Smith Rejects Criticism of Nashville Trip
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith denied suggestions Tuesday that her upcoming trip to Tennessee could be sending the wrong message amid a trade war between Canada and its southern neighbour.
Speaking at an unrelated news conference in Calgary, Smith defended the trip as part of her ongoing diplomatic efforts. "I hope no one's surprised to hear that I believe it's my job to continue reaching out at all levels to various influencers in the United States and get our message across that we have an incredible partnership," she told reporters.
She added: "It's an incredible economic partnership, trade partnership, defence partnership, and we want it to continue."
The premier is set to travel to Nashville later this week on a personal trip, but her office said she will take time out to meet with the head of the city's chamber of commerce, state tourism commissioner Mark Ezell, and the chief executive of a Nashville tourism marketing agency. Nathan Cooper, Alberta's senior representative to the United States, will join the meetings.
A Personal Trip with a Business Focus
Smith said the trip is primarily personal, but she intends to use the opportunity to learn from Nashville's success in the music industry. "It is a personal trip, but being down there I thought I'd take advantage of some of the expertise that's down there," she said.
She noted that the Tennessee capital made changes 25 years ago to become a music industry haven and economic powerhouse, and she wants to understand how that was achieved. "I want to find out a little bit about what that is and see if we can develop some excellent partnerships with the music industry so that we can do a transfer of talent and transfer of expertise," Smith said.
Calgary has for years been trying to position itself as "Nashville North," and Smith said boosting investment in the music industry is a priority. She also said Alberta wants to expand its tourism economy and that it is a good time to discuss leveraging Calgary's assets to achieve that goal.
Diplomatic Efforts Amid Trade Tensions
Smith's comments come as Canada and the United States navigate a trade dispute that escalated after S. tariffs took effect. Trade talks broke down in the final hours before the duties kicked in, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying the United States was asking for too much and offering too little.
Smith has said she wants to see Canadian officials double down on diplomacy efforts and get back to the negotiating table with the United States before Ottawa implements retaliatory tariffs next week.