Port Angeles mayor visits B.C.’s capital region amid trade war

Border mayors are reuniting on Vancouver Island, trying to wade through the effects of Donald Trump’s tariffs against Canada.

One of Vancouver Island’s closest cross-border mayors has travelled to Victoria to meet with local politicians, as government and business leaders try to wade through the effects of the U.S. administration’s tariffs against Canada.

“I ran into some folks on the ferry who were really glad I was coming today,” says Port Angeles mayor Kate Dexter. “[They were] happy to hear I was having this meeting and said, ‘please tell them we’re sorry.’”

The Washington State mayor met Mayor Marianne Alto outside Victoria’s City Hall Friday morning, greeting her with a hug.

“I reached out to let her know I was planning to come over and she said ‘Oh, I’ve been meaning to reach out to you.’ And my very first feeling was, you know, I got a little choked up, and thought, I’m really grateful that we’re still invited,” says Dexter.

She says the city’s relationship with Victoria is vital to its tourism-reliant economy and she’s looking for ways to weather the trade war together.

“It does feel like advocacy at the federal level is a bit falling on deaf ears beyond our local elected. And they’re so busy dealing with every hit that comes, there’s a new thing every day. So I think a lot of this work is going to have to be done on the local level,” says Dexter.

Victoria’s mayor says she’s committed to fostering positive relationships, while acknowledging Canadian frustration and needs for balance.

“We do need to be respectful of our residents’ concerns, resentment, disappointment. At the same time, we also understand that if we’re going to have any chance of nurturing, resuming, that allyship, that friendship, then we have to find a way forward,” says Victoria mayor Marianne Alto.

Greater Victoria economic alliance, South Island Prosperity Partnership agrees.

“The Clipper, the Black Ball Ferry: Those are the majority of U.S. customers coming here to explore the island and the south island region. So it’s an absolutely critical relationship that we have,” says SIPP CEO Aaron Stone.

SIPP has reconvened an economic task force, that initially started in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s helping businesses export to new markets and developing a larger community plan.

“Our job here is to build a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous future for people,” says Stone.

Port Angeles’ mayor says the partnership is vital to her community.

“Short of the municipalities in Clallam County, Victoria is the most important municipal relationship that we have,” says Dexter. “There’s so many things that are happening within the United States that will have detrimental impact on Port Angeles but this one, I think, is at the top of my list right now.”

She says Canadians will always be encouraged to visit, understanding many may choose to “vote with their dollars” instead.