Over the past few months, Ontario premier Doug Ford has been Canada’s political muscle, a no-nonsense figure not afraid to brawl publicly with US President Donald Trump.
Whether it’s wearing a “Canada is Not For Sale” hat, tearing up Ontario’s contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink, banning American booze, offering to buy Alaska or threatening to cut off the electricity supply to the US, Ford has not held back.
“I don’t like saying I am the enforcer, even though I did play hockey and I was the enforcer on the ice,” he tells the FT, referencing the role designed to react aggressively to foul play and protect star players. “I want to be the enforcer for the people of Canada.”
On Thursday, the Trump administration backtracked once again, granting a one-month reprieve from a sweeping 25 per cent tariff on goods that meet the rules of a 2020 free-trade deal with Mexico and Canada.
“The only thing certain for the next 30 days is uncertainty,” Ford says.
The politician has become the face of Canada’s newfound patriotism and a conduit for popular anger at Trump, who has threatened to turn the country into America’s 51st state. But Ford is no plucky underdog. His father was a politician, and the family has long run highly lucrative label and packaging businesses in Canada and the US. His late brother Rob, who was mayor of Toronto between 2010 and 2014, earned global notoriety in 2013 after being caught smoking crack cocaine.
After being re-elected last month for a third term as premier of Canada’s most populous province, Ford now faces the biggest challenge of his career. Every day around C$1bn worth of goods and services cross the border into the US. A trade war would have devastating consequences for Ontario’s nearly $1tn-a-year economy, which accounts for 40 per cent of Canada’s total GDP.
“This is a total mess that Trump has created,” Ford says. “Behind closed doors Republicans I speak to agree. They don’t want this either.”
Ontario is home to Canada’s automotive and steel industries, as well as agricultural and mining sectors that are all highly integrated with the US.
“Everything was working well, then suddenly Trump threw a wrench into things and he’s attacking, declaring economic war on his closest friends and allies. It’s insanity,” Ford comments.
While Trump is on his mind, Ford says what really keeps him awake at night are text messages from members of the public. In May last year he gave out his personal phone number on television, telling voters: “You need something, you call me.”
Michael Diamond, who was campaign manager for Ford’s successful 2018 Progressive Conservative party leadership bid, and is now president of the party, insists this wasn’t a stunt but rather reflects Ford’s ethos of customer service.
“It is charming and effective politically,” he says, “but aggravating for staff when the text messages are forwarded to you and, for example, it’s a request from him to help an old lady with a rodent infestation.”
Diamond says the Ontario premier has risen to this new occasion. “Ford has filled a political vacuum due to the resignation of prime minister Justin Trudeau and the disarray of the Liberal party,” he observes. Despite their dramatically different political backgrounds and styles, Trudeau and Ford have been in lockstep since the tariff threats began.
Ford, who is chair of the Council of the Federation and in effect the spokesperson for Canada’s 13 provincial and territorial premiers, is a regular on American TV networks. He uses his appearances to emphasise the historic, cultural and economic links between Canada and the US generally, and between Ontario and America in particular. He authorised an advertising campaign worth millions of dollars targeting key US audiences which has been airing on Fox since late last year.
He is also perfect fodder for the internet. Over the years, Ford has gone viral for, variously, swallowing a bee during a press conference, revealing that his daughter cut his hair with dog clippers and raving about “real egg sandwiches”.
But he is no stranger to controversy, and has often been a polarising figure in the normally tame arena of provincial politics. In September 2023 Ford was forced to reverse a decision to sell off protected greenbelt lands to housing developers worth C$8bn. The following month, Canada’s federal police launched a criminal investigation into the matter which is still ongoing.
At the same time, Ontario’s health system and schools are in crisis, while the provincial government’s deficit is forecast to triple from C$3bn in 2023 to $9.8bn in 2024-2025. But in the current climate voters seem willing to put all that to one side.
Dan Nowlan, an adviser in the government of former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, says Ford’s strength, and the source of his popular appeal, has been his ability to talk tough and appear authentic. “He is not a ‘Dr Evil’-type super-villain planning to turn the lights off in New York to cause chaos,” he says. “If you look at all his comments he has always been arguing for a greater US partnership first and foremost.”
Ford says he wants the tariff crisis to pass so he can get back to the everyday business of running Ontario. That and dealing with the unanswered text messages from his constituents clogging up his phone. “I cannot keep up and get back to everyone,” he sighs. “I am behind 4,500 messages, that’s what weighs on me.”
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