Patriotic sentiment is bursting in Canada after President Trump’s threat to apply hefty tariffs and even annex the country. The damage to the two nations’ relationship could be lasting.
Matina Stevis-Gridneff and Ian Austen
Matina Stevis-Gridneff reported from Toronto, and Ian Austen from Windsor, Ontario.
Booing during “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sports games in Canada.
“Buy Canadian” signs multiplying at grocery stores amid a brewing boycott of U.S. goods.
Cross-party calls to find new friends and customers on the global stage.
President Trump may have paused his plans to impose crushing tariffs on Canada, pulling the two countries back from the brink of a trade war. But evidence abounds of the damage Mr. Trump has inflicted on the relations between the two nations.
After threatening levies on Canada, and Canada threatening to retaliate, Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday came to an agreement for a 30-day reprieve in the brewing trade war in exchange for new measures to tackle the flow of fentanyl across the northern border.
But the standoff has left many Canadians livid.
And Mr. Trump’s menacing rhetoric, especially his repeated statements that he wants the United States to annex Canada and make it the 51st state, seems to have fractured the fraternal trust that has, for more than a century, been the core of the relationship.
“This has damaged the relationship quite significantly, and there will be a period of sorting out,” said Jon Parmenter, professor of North American history at Cornell. “It has triggered really significant and striking emotional responses. It’s very raw for people.”
Mr. Parmenter noted that being America’s far less populous neighbor has not always been comfortable for Canadians, who are deeply aware of their dependence on trading with the United States and know that so many things emanating from their superpower neighbor — from pop culture to economic downturns — influence their lives.
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