More Heartening Signs

One of the best and most heartening things emerging from our current conflict with the United States is a very powerful resurgence of national pride. The realization of how precious our national heritage is is spurring increasing numbers of Canadians to buy Canadian, forgo travel to the U.S. and rediscover the beauty and pleasures of our own country.

My sense is that the deep wound by the Americans that we collectively feel will not be easily assuaged or massaged. Our resentment and feelings of betrayal, I think, will be long lasting. Here are some comments from readers of The Globe and Mail.

“My partner and I have decided to stop all travel to the U.S. (even for layovers) and avoid all American products. This includes Amazon, Netflix, and American clothing brands. We will support Mexican and European products and treat it as a new opportunity to explore Canadian options that we might otherwise have not discovered. We will treat this as an opportunity to grow our pride in what it means to be Canadian. I hope trade barriers will be removed between provinces so we can explore Canadian products from other fellow Canadians (i.e., Manitoban or B.C. beer in Quebec please)!” – Matthew Parent

“Bought some books and did not go through Amazon but rather got them in Canada. We are getting new windows and are definitely not buying the American option but Canadian instead. I certainly won’t be vacationing or visiting the U.S. either. As for groceries, I am lucky to have a wonderful local grocery called Marilu’s Market here in Burlington which I shop at and they sell a lot of Canadian products also. I will actively look to reject American goods.” – Lynn Crosby

This whole fiasco has broken my relationship with the U.S. in a permanent fashion. I will buy Canadian for everything possible. Where it isn’t possible, I will chose any other nation over U.S.-made goods. I would like to see more Made in Canada signs in the grocery stores. Toilet paper and paper products will come from Canada, cosmetics will come from Canada or Europe. Shampoo will come from Canada, as will hand soap. My children’s clothes and shoes will be harder but I am determined to make as big of an impact as I possibly can. A 30-day reprieve of the tariffs will do nothing to change my resolve.” – Andrea Cochrane

“No more - ever: Jack Daniels, California Zinfandel, Buicks, John Deere, Arizona trips, American produce. And that’s just the start. Americans are no longer our friends – they’re barely even our allies.” – Dave Jorgensen

Our tourist dollars represent 11% of the U.S. market. Canadians spent over $20 billion there last year. Many are changing their travel plans, and let there be no doubt, forgoing travel patronage of the U.S. is going to cost the Americans.

“This morning we cancelled our May 8-17 trip to Palm Springs. Will visit the Canadian Rockies in Kananaskis and Banff instead.” – Tom Becker

“Cancelled a much anticipated trip to Arizona and rerouted it to Toronto (in March!). Not super keen on funding the U.S. in the short- or the long-term.” – Jay Jackson

“My shoes will never touch American soil again no matter how this resolves. Our American friends are appalled at how Trump has denegraded Canada and said they agree with our anger. They will be coming up here for visits, instead. He has permanently burned the friendship tie we had.” – Tony Flynn

“For more than 25 years, every spring, this motley crew of Kirkland Lakers (and a few others before us) have come together at Byrncliff, a modest golf resort near Buffalo. There, we traded jokes, drank a few bevvies, played poker and made every attempt to break 100 on the links (most of us being unsuccessful). Yesterday we informed the course that we were canceling our reservations slated for May. We just couldn’t stomach the thought of spending our money in TrumpLandia. We are Canadians first and always.We estimate it will cost the resort at least US$10,000.” – Rick Doyon

“I’d rather eat turnips and kale rather than put up with this bullying. Even now that they’ve paused it for 30 days, the fact that they think they can threaten us like this is intolerable. Forget oranges unless they come from Spain. Same with garlic. Or we do without things, fine! I’ve always tried to make sure my personal care products are made in Canada (thank you Green Beaver!). Our cars have always been made in Europe (where are the Canadian cars!?). We toyed with the idea of a Tesla. But never now. They want an economic war? Forget fentanyl, that’s just a red herring; they want our water, our oil and wheat, our minerals, they want Arctic drilling. They’re not stopping. Neither am I. Neither are most people I know. It feels like we’re moving into a wartime economy, that’s fine. We can manage and we will. It’s our fault for allowing ourselves to become so intertwined. It’s going to be very painful to disengage but we can.” – Linda Gustafson

In the days, weeks and years to come, it is incumbent upon all of us to reconsider both our relationship with the U.S. and what we can do to bolster the land that we love.