Ontario, 3 territories agree to work together to remove trade barriers

Ontario and the three territorial governments say they’ll co-operate in a push to remove trade and employment barriers as Canada’s economy faces “economic and geopolitical uncertainty.”

“It positions Nunavut to be a more connected and competitive player in Canada’s economy,” Premier P.J. Akeeagok said in a news release Tuesday, announcing the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Nunavut, Ontario, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

The agreement was signed by premiers Doug Ford of Ontario, R.J. Simpson of the N.W.T., Mike Pemberton of the Yukon and Akeeagok, during the three-day meeting of the Council of the Federation, which includes all 13 of Canada’s premiers, in Huntsville., Ont., north of Toronto.

The premiers agreed to “collaborate wherever possible” in removing barriers to trade between their jurisdictions, and to ease restrictions in recognizing certifications and licences for regulated occupations like doctors, nurses and teachers.

Ontario and the three territories agree that “if a good or service that is deemed safe for sale or use for some Canadians, it should be considered safe for all Canadians,” the agreement said, adding the four jurisdictions will work to put that into practice.

In 2021, Nunavut had the largest share of trade with Ontario among the territories with $1.7 billion in goods and services changing hands. The Yukon and the N.W.T. each had $800 million in trade with the province.

As well, people certified to work in one jurisdiction should be recognized to do so in the others, “without unnecessary barriers such as additional training, exams or assessments,” the premiers agreed.

Ontario, Nunavut, the Yukon and the N.W.T. will also try to align some of their technical safety laws and “strive” to eliminate unnecessary costs for workers and businesses operating across provincial and territorial borders.

The memorandum, which the news release said is not legally binding, comes a month after the federal government passed Bill C-5 which included the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act.

That law aims to help generate $200 billion annually for the Canadian economy by removing federal barriers to trade.

In May, the governments of Nunavut, the Yukon and the N.W.T. started discussing establishing a territorial trade zone. Akeeagok said then that Nunavut is “exploring” the possibility of eliminating paperwork in licensing requirements for lawyers, doctors, nurses and teachers.

Akeeagok was not available for comment Tuesday.

The Council of the Federation’s meeting in Huntsville started Monday and wraps up Wednesday.