Trade wars, climate change, Bitcoin-B.C. Premier David Eby is preparing his province for everything

BACK IN JANUARY, with an inconveniently prorogued Parliament and the U.S. president pressing on their necks with some very un-ally-like tariff threats, Canada's premiers decided to defend themselves.

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For Alberta's Danielle Smith, this manifested as a friendly trip to Mar-a-Lago; Doug Ford, on the other hand, leaned into dealmaking and merch. For David Eby, B.C.'s premier and leader of the provincial NDP, however, it meant war. He adopted an economic eye-for-an-eye approach, and nothing was off the table-not export bans, not travel boycotts and certainly not retaliatory import tariffs, right down to Florida orange juice.

The power-premier pose makes sense: excluding Trump, Eby's province is in a time of serious flux. Along with political live wires-like involuntary drug treatment, screen bans in schools and out-of-control home prices-his cabinet is planning an economic future for B.C beyond lumber and minerals. Climate change is hitting the Okanagan hard.

Vancouver, meanwhile, is flirting with becoming the new Hollywood North (condolences, Toronto) and, despite the risks, a bit more cryptocurrency-friendly.

I spoke to Eby four days before Trump's inauguration and three weeks out from the premiers' big trade mission to Washington. (It was a busy month.)

You and the other premiers are off to Washington soon. Have you packed your "Canada Is Not For Sale" hat?

It's a pretty slick hat. My colleague, Wab Kinew, suggested that an orange version would be a good idea.

A lot of political chaos broke out at the top of the year-Trudeau's resignation, our prorogued Parliament, the smorgasbord of tariff responses from the premiers. From the outside, you could look a bit like a dysfunctional family rolling up to the White House reunion. Are you feeling any unified Team Canada spirit?