Vancouver Coun. Lucy Maloney is calling for an emergency special council meeting to discuss measures to protect local workers, residents, and businesses from escalating U.S. tariffs.

Maloney and OneCity say a formal letter sent Monday to Mayor Ken Sim requesting the meeting has not received a response.

In the letter, Maloney asked council members to respond by end of day Wednesday, Sept. 3. As of Friday afternoon, she said neither Sim, his office, nor any ABC Vancouver councillors had replied.

The renewed call comes after Statistics Canada reported the country lost 42,000 jobs in August following several months of employment gains.

Maloney said the figures only partly reflect the impact of new 50 per cent tariffs on approximately $28 billion worth of Canadian goods that came into effect in August.

“Vancouver is B.C.’s largest economic centre, with the province’s biggest port, its research institutions and a highly skilled workforce,” Maloney said in a statement.

“We have real tools available to us right now to help cushion this blow for Vancouverites, and we just need the will on this council to use them.”

The proposed motion would direct city staff to identify additional measures the city could take to support affected businesses and workers, determine how Vancouver can assist federal, provincial and regional governments responding to the tariffs, and consult directly with impacted workers and businesses on the most effective forms of support.

Any findings would be presented to the incoming mayor and council following the municipal election on Oct. 17.

“British Columbia is facing the sharpest tariff exposure of any province in the country right now, and Vancouver businesses and workers don’t have the luxury of waiting until after an election for City Hall to take action,” Maloney said.

“This isn’t about politics. It’s about making sure the people who lose their jobs or their contracts to these tariffs know their city is already doing everything within its power to help them.”