Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, left, shakes hands with Ontario Premier Doug Ford before signing a Memorandum of Understanding at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Laura Proctor)
The governments of Manitoba and Ontario have signed a new agreement aimed at strengthening economic ties by reducing interprovincial trade barriers and improving labour mobility.
Premier Wab Kinew and Ontario Premier Doug Ford signed the memorandum of understanding Tuesday at Queen’s Park, pledging to work together on key issues including direct-to-consumer alcohol sales and mutual recognition of worker credentials.
“We’re facing a tariff war on two fronts and now is the time to build up this country we love so much,” said Kinew. “Through this agreement with Ontario, we will unlock more economic opportunities for people in both provinces. As premiers, we are all working toward the common goal of powering our Canadian economy toward the future.”
The premiers said the agreement is part of a broader push to grow Canada’s economy by making it easier to move goods, services, investments and workers across provincial borders. In 2021, trade between Manitoba and Ontario totalled $19.5 billion.
“Today’s MOU is just the latest step we are taking to unlock the enormous potential of true free trade within Canada, which will lower costs for families and add up to $200 billion to our national gross domestic product,” Ford said in a statement.
