Ontario Premier Doug Ford is demanding an apology from U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra after reports surfaced that the ambassador launched into a profanity-laced tirade at Ontario’s trade representative in Washington, David Paterson.
According to multiple sources familiar with the incident, Hoekstra confronted Paterson at an event in Ottawa earlier this week, furious over an Ontario government ad campaign running in the United States that criticized trade tariffs. The dispute comes amid rising tension after U.S. President Donald Trump suspended trade talks with Canada, calling the ads “a hostile act.”
Speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park, Ford called the ambassador’s outburst inappropriate and urged him to make amends. “It’s unbecoming of an ambassador,” Ford said. “I’ve never heard of anything like this in my life. But Pete’s a different type of cat — and I guess he thinks I am too. So Pete, do the right thing. Give the guy a call. Let’s move on.”
The controversial ads, which featured archival footage of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan warning that tariffs hurt both nations, aired during the World Series before being pulled by the Ontario government. The campaign prompted Trump to threaten an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods.
Ford said his intent was never to provoke the U.S. president but to highlight how protectionism ultimately harms American consumers and workers. In a letter published in The Wall Street Journal, Ford reiterated that message, writing, “Mr. Trump called our ad a ‘hostile act,’ but it was meant as encouragement to embrace what has made our nations great — free and fair trade.”
Canadian officials, including Finance Minister Mark Carney, had previously said negotiations with the U.S. were progressing constructively before the controversy derailed talks.
Despite the diplomatic dust-up, Ford struck a lighter tone, mentioning a friendly wager with Hoekstra on the outcome of the World Series. “If the Jays win, he has to wear a Jays jersey in Ottawa — he’d probably be more popular that way,” Ford joked. “And if they lose, which they won’t, I’ll wear a Dodgers jersey. So Pete, if you’re going to yell at someone, call me instead. I can go with the best of them.”