Mayor Chow urges Trump to follow Dolly Parton's example during escalating Canada-U.S. trade war

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow told CBS News on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump should "take a page from Dolly Parton" as tensions escalate between Canada and the United States over tariffs and trade negotiations.

Chow responded to Trump's threat to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America," calling it "not a very neighbourly thing to do." She pointed to the deep personal and economic ties between the two countries, noting that members of her own family live in the U.S. "My brother, my cousins are all Americans. We are so tight economically, and you get the best deal on our oil, lumber, and autoparts. So to do this kind of senseless, brutal attack, why? There's absolutely no reason."

On what she believes Trump should learn from country music legend Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, Chow said: "I think Mr. Trump should take a page from Dolly Parton. She's loving, she's generous, she's joyous. That's the way to treat your best neighbour and your friends. Not just bullying."

Chow also addressed Canada's counter-tariff response, which includes $28 billion in retaliatory measures announced by the federal government. "That's not who we are; that's why we have to retaliate in order to defend ourselves and protect ourselves with the $28B counter-tariffs," she said. The mayor's comments came after trade talks between Canada and the U.S. collapsed on Friday, triggering sweeping 50 per cent American tariffs on Canadian goods.