Selkirk residents weigh impacts on Manitoba steel city on the eve of U.S. tariffs
CBC
Some residents of a small, steel-producing city in Manitoba are on edge as the U.S. is yet again poised to impose tariffs on Canadian goods — this time on aluminum and steel.
Global tariffs on exports of the metals to the U.S. are set to take effect on Wednesday after midnight.
Some people living in the city of Selkirk say the 25 per cent levies — which U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to double on Tuesday for Canada before Ontario Premier Doug Ford suspended a tax on electricity to the U.S. — could threaten jobs and heavily impact the community's economy.
The Gerdau Ameristeel Manitoba steel mill — formerly known as Manitoba Rolling Mills — was established in Selkirk in 1907 and is still a major employer for city residents.
More than 70 per cent of the steel produced in the city about 40 kilometres north of Winnipeg is shipped out to the States, the city's mayor says.
Selkirk resident Erin Rudniski said the whole trade war situation is unfair.
"Lots of people are going to lose jobs," she said Tuesday. "I have friends that work in the industry and they're afraid for their jobs. They're afraid that they won't be able to feed their families — and that's a huge concern as a Canadian."
WATCH l Manitoba steel town braces for impact of Trump's tariffs:
About 1 in 20 residents in Selkirk — which has about 10,000 residents — works in the steel industry, according to the city.
The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters said the steel mill produces about $200 million worth of steel annually.
The association's vice-president for the Prairies, Terry Shaw, said the impact will be "incredibly damaging" not only to the workers and their employer, but the town itself.
"What does it mean for the town of Selkirk and surrounding areas if hundreds of people are on work-share or laid off?," he said.
"What does that mean for the restaurant industry, the hospitality industry?… The impacts are going to be felt much beyond the manufacturer."
The United Steelworkers Union represents about 7,500 members in the province.
The Regina Folk Festival (RFF) is permanently shutting down after decades of bringing music to the city's downtown.
The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton has stopped taking new clients and blames the province for cutting funds.
Three people died a little over an hour apart in Victoria on Monday, Victoria police and the B.C. Coroners Service have confirmed.
Evidence of Americans' souring mood is everywhere you look. Even in the place you look for evidence: Google.
March break is right around the corner, but the state of Canada-U.S. relations as of late has some Prince Edward Islanders rethinking their travel plans.
Residents in the N.W.T.'s South Slave region are on edge after some recent incidents that police have linked to the illegal drug trade — and RCMP say their big challenge is getting people to speak out if they know something.
Canadians and other foreign nationals who plan to stay in the U.S. for 30 days or longer will soon be required to apply for registration and fingerprinting with the Department of Homeland Security.
Alberta's billion-dollar steel and aluminum industries are bracing for a big hit on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump is promising to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian metal products entering the United States.
British Columbia has turned its eye toward luring doctors and nurses from the United States to move north in what Health Minister Josie Osborne is calling an "unprecedented" recruitment opportunity.
Charlottetown police say officers seized a huge amount of drugs, including crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine, after arresting three people Monday.
Yukon NDP Leader Kate White called for the defunding of Catholic education in the territory at the Yukon legislature on Monday, citing a "constant battle" over respecting human rights in schools.
U.S. President Donald Trump is lashing out at Canada and using some of the strongest language he's ever deployed against the one-time ally and trading partner, vowing to ruin the country economically after Ontario levied a surcharge on U.S.-bound electricity to hit back at his initial tranche of tariffs.
U.S. President Donald Trump issued numerous threats aimed at Ontario and Canada on Tuesday after the province imposed a surcharge on electricity flowing south of the border.