U.S. Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair’s first comment to Canada’s premiers in Washington, D.C, last month was that “your problems will go away if you become the 51st state,” according to Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai.
“It was chilling,” Pillai said.
Pillai reflected on Blair’s remarks while on a panel in front of attendees at the Canadian Institute for Arctic Security conference in Whitehorse on March 27.
The premier didn’t name the U.S. official while on the panel, but the News has confirmed with cabinet communications that Pillai was in fact referring to the premiers’ meeting with Blair and Blair’s comments on Feb. 12.
In mid-February, Pillai was in Washington, D.C., with all 13 provincial and territorial premiers for the first time to talk potential tariffs, trade and Canada-U.S. relations with key members of the U.S. administration, Congress and business leaders.
The key message at the White House and other meetings was how important it was not to have tariffs in place while working on shared priorities like addressing border security and fentanyl and growing economies on both sides of the border, per Pillai.
Pillai suggested it was difficult for premiers to digest Blair’s words while walking out of that room.
“It was hard like this is, you know, you're best pals, and you're in shock walking out of it,” he said.
Amid an ongoing trade war triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, Trump has repeatedly called for Canada to become the 51st state.
Following the meeting with premiers, Blair posted to X that it was a “pleasant” meeting in which there was no agreement on whether Canada would be annexed.
Pillai has reiterated that Canada will never be the 51st state. He told the conference that he has seen a renewed drive behind patriotism.
“We can do it. It's time to do it. Don't sit down. What are we going to do here? How do we, like, lead our own self determination as a country?”
Pillai told reporters that afternoon that it was important for him to share that sentiment from last month, which he noted other premiers have publicly expressed in different ways, with the Arctic security conference attendees.
"Because that is part of the context that we are living in now, and it really highlights the importance of doing that type of work here in the North, having a Canadian Arctic Security Institute here in Whitehorse that can lead policy work that can define how our country responds to this really challenging time that we find ourselves in."
The plan is for the institute to be an arms-length entity but the Yukon government is leading the pilot phase, according to cabinet communications.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
