My little family embarked on a cheerful political protest long before the leader of the most powerful country in the free world started calling our Prime Minister “weak” and “dishonest,” while lauding Kim Jong Un, the leader of the world’s most repressive regime, as a “very talented man.”
Way ahead of the Canada Day tax on liquorice and pickles being decided upon, we stopped heading south, much to my husband’s chagrin. We gave up the bigger than life experience that is the USA because, for me, it felt right. It keeps feeling more right as the days go by.
The silver lining of this self-imposed travel ban has been a better understanding of this country.
In the last two years, we’ve been to Montreal, Banff, Quebec City, Toronto, the Laurentian mountains and even Regina. We’ve climbed every mountain (mostly in cars), ford every stream — in a Hyundai — and followed every rainbow, so long as it didn’t land below the 49th parallel.
So, while I understand why my fellow Canadians are so miffed by the rhetoric being spewed by one of our closest allies, I’d like to remind everyone there’s inspiration to be gained from looking inward.
Two weeks ago it brought us to the birthplace of this country’s dual nature, Quebec City and the cultural masterpiece that is Montreal.
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We walked mostly medieval roads, rolled down the plains of Abraham, stood where Montcalm gave up the ghost and tunnelled to archaeological treasure troves where Canadian history has been forever preserved.
Then we ate poutine, chocolate and smoked meat sandwiches like it was 1999. And it all felt so good — like Canadian a beer advert without the hangover.
So while I, like 58 per cent of Canadians surveyed in a recent poll by Abacus Data, strongly oppose Mr. Trump’s action against Canada, I appreciate an offshoot of his off behaviour.
He’s bringing us together — and the numbers are there to prove it.
Trump has managed to unite Canadians to an extent that few issues do, according to the Abacus Data poll. Opposition to the US tariffs is roughly 80 per cent in every part of the country. Conservative voters are 82 per cent against Mr. Trump on this issue, NDP voters 80 per cent and Liberals 87 per cent.
The next step to all of this is to funnel that frustration into something positive — let it stoke our patriotism and take a minute to enjoy the mere wonderfulness that is Canada, rather as a reaction to some blowhard’s decision to act exactly as he’s always acted.
It seems properly Canadian to do so. Plus, pulling a little positivity from a positively mind boggling situation will put us in a better mindset for two years from now when — fingers crossed — things make more sense.
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