Trump Says Tariffs Could Hit February 1; Premier Holt and MP Williamson Prepare NB for Impact

In his first hours back in office on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods as early as February 1, unless border security is tightened.

Last week, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt met with Canada's premiers and federal leaders in Ottawa to discuss a united strategy in response to Trump’s tariff threat. Speaking to reporters, Holt warned that the proposed tariffs would negatively impact the economies of both Canada and the U.S.

“My counterparts in neighbouring states—Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and beyond—share our concerns. These tariffs will hurt workers and businesses on both sides of the border."

Holt said that while Canada could respond with strategic retaliatory tariffs, efforts are focused on preventing tariffs from being imposed in the first place. She also met with key New Brunswick exporters, including Irving, McCain, and Cooke Aquaculture, to ensure their concerns are addressed.

“We’re making sure their voices are heard and preparing for any potential fallout,” Holt added.

New Brunswick Southwest MP John Williamson, speaking with CHCO, stressed the importance of Canada standing firm while also addressing the underlying issues raised by Trump, such as border security and Canada’s still-unmet NATO defence spending commitments.

“We need to stand up for ourselves. I think premiers across the country are positioning themselves well. Susan Holt, our new premier, really expressed the frustration of many New Brunswickers when she spoke out. But we shouldn’t rush into a trade war. The U.S. is 10 times our size, and we need to focus on practical solutions. Before Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st state, he raised real concerns that we should work on addressing. At the end of the day, we must remember that Donald Trump is all about making a deal.”

CHCO will continue to follow this story as it develops.

St. Andrews hosts major curling event

Team Adams from the Capital Winter Club has retained the title for the 2025 Provincial Women’s Curling Championship – securing the team's spot in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. 

“It’s such an amazing feeling,” said Skip Melissa Adams. “We won it last year, to win it two years in a row is always tough. The competition is really tough.” 

The tournament lasted three days in a TKO format – where teams played two shifts per day, which began on Jan. 16. 

Adams said the team is very excited to go to the Scotties. 

“We’ve been there before, we know what it is like, and we like going,” she said. 

She said the team's motto was to “play every game like it Sunday” – showing grit and determination to remain champions of the tournament, which was held at the Heather Curling Club in Saint Andrews. 

“We had a lot of close games,” she said. 

Adams has been curling since she was young - winning bronze at the Canada Winter Games in 1995. She has one gold medal, as well in the World Juniors Championship in 1998. She has been to Scotties six times in her career, which is held this year in Thunder Bay, Ont. 

Her team includes Jaclyn Crandall (third), Kayla Russell (second), Kendra Lister (lead), Molli Ward (alternate), and Alex Robichaud (coach). 

The team will represent New Brunswick at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in February. 

St. Andrews hosts major art exhibit at Sunbury Shores

A powerful new exhibit by New Brunswick artist Ann Manuel has opened at Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre in St. Andrews.

Inspired in part by the final moments with her father, Breath explores the profound connection between breath and life.

“In his last moments, the palliative care nurse called us in to just be close to him and breathe in and out with him. That experience, although it was so painful, it was exquisitely painful, (was) profound. From that moment on, (I) wanted to work with breath.”

The installation, which spans the length of the gallery on Water Street, was also recently on exhibit at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton. Experiencing it in its current home at Sunbury Shores offers art lovers an entirely new experience of the installation.

The piece includes 4,000 elements, seedpods, and dandelions—each representing deeply personal memories, including her mother’s garden.

“When she was dying, one of her last wishes was for me to collect the seed pods from her garden."

Manuel says the exhibit, years in the making, reflects how life is measured in breaths.

“It’s the beginning, the middle, and the end, and your whole life is in those breaths."

Breath is at Sunbury Shore until February 23. The exhibit also features a film by Matthew Brown.