Cowboy diplomacy

And meet the chiefs (again)

ABOVE THE FOLD

THE ODD COUPLE — DOUG FORD touched down in Calgary for Stampede with a posse of Queen’s Park staffers — including some familiar faces from his inner circle — to tighten ties with DANIELLE SMITH over boots, beef, and — you guessed it! — pipelines.

The Ontario and Alberta premiers are set to sign a memorandum of understanding this morning, part of Ford’s province-by-province campaign to bulldoze interprovincial trade barriers and boost infrastructure. Alberta marks the latest deal in a series Ford has inked with the Prairies and the Atlantic provinces — but Smith adds an edge.

Unlike past MOU partners, Smith’s political brand leans hard into Trumpism and U.S. culture wars — a tone Ford’s team has carefully avoided (even if Ford has confessed to being a Trump fan in the past). Smith has been speaking Trump’s language with a softer approach than Ford, who has settled into his role as a tough-talking Captain Canada.

Still, expect a carefully choreographed press conference that…