GRANDE PRAIRIE — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she wants to see Canada “double down” on diplomacy efforts with U.S. officials and avoid any further escalation of the trade war between the two countries.

Smith says she doesn’t think Canada could win the dispute through force and that it’ll come down to Canada being “too friendly, kind and helpful to resist.”

She says she opposes tariffs on all fronts but that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s list of proposed counter-tariffs is a good match for the U.S. tariffs that took affect Saturday.

Smith is also calling on her fellow premiers and Ottawa to do more to protect Canadian businesses through the fray, including some tax reform measures and reducing internal trade barriers around alcohol.

She says she has formed two new committees in response to the break down in trade talks, as well as an online portal for businesses to share how they’re being impacted by tariffs.

Smith says one committee, made up of her cabinet members, is to discuss following Saskatchewan’s lead by imposing a 50 per cent tax on U.S. alcohol brought into that province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2026.

The Canadian Press