The president of the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce believes these are times when the entire community needs to support each other and that the chamber will play an integral role in that.
The Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce is preparing to celebrate its 150th anniversary at a time when the regional, provincial, and national economies are being impacted by the ongoing trade war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Ryan Donally says there have been challenging times during the 150 years of the chamber, including the 2008 auto crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and what's happening right now.
"I do think this is an opportunity for the chamber of commerce and our regional economic development ecosystem partners to all come together, bond together, and support each other," he says. "This is definitely a time that you need the entire community to support each other, and I think the chamber is going to play an integral role in doing that."
As of Aug. 1, the U.S. is imposing 50 per cent tariffs on semi-finished copper products along with 35 per cent tariffs on goods outside of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on trade, along with existing tariffs already in place on steel, aluminium, and autos.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says talks with the U.S. have been complex, comprehensive, and constructive.
"We haven't heard a whole lot of push from the main streets. There's been a push for that 'Shop Canadian' degree of patriotism that has allowed our main streets to continue to be successful," he says. "So I would say our main street businesses are doing relatively well; they're holding on. They haven't seen the same types of impacts that have been hit from the manufacturing, per se."
Donally says the chamber has forged strong relationships in Detroit because we are in this together because we have a geographical economy that relies on each other with deep integration.
"We can't sell our house. We're going to be neighbours forever. So having that strong relationship with your neighbour, even though we're going through a bit of a spat right now, is extremely important," he says. "I think I know the chamber of commerce has strengthened that relationship recently, and we continue to rely on that moving forward."
As part of the 150th anniversary, the chamber has a series of events planned, including a celebration of the longest-serving chamber members, special recognitions during the annual Business Excellence Awards, a social media campaign, a small business summit, and a 150th birthday party on Friday, March 27, 2026, the chamber's actual birthday.