate it.
