District announces community initiatives to address U. S. tariffs
District Chair, Jeff Lehman announced community initiatives they have in place to address the U. S. tariffs, in the March 4, 2025, General Committee meeting.
Lehman told Committee, “Needless to say I think there could be economic turbulence.” He said it could take weeks before they see the outcome.
According to Lehman, tourism and construction are important industries that could be impacted, therefore, “building the local supply chain will be important,” in addition to “sourcing trade elsewhere.”
He added, “Our dollar has taken a hit that will offset that tariff to some extent,” which could have a direct effect on tourism.
He said an Economic Development Team has been established to prepare for “this day.”
The District has also created a Tariff Information Resource Hub (TIRH). According to their News Release page, the TIRH was created “to provide timely updates on trade policy developments, information on local sourcing options, support for supply chain impacts, and connections to funding and business assistance programs.” It also has a list of resource links people can use for additional information.
It adds that the TIRH was created by Team Muskoka, “a tariff response working group that is proactively planning to ensure businesses have timely access to essential resources.”
A statement by Lehman in the new release indicates, “Business across Muskoka are preparing for the impacts that US tariff increases will have on trade, supply chains and Muskoka’s economy, and they need access to resources to help them be resilient as they navigate these economic shifts.”
He adds, “The Muskoka Tariff Information Hub connects local businesses and residents to valuable tools and provides access to the most recent information right at their fingertips.” He said the page includes links to assist people with buying local, which “will be important in the coming months…to assist the local business community.”
The District also announced its “Be Vocal About Shopping” marketing campaign by the Muskoka Team that will also be supporting local businesses. The campaign encourages the community to “highlight their favourite local business and outdoor spots, reinforcing the importance of making choices to spend and source items within the region whenever possible.”
They suggested that residents and businesses can participate in the campaign by following the channels of their municipal Chamber of Commerce, in addition to submitting suggestions, concerns, and needs to the TIH so you can be connected to applicable resources.
Councillor, Debbie Vernon, emphasized the importance of supporting Muskoka’s economy. She said, “As Canadians we’re resilient and determined and we can start focusing on our local economy and support local.”
She added, “Bringing self-reliance within our community is important.”
Lehman discussed other projects in place, such as potential funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund that provides over $150 million in provincial funding and has increased by $10 million annually.
He said it includes 12 programs related to economic development that are distributed to municipalities and businesses for projects like infrastructure, labour market, and other support for small businesses.
He added that the District has also submitted 5 grant applications to other funding opportunities since December, including to Georgian College for labour initiatives which “can bring training funding to local businesses.”
Housing is another consideration for grant applications. Lehman said, “I’m confident we will have good news regarding funding for housing projects,” He explained that this will stimulate economic activity like more jobs and affordable housing.
He continued that given all of this effort “only some of them need to bear fruit to make a big impact.”
