Following a day of talks focused on domestic issues, such as bail reform and health transfers, Canada’s premiers are wrapping up their three-day gathering in Muskoka presenting a united front in the ever-looming threat of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war.

“We can walk and chew gum at the same time,” New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said during a post-meeting press conference. “What’s happened is that the pressing threats that Donald Trump has made to our economy have meant that instead of occupying all of our meetings and squeezing out conversations about bail reform and immigration, we’ve been meeting a lot more.”

“We’ve spent a lot more time together in my entire tenure as premier in just eight months than I think my predecessor would have spent in six years,” Holt also said.

The premiers are wrapping up three days of meetings in Huntsville, Ont., hosted by Ontario Premier and Council of the Federation Chair Doug Ford.

While the provincial and territorial leaders have covered topics ranging from internal trade barriers to health transfers and immigration, the threat of Trump and his trade war loomed large.

Prime Minister Mark Carney also joined the premiers in Muskoka for a meeting on Tuesday, aimed mostly at giving an update on the state of negotiations with the United States.

While Carney has given an Aug. 1 deadline to hash out a new economic and security deal with the U.S. — pushing it back from an earlier mid-July date — the prime minister signalled Tuesday he’s prioritizing getting “the best deal” over the timeline.

Many premiers said Tuesday they have faith in the federal government as a negotiating team, while Trump’s pledge to raise tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 per cent on Aug. 1 fast approaches.

During the post-meeting press conference on Wednesday, Quebec Premier François Legault said the Muskoka gathering gave the premiers an opportunity for “two-for-one” talks, both on domestic issues amongst themselves and on trade negotiations with Carney.

Legault said considering the impending Aug. 1 deadline for higher tariffs, the chance to meet with the prime minister was “necessary.”

Earlier Wednesday, Ford said: “Trump himself is acting like the enemy.”

“I have no problem, but I don’t trust President Trump as far as I can throw him,” Ford said, when asked whether he’d be satisfied waiting until 2026 to renegotiate the Canada-U.S. Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the date by which the free trade deal is already set for review.

“He constantly changes his mind, you just don’t know who you’re dealing with,” the Ontario premier added.

Premiers support waiting for best deal

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, meanwhile, said she would prefer to have the CUSMA renegotiation process accelerated, especially with Trump “getting quite aggressive” on certain sectoral tariffs, such as those targeting autos, steel, aluminum, and copper, to name a few.

“I’m watching Truth Social along with everyone else, because things could change in five minutes,” Smith said during the premiers’ final press conference. “But what we’re hearing from the Americans, it looks like they’re putting off a full renegotiation of the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement until next year. I find that disappointing.”

“If we can come up with some kind of common arrangement on those sectoral agreements by Aug. 1, we’ll look at that as a win,” Smith also said. “And if it takes a little bit longer to renegotiate (the) Canada-U.S. free trade agreement to make sure that we get it right, then I’m supportive of that.”

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said he’s also in favour of waiting on a good deal instead of rushing into a weaker one.

Deal by deadline ‘highly unlikely’: former ambassador

In an interview on The Vassy Kapelos Show across the iHeart Radio network on Wednesday, former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton said he believes it’s “highly unlikely” Canada and the U.S. will reach a “comprehensive deal” by Aug. 1.

“It may take longer, and I think it probably will,” he said.

MacNaughton served as Canada’s diplomat in Washington throughout the original CUSMA negotiations during Trump’s first term.

The former ambassador said while he believes a good deal is possible, he anticipates it could take several months.

“I don’t think we should be panicked or rushed into doing something that isn’t in our interest,” he said.

Push for stronger role on immigration

While the trade war with the U.S. dominated this week’s discussions, premiers also carved out time to tackle a pair of other pressing domestic issues, namely vowing to push the prime minister on bail reform and to strengthen Canada’s strained healthcare system.

They also touched on immigration, calling on the federal government to give the provinces a stronger role on the file.

Ford said federal Immigration Minister Lena Diab has been out of step with Carney, and that the latter has agreed to convene a meeting of federal and provincial immigration ministers to get on the same page.

“She needs to work with the provinces and territories to fix Canada’s immigration system and make it more responsive to economic and market needs,” Ford said.

“No one understands their sectors and their labour force better than the premiers,” he also said, adding he’s not pointing fingers at Carney specifically, but instead that “this has been going on for decades.”

Bail reform, health transfers

During the group’s final press conference, Ford also pledged to hold the prime minister “accountable” on bail reform.

In an interview with The Canadian Press last month, Justice Minister Sean Fraser signalled legislation is coming in the fall that will introduce stricter bail conditions and sentencing for some crimes.

“I just want to make sure that they put that legislation forward,” Ford said. “I have a great deal of respect for Prime Minister Carney. He’s a gentleman that when he says he’s going to do something, I believe him, he’s going to get it done, but there still has to be accountability.”

Ford added he wants to see “full-fledged bail reform,” and not “half-baked” measures.

The Council of the Federation chair said the group also wants to talk health transfers with the provinces, arguing the needs and cost have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s Mark Carney or the previous prime minister, we got short changed, as far as I’m concerned,” Ford told reporters earlier Wednesday. “We said last time, there was a good down payment.”

Kinew said Canada’s universal healthcare system is a fundamental value of the country, distinguishing it from the United States, especially during a trade war.

“If we want to say that we’re standing up to Donald Trump and we’re never going to be the 51st state, let’s make sure that our universal healthcare system is strong,” Kinew said.

With files from CTV News’ Rachel Aiello and Samantha Pope