Ontario’s Premier: ‘Pain Like They’ve Never Felt Before’, Threatens to CUT OFF ELECTRICITY to the U.S.

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Doug Ford, the newly elected Premier of Ontario, is threatening the United States in response to President Trump’s tariffs.

In a flurry of news appearances and press conferences over the last few days he has promised to hit the United States with everything short of military strikes — and I’m almost surprised he didn’t go there.

More than once, Ford has brought up the issue of Canadian electricity exports to the US, arguing that his province provides electricity for 1.5 million homes and businesses in three states; New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.

Here’s one clip of Ford’s threats to cut off electricity to American states taken from a press conference on Monday:

Apparently, President Trump is attempting to “annihilate” Ontario.

I must have missed that Executive Order, or else Ford simply has a penchant for the dramatic.  (It could also be that he likes to lie and be deceptive… but now I’m getting ahead of myself.)

Besides putting tariffs on Canadian goods destined for U.S. shelves, he has promised to literally cut off the electricity provided through a shared electrical stability agreement to US states.

President Trump’s tariffs, intended to address trade imbalances and increase urgency in securing our shared borders, was originally intended to go into effect a month ago.

He held off on implementing them while talks with our northern and southern neighbors was ongoing, in the hopes that progress could be made on the issues he tried to highlight with them.

But yesterday, on the eve of the President’s tariffs kicking in, Ford prepared to add his own tariffs and surcharges to goods and electricity coming into the US from Ontario, according to a report from the CBC:

Newly re-elected Premier Doug Ford doubled down Monday on his threat to cut off electricity flowing from Ontario to several American states if the U.S. moves ahead with tariffs.

“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do anything, including cutting off their energy — with a smile on my face,” Ford said during his first news conference since winning a third majority last week. Ontario is a major electricity exporter to New York, Michigan and Minnesota.

“They need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard? We’ve got to go back twice as hard,” Ford continued.

The comments came on the eve of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, and 10 per cent on energy.

Ford added his government is also prepared to implement a surcharge on every megawatt of energy states purchase from Ontario and “rip up” a $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet company. The LCBO has already been directed to remove all American booze from its shelves if Trump moves ahead with his threats.

Did you catch that last part?  He’s also threatening to “rip up” the $100 million dollar deal Starlink has with Ontario for internet connectivity.

I would love to play dumb as a reporter at his next press conference and just ask him, straight-faced, if he thinks Elon Musk is behind the US tariffs levied against Canadian products.

Just to FORCE him to admit in some way that he is just looking for an emotional channel to lash out.

And Elon’s Starlink is the closest he can get to actually hurting President Trump; at least in his own mind.

Thankfully, not all Canadians feel the way about the tariff situation, or the true cause of them, as Premier Ford.

Some, like this popular Canadian X user, are blaming their own government for the conflict with the United States — even those (like this Canadian) who is a member of Ford’s political party!

The initial statements that really caught fire and set social media ablaze came yesterday.

Ford went on with NBC News warning that President Trump wanted “to destroy our families”.

Which is the logic Ford is using to up the conflict with President Trump, rather than simply addressing the concerns that have sparked the tariffs from the American side to begin with.

His answer to his own contrived threat? — MAKE THREATS OF YOUR OWN.

Here’s the clip that went viral yesterday, bringing Ford’s continued threats into the spotlight:

Maybe more shocking than anything is Ford’s repeated assertions that he has talked to Republicans in the United States — all of whom tell him they believe President Trump’s tariffs are a terrible mistake.

Except… the majority of Americans voted for President Trump, knowing tariffs were part of the deal.

Not to mention polling shows that something like 80% or more actually support President Trump’s tariffs!

Where Ford is finding these enclaves of Trump-hating Republicans… I have no idea.

And then, today, he went on television talking tough again, attempting to rally U.S. governors and Congress against President Trump.

He expressly states that he will shut off the power to several U.S. states if he doesn’t get his way.

Today, as President Trump’s tariffs went into effect, Ford complained that he didn’t start this trade war, but that he would win it.

In the same breath, he said he would shut off energy to the US “with a smile on my face” — which seems an odd thing to say… if you actually don’t WANT a trade war.

And he is encouraging other Canadian provinces to do the same, according to a report in Newsweek:

In an NBC interview on Monday, Ford said Canadian energy kept “the lights on for 1.5 million homes and manufacturing [facilities] in New York, in Michigan and in Minnesota.”

Trump said the tariffs were being introduced in response to Mexico and Canada failing to stem the tide of fentanyl and illegal migrants across their respective borders. He also argued that Mexico and Canada, which had trade surpluses with the U.S., had been taking advantage of the country.

Last year, there was an increase in illegal immigration across the border between the U.S. and Canada, though the level remained far below migration across the southern border.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford told NBC on Monday: “I’m going after absolutely everything, and I don’t want to. We keep the lights on for 1.5 million homes and manufacturing in New York, in Michigan and in Minnesota. If he wants to destroy our economy and our families, I will shut down the electricity going down to the U.S., and I’m telling you we will do it.”

Yesterday, President Trump offered up an easy option for companies dealing with the tariffs in the event their current governments wouldn’t comply with his concerns.

Simply move their manufacturing businesses to the US!

There are no tariffs on products sold in the US for companies who manufacture inside the US!

Here’s President Trump laying that out yesterday:

I did come across one bit of common sense in the form of an X post while researching this story that I’d like to share with you.

I’ll give you the premise up front: Ford is lying, and he doesn’t have the AUTHORITY to unilaterally “cut” the power flowing from his province to the US.

At least, that’s the argument made by one X user, Greg B.  And I suspect Greg is likely right.

Here’s his take:

Greg B. certainly seems to have done his homework.

And his synopsis definitely passes the “vibe check”, in my opinion.

Here’s the full text of his post for easier reading:

Ford is lying. He has no authority to shut off electricity to the US. Only the prime minister can do that.

I assume you’re asking whether Ontario Premier Doug Ford can shut off electricity exports to the United States. Based on that, here’s the breakdown:

The Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, cannot unilaterally shut off electricity exports to the US because, like other international trade matters, this falls under federal jurisdiction in Canada. The Constitution Act, 1867, gives the federal government authority over interprovincial and international trade, which includes electricity exports. The National Energy Board (now largely replaced by the Canada Energy Regulator) and federal legislation, such as the *Canadian Energy Regulator Act*, oversee the export of electricity to the US, requiring permits and federal approval.

Ontario generates a significant amount of electricity—through Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and private entities—and does export surplus power to neighboring US states like Michigan and New York via interconnected grids. For example, in 2022, Ontario exported about 2.7 terawatt-hours to the US, according to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). But the decision to stop those exports isn’t Ford’s to make alone. The province controls its energy production and can decide how much to allocate domestically versus for export, but cutting off the flow entirely would require federal sign-off, especially since it involves international agreements and grid reliability commitments under frameworks like the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

Practically speaking, Ford could push for reduced exports by directing the IESO or OPG to prioritize domestic use, citing local needs—something provinces have done before, like Quebec tweaking hydro exports. But a total shutdown? That’s a federal call, and it’d likely spark diplomatic and economic blowback from the US, given the integrated nature of the power grid. Plus, Ontario benefits financially from those exports, so it’s not a move Ford could easily justify without Ottawa’s backing. Short answer: no, he can’t just flip the switch on his own.

Whether he can, or can’t, remains to be seen.

But the fact is he certainly is making a stir claiming that he WILL shut off the power.

I wonder if it has crossed Premier Ford’s mind that the very reason the trade imbalance exists, causing President Trump to address the issue through tariffs… is because Canada can’t MAKE ENOUGH MONEY on their exports… without a lopsided trade equation in place.

Their own failed governmental leadership has created a situation mirroring that of California, in many ways.

Which is exactly what President Trump told Trudeau, right before he suggested maybe Canada would simply become another state and not worry about that any longer.

I wonder… how Premier Ford would feel about trading in his Premiership for a seat in the House of Representatives?

Because at this rate, Canada’s leadership seems to be plodding forward into a trade war they CAN NOT win; but without enough brainpower to realize it.

Yeah — I’d say that qualifies him for a seat in the U.S. House.

And by “qualify”, I don’t mean to imply that MERIT has anything to do with it.

Ontario’s Premier may be considered a progressive conservative by Canadian standards, but he’d certainly fit in well with the progressive left in Congress.

He’s already threatening Americans… and in terms of fitting in with the democrats — THAT HAS TO COUNT FOR SOMETHING.



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