Manitobans react to outcome of U.S. election

It was an outcome that sparked some concern across the boarders after Donald Trump was elected once again.

Now holding the title of president-elect, Canadians and Winnipeggers have been left with a mix of uncertainty and anticipation, questioning what Trump’s leadership could mean for us here.

“I’m totally disappointed,” said Darrell Hack, a Winnipeg resident. “I probably wouldn’t go back down there and support that economy for another four years.”

Thomasena Downes-Mitchell, another Winnipeg Resident said “My husband actually I wanted to go to an African American museum in Washington DC and he described, based on the elections that were ongoing. So we will probably be staying in Canada.”

And it wasn’t just Canadians weighing in, CityNews spoke with a pair of Americans visiting Winnipeg, who said they voted for Trump and believe visiting the U.S. will still be a great place to vacation.

“The American people spoke, and this is what they wanted,” explained Glenn Hopkins, an American citizen visiting Winnipeg. “I don’t care for the way he acts and talks and stuff, but his policies just make sense, the past four years have been horrible.”

Marty Nall another American citizen visiting Winnipeg added, “A lot of people don’t like him because of his mouth, but his policies show that the US is really going in the right direction.”

Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Loren Remillard says there’s no need to panic, as it would be more problematic if we didn’t already have a pre-existing trade framework in place called KUZMA, The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.

“Canada is too small of a country and a market to sustain itself in an isolationist world, we do need access to the U.S. market, but at the same time the U.S. needs access to Canada,” explained Remillard.

“And as long as that agreement is in place it gives us something to say this is how we manage the relationship, the tariffs we are going to leave to others that don’t have that type of agreement with the United States.”

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he will continue to push the benefits of trade with the United States now that the election south of the border is over.

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed 10 per cent across-the-board tariffs, which has worried Canadian business leaders.

Kinew says he will make the case that the U.S. benefits from Manitoba goods, and Manitoba critical minerals, as one example, have a lot to offer the American defence sector.

“We’re going to work with the incoming administration in Washington DC to ensure we can have a good economy here in Manitoba, this is our most important trading partner and our team in Manitoba has been working to prepare,” said Kinew.

Kinew also says Manitoba has a key asset — Gary Doer, a former premier and ambassador to the U.S. whom Kinew appointed as trade adviser.

Kinew was asked whether he shares the concerns of Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who said Canada must act quickly to secure its borders against a possible wave of migrants looking to escape Trump’s threat of mass deportations.

Kinew says he supports strong borders but Manitoba is also a welcoming province that has benefited by taking in people from Ukraine and other parts of the world.

-With files from the Canadian Press