David Eby says British Columbia’s anti-tariff ads, aimed at Americans, will go ahead

VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says the province plans to push ahead with anti-tariff advertisements aimed at the American public, days after U.S. President Donald Trump blamed a campaign by Ontario for his cancellation of trade talks with Canada.

B.C. had announced the ads last week, with Eby saying at the time they were to defend the province and Canada against the threat from U.S. softwood lumber tariffs.

The premier says after the scuttling of the U.S.-Canada talks late last week that it remains “crucial” to deliver the message about tariffs directly to Americans, and the province reserves the right to do that, including by advertising.

He says the B.C. ads are on a different scale from the Ontario government’s campaign, which Eby says he “unambiguously” supported.

A spokesman for Eby’s office says the timber tariff ads are expected to run in November.

Ontario’s $75 million ad campaign in U.S. markets featured parts of a 1987 speech in which former U.S. president Ronald Reagan warned that tariffs lead to trade wars and damage economies in the long run.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2025.

The Canadian Press