Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s throne speech focused on the government’s plan to boost the province’s economy, expand infrastructure, and improve health care. Ford’s throne speech was delivered on April 15 by Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont in the legislature. The government said its first priority is to break down trade barriers with other provinces and become less reliant on the United States. The province said it would also focus on projects in the Ring of Fire located in Northern Ontario. “The Ring of Fire contains the most promising mineral development opportunities in the world, representing billions in economic potential,” the throne speech said. Ford’s speech said the government would introduce legislation to streamline permits and approvals for projects in the region. The province is also looking at developing mineral processing within Ontario. “Instead of being ripped and shipped overseas, minerals mined in Ontario will be refined in Ontario, creating new opportunities for workers in northern hubs like Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, and Timmins,” the speech said. The focus on boosting the economy comes as the United States has introduced several tariffs on imports from Canada, including steel, aluminum, and automobiles. “As President Trump’s tariffs reach maximum impact, goods and services that once flowed freely across our border are grinding to a halt, causing chaos and uncertainty,” Ford’s speech said. “Your government is taking action to help workers, businesses, and communities weather the storm.” He said the province will still work with the United States and “continue to engage with American lawmakers in good-faith discussions” to collaborate as allies and partners, according to the speech. “At the same time, your government will go to extraordinary lengths to make sure our province and country can stand on its own.” Ontario will also focus on new energy production, according to the speech. It includes a new small modular nuclear reactor at Darlington, as well as upgrades to existing nuclear facilities in the Darlington, Pickering, and Bruce generating stations to expand generating capacity and extend the lifespans of the facilities, the premier’s speech said. The Opposition NDP said that Ford’s speech did not go far enough to reassure Ontario residents the government had plans for stability and unity. Ontario has offered subsidies to attract EV automakers and battery manufacturers to the province. Those include nearly $300 million offered to Ford Motor Company to develop an electric vehicle plant at its Oakville facility. He also said the province would boost spending on health care, ensuring that everyone in the province had a primary care provider within the next four years. The province will also look at spending $50 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade more than 50 hospitals across Ontario and plans to allocate $6.4 billion to build and upgrade 58,000 long-term care beds.