Tariff fray makes unlikely friends

Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander. Photo courtesy of the Municipality of Brighton.

By: Cecilia Nasmith, Northumberland 89.7 FM News

Brighton

While the imposition of steep tariffs on Canada by the US has set up some adversarial relationships, it has also resulted in at least one new friendship

Warden Brian Ostrander shared the details at Wednesday's Economic Development, Tourism, Land Use Planning Committee in response to a letter from the Town of Hanover that contained their resolution endorsing the federal and provincial calls to action to buy Canadian wherever possible (especially in connection with their capital and infrastructure programs), and calling for upper levels of government to work with lower tiers to protect Canadian consumers and businesses.

Ostrander detailed how he had been on his own letter-writing campaign, with messages to wardens and municipal officials on both sides of the border advocating Premier Doug Ford's Fortress AmCan approach – including to the mayor of an American Northumberland County.

“These tariffs will have as much of an effect on them as on us, and we would be much better off working for a solution together,” was his message.

As Mayor of Brighton, Ostrander sent similar letters as mayor of Brighton to smaller communities including a number of independent municipalities named Brighton. He got a friendly reply from the town supervisor in Brighton, New York, sending heartfelt greetings and saying, “I can't wait to visit you in Brighton.”

Ostrander discovered that this is totally doable, since Brighton, NY, is located right beside Rochester and technically only about 50 km. from Brighton, Ont.

“But it would take four hours to drive and so, unless somebody has a speedboat, it will be a day trip for sure,” he figures.