While it was, quite understandably, overshadowed by the outbreak of war in the Middle East, Gov. Healey convened a remarkable gathering last Monday at the Massachusetts State House in hosting four governors from the Northeast United States and four premiers from Canadian border provinces. The unique huddle was prompted by mounting pressures on the region’s economy caused by President Trump’s trade offensive aimed in particular at our longtime ally to the north and his repeated, unhinged suggestion that the US — at his direction— might seek to annex the sovereign country.

Included in the Healey summit were Maine’s Janet Mills, a favorite target of the president, along with New York’s Kathy Hochul, Rhode Island’s Dan McKee, and Vermont’s Phil Scott. Notably absent were Connecticut’s Ned Lamont and New Hampshire’s Kelly Ayotte, although both governors sent representatives to the meeting.

The Canadians present included Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario and three other provincial heads: Rob Lantz of Prince Edward Island, Tim Houston on Nova Scotia, Susan Holt of New Brunswick, and John Hogan of Newfoundland and Labrador. Quebec was represented by its Minister of the Economy, Christopher Skeete.

While the topic du jour was ostensibly trade— and the decline in cross-border tourism that has plummeted since January— the clear subtext of the one-day Healey-arranged summit was how state and provincial leaders might collectively respond to an onslaught of federal laws and enforcement tactics that seem specifically targeted to our region and other “blue” states.

“We’re limited as individual provinces and states, to a certain extent, around some of this,” Healey acknowledged in a roundtable press briefing that followed a closed-door session of the leaders. “But I think we’re going to commit to work on ways to ensure a better flow of trade, a sustained flow of activity that will mitigate against some of the disruption to the supply chain that we’ve seen. Around tourism, we are committed to marketing the Northeast as a great destination for Canadians to come visit still at this time.”

It’s a tough sell. And, to their credit, our Canadian friends were candid in their position that this summer is not really the time for a south-bound road trip.

New Brunswick’s Susan Holt said she “can’t tell Canadians to come visit the US right now… I’m going to tell them to spend some time at home, because the relationship has been challenged by leadership and we need to get back to normal.”

Healey said that Trump’s wacky expansionist rhetoric— coupled with his chaotic tariff shifts—is responsible for a dramatic drop in Canadian tourism here in the Bay State— roughly 20 percent by her count. Vermont’s hotel reservations from our northern friends is down by 45 percent, Healey reported, a figure mirrored in New York City, she said.

Beyond the handwringing, the best counsel of the day came from Premier Holt, who expressed empathy for the plight of New Englanders and New Yorkers, many of whom will no doubt suffer harsh consequences from the ridiculous bluster of the Trumpists.

“People in the US are losing their jobs in tourism, and we don’t like to hear that, but what we want to say to them is — you’ve got to make noise,” Holt said. “You’ve got to tell your leader that this is hurting the American economy. This is hurting jobs in the US. Canadians can’t pass that message for you.”

The economic impacts are huge, but they’re not the only pressing matter facing our state and regional leaders due to Washington’s aggression. We salute Gov. Healey and her team for showing leadership in convening this assembly, which, sadly, may need to be a routine occurrence to protect our collective interests.

-Bill Forry