Photo: The Canadian Press

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, left, and London Mayor Josh Morgan, right, look on as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Big City Mayors Caucus meeting, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 in Ottawa.

UPDATE 9:55 a.m.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Donald Trump is not joking when he says he'd like to make Canada the 51st state, and the U.S. president's desire to annex this country is related to its supply of critical minerals.

Trudeau made the remarks to more than 100 business, labour and industry leaders who were invited to an economic summit today in Toronto.

His comments were made behind closed doors after reporters were ushered out of the room, but the Toronto Star was able to hear what Trudeau was saying because the audio was inadvertently broadcast.

The Star, which first reported the story, says Trudeau was answering a question from one of those attending the summit.

The prime minister said the Trump administration knows what critical minerals Canada has and "that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state."

Three cabinet ministers who were at the summit did not deny that Trudeau made the comments about the Trump administration.

"They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those," Trudeau said, according to the Toronto Star report.

"But Mr. Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing."

Transport Minister Anita Anand, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon spoke to reporters outside the room shortly after and were asked about Trudeau's comments.

Anand said it's clear that everyone in the room agreed on one thing. "And that is, there will be no messing with the 49th parallel," she said.

"Canada is free. Canada is sovereign. Canada will choose its own destiny, thank you very much," MacKinnon said.

Champagne said he's been in Washington, D.C., this week making the case against tariffs.

"One thing that I made clear is that the supply chain are very integrated, and that Canada is prepared and willing to work with our American friends on the basis of mutual respect, respecting our sovereignty, respecting the dignity of our workers and our industry," he said.

"And they understand now better than ever that you cannot pick on Canada and make life more affordable for Americans."

ORIGINAL 6 a.m.

The federal government is hosting a summit in Toronto today aimed at bolstering the economy in the face of Canada's rapidly changing relationship with its largest trading partner.

U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to impose sweeping tariffs this week has been put on pause until March 4.

That looming threat and the volatility of his administration has many business and labour leaders urging Canada to look for alternative trading partners and ways to strengthen internal trade.

The summit is being hosted by the government's newly created advisory council on Canada-U.S. relations, and includes business and labour leaders, Indigenous leaders and public policy experts.

Flavio Volpe, a member of the advisory council and president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, says he hopes the meeting is just the start of something bigger.

He says Canada is facing "the most serious industrial threat we've ever faced" and the moment calls for a collective effort similar to what happened in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's important that this isn't a photo op, that this isn't a talking-to session, that this isn't the only time we get together," he said.

Representatives from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters will attend, as will the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Drew Dilkins, the mayor of Windsor, Ont., said this kind of meeting can help ensure different levels of government and the private sector are "rowing in the same direction."

"Aligning on the facts is really important because what's missing in this whole conversation, at least from my perspective on the U.S. side, is fact," he said.

He and other border community mayors established the Border Mayors Alliance in response to the tariff threat to advocate on behalf of the cities that have the most to lose. But he said that kind of grassroots action only works if everyone understands the approach.

Dilkins took part in a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors Caucus in Ottawa on Thursday, where tariffs and trade with the U.S. were the only topics.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in opening remarks at the event, reiterated the need for a "Team Canada" approach.

He said the country is "doing more than just bracing ourselves, we're convening provincial and territorial leaders to do the vital work of breaking down barriers that hamper interprovincial trade."

That is precisely what Dennis Darby, president and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said he wants to see in the long term.

Darby said he intends to tell the government that if tariffs are imposed, businesses and workers will need help in the form of direct government relief, tax relief or wage subsidies.

Beyond that, he said, there are "structural problems within the Canadian economy that need to be addressed."

They include the need to make it easier to move goods between provinces — trade that is undermined by a complicated regulatory environment — and to ensure Canada takes better advantage of its trade deals with other countries.

"We're always going to trade with the Americans, no question," said Volpe. "Can we rely on them?"