Canadians drop their politeness in the wake of Trump’s tariffs

British Columbia Premier David Eby was more blunt. 

“We’re gonna ensure that the Americans understand how pissed off we are, how unified we are, how committed we are to working as a country to stand up for each other,” he said.

Qin said it’s hard to separate Americans from Trump, at least for the next four years.

“We have been in our comfort zone with America for years,” she said. “So, this is a chance for us to, you know, be stronger together.”

Others interviewed at Toronto City Hall had nothing nice to say about Trump or his tariffs. But ever well-mannered, they stopped short of directing their scorn directly at the American people — even as they warned costs for them will increase too because of Canada’s retaliatory moves.

“This is going to screw us, and it’s going to screw you guys,” said Chris Peterson, a carpenter from St. Catharines, a city in Ontario province on the U.S.-Canada border across from western New York. “Pardon my words, but yeah, you guys are all your prices are going to go up, and all our prices go up.”

The Canadian government on Friday launched a $5 billion program to help businesses in the country navigate the tariffs and find new markets for their exports.

Provincial governments are taking forceful steps on their own to encourage consumers to “Buy Canadian.” Ontario’s government-run liquor stores sell nearly a billion dollars in American products every year, but they were ordered this week to stop selling American wines and liquor.

“We love the U.S,” Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford said in an interview. “This is insanity, and it’s unfortunate.”

Ford threatened to cut off Canadian electricity sold across the border, which powers some 1.5 million homes and businesses in New York, Minnesota and Michigan.

“That’s the last thing I want to do, but President Trump is trying to destroy our country,” he said.

Some Canadians support that move — and more.

“We’re still being too nice,” said Peterson. “I think we should cut everything up. No electricity for you guys, no wood for you guys, no nothing, till he takes every one of those tariffs away.”

As for Trump’s ambitions to make Canada America’s 51st state, “Not a chance,” Peterson said. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re Canada.”

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Stephen Collopy

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