This week, Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at improving the free flow of goods, services, and workforce talent between provinces. American tariffs (including 50% on steel and aluminum) are spurring Canada to turn inward to boost its competitiveness via easier domestic trade.
A central theme of the MOU was simplifying the requirements for regulated professions – including the skilled trades – allowing workers to fill labour shortages by enabling freer interprovincial movement. Greater mobility across borders will give more tradespeople the ability to move where the work is, without being delayed by lengthy approval processes. While details are still emerging on how specific trades will be impacted, this agreement is part of a broader, Canada-wide push to break down interprovincial trade barriers. Similar memoranda have already been signed with Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick; collectively, these agreements can unlock up to $200 billion in economic potential.
Another notable commitment made in the MOA was to explore the possibility of Ontario joining the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA). The NWPTA – currently between Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and B.C. – automatically recognizes professionals and skilled trades certified in one member province as qualified in the others. If Ontario does join, skilled tradespersons certified in Alberta would no longer need to undergo significant requalification processes to work in Ontario, and vice versa; the country’s two largest provincial economies. Should this be approved, the shift may serve as a model for broader interprovincial harmonization of credentials.
As CLRA is all too aware, the construction industry in Alberta is growing exponentially – alongside the demand for talented, qualified tradespeople. The MOU is a step in the right direction, recognizing that Canada’s skilled trades workforce is not only local but national in scope. In the face of fluctuating U.S. tariffs, now more than ever, CLRA applauds this decision to advance shared priorities within Canada – and the broader commitment to reducing regulatory hurdles for skilled workers.
