Ottawa reacts as Ford's numbers climb
Ottawa residents watching the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade fight got a fresh data point this week: Premier Doug Ford is seeing a polling bump, according to a new study from Liaison Strategies, conducted in the days after Donald Trump slapped 50 per cent tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Canadian products following the collapse of trade talks.
For a city that's home to the federal public service and no shortage of trade-policy watchers, the numbers are a notable signal of how Ontarians — and by extension, many in the National Capital Region — are reacting to the latest escalation in the tariff standoff.
What the poll found
Liaison Strategies' research suggests Ford's government has picked up support in the immediate aftermath of the tariff hike, a pattern political watchers often describe as a "rally around the flag" effect, where voters tend to back their government during moments of external pressure or conflict with another country. The 50 per cent tariff hit came after talks between Canadian and U.S. negotiators broke down, escalating a trade dispute that has rattled manufacturers, exporters, and workers across Ontario.
Why it matters in Ottawa
Ottawa may not be Ontario's manufacturing heartland, but the city has plenty of skin in this game. As the seat of the federal government, Ottawa is where much of Canada's response to the tariffs is actually being shaped — from Global Affairs Canada to the Prime Minister's Office, all just a short drive from Queen's Park's provincial counterparts. Local economists and public servants alike are tracking how the trade dispute could ripple into federal budget planning, cross-border business ties, and the cost of goods for Ottawa consumers.
Ottawa is also home to a significant tech and innovation sector in Kanata North, much of which relies on cross-border trade and supply chains with the U.S. Prolonged tariff uncertainty could affect everything from hardware costs to export contracts for local firms, making the political fallout from this dispute more than just an abstract Queen's Park story for the capital.
The bigger picture
Ford has positioned himself as one of the more vocal provincial leaders on the trade file, frequently weighing in on how Ontario should respond to U.S. pressure. The new poll numbers suggest that stance may be resonating with voters at a moment when many Canadians are looking for leadership on the file. Whether that bump holds depends heavily on how the trade dispute evolves in the weeks ahead — and whether talks between Ottawa (the federal government) and Washington can get back on track.
For now, residents of Ottawa the city can expect trade policy to remain a dominant storyline, with implications for jobs, prices, and the broader relationship between Canada and its largest trading partner.
Source: Global News Ottawa
