U.S. tariffs — a worry, a distraction or a positive? Voters in Alberta weigh in

Sal Shivji was a manager in the telecommunications industry when outsourcing made his job redundant. It was 2023, and the company was moving its dispatching to the Philippines.  

That's why he sees the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump a little differently. 

"I think it's a positive thing, to be honest," said the father of two, who was waiting for his children at Genesis Place in Airdrie, Alta., when CBC News stopped by.

"Trump is really trying to run a business," said Shivji. "He is a businessman, and I think at the end of the day, he's trying to think of his country and trying to keep things in house."

"We should be focusing on the same thing.… How are we going to support our own people, and how are we going to increase jobs here — employment, keep our country wealthy and get out of the debt that we're in?" 

CBC News has been asking Canadian voters in communities across the country what matters to them this federal election campaign. Many cite tariffs as top of mind, but that's not always in the context of who is the best leader to put "elbows up" and push back.

Some in Alberta see this as a long-needed reason to pause, to take a critical look at what Canada actually needs to do to thrive despite U.S. tariffs. 

Shivji has moved on from the layoff. He's now starting his own business, a shawarma restaurant in Chestermere. 

He said in his view, people see the tariffs as negative because if the threats were implemented, that could have a major impact on steel, beef and other markets. 

But in the long-term, he believes Canada will be better off producing and consuming products within the country as much as possible. He's an undecided voter, and that's what he wants party leaders to focus on in this campaign.

"Instead of thinking what's going to happen now, let's think about what we're going to do long-term to solve this problem, because at the end of day, it's hitting us in the face."

On Wednesday, Trump said previously announced tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles were going ahead but did not include Canada on his list of countries with 10 per cent "baseline" tariffs.

The phrase "elbows up" became a rallying cry for many after Canadian comedian Mike Myers mouthed the words "elbows up" during an appearance last month on Saturday Night Live. It captures what many Canadians express when they talk about Trump.

There's a lot of anger and fear about the existing and potential impact of the tariffs on sectors of the economy.