Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government appears poised to announce details of how it will bail out tariff-hit businesses as opposition politicians demand a cohesive and urgent plan.
On Wednesday morning, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy is scheduled to hold a news conference alongside Vic Fedeli, the trade minister.
At an unrelated event the day before, Ford appeared to tease details of what the pair would unveil.
“We’re releasing another $5 billion. I think we’re going to start a billion tomorrow and then just keep adding,” the premier said in Windsor, Ont.
“We’re going to focus on helping small businesses, we’re going to really focus on the auto sector and the steel sector, they’re the ones that are really getting hit the hardest. So we’re rolling out the money — and I won’t hesitate to keep rolling it out.”
Ford appeared to be referencing the $5 billion Protecting Ontario Account, which was announced as part of his government’s 2025 election platform and the budget that followed.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
When it was announced, the government’s financial blueprint explained that the Protecting Ontario Account was designed to work together with tariff measures introduced by the federal government.
It would include “up to $1 billion in immediate liquidity relief aimed at protecting Ontario businesses and workers facing significant tariff-related business disruptions,” the budget said.
Officials described it as “an emergency backstop for Ontario businesses that have exhausted available funding.”
Despite announcing the fund as part of its budget in May, the government has provided few details of how it will work and whether it has been used, even as tariffs bite.
United States President Donald Trump has had levies in place for some time on Canadian steel and aluminum, also adding 35 per cent tariffs on all goods not covered by a trade deal between the two countries at the beginning of August.
Opposition politicians said the Ford government was taking too long to stimulate the economy.
“Our economy is already taking a big hit with Trump’s most recent tariff hike on all Canadian goods to 35 per cent,” NDP MPP Catherine Fife said in a statement.
“Despite growing economic uncertainty and ongoing job losses, we still don’t have a plan from the Premier to protect workers and create good jobs. In order to weather this ‘Trump Storm,’ we must strategically invest in our auto sector and fight to keep these good, stable jobs in Ontario.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
