SASKATCHEWAN — Data from the Angus Reid Institute has suggested that four-in-five Canadians are saying they are "more fearful than hopeful" about the year ahead, and most likely to describe the first year of Trump’s current presidential term with the words “corrupt”, “chaotic”, and “incompetent”.
When Donald Trump returned to the White House in January last year, the reaction extended beyond the United States, with some Canadians welcoming his comeback. But a year later, attitudes north of the border appear more divided, particularly as tariff threats and trade tensions have strained Canada–U.S. relations. While some see tough trade measures as economic self-interest, others worry about the impact on Canadian businesses — prompting a renewed push to buy Canadian even as broader cross-border sentiments grow more complicated.
What are Saskatchewanians saying?
"It comes off to me as something of a mixed bag," says Bill Evers, a Regina man who enjoys summering in the Lake Diefenbaker area. "You look at where things are between us and the States, with the arguing back and forth, and I can't help but think of what the opinions of everyday people might be. Like, what does the average American think of Canadians? I have family members who live in Arizona and Texas, and I have no problems crossing the border in order to go and visit them. I just don't know that once I got there that I'd be, you know, 'overly promoting' that I was Canadian. Because you just don't know what that'll get out of some people, you know what I mean?"
"I did have family in Washington state, but they've since moved back to B.C.," says Amy Henley of Saskatoon. "I watch the news and I see what's being said on social media, and I find that I just have to tune it all out sometimes. I'm all for standing up for our country because we've always made incredible products, but I also think there's room for everybody at the table if the adults in the room could get along. I know that I won't be buying a plane ticket to head down to the States anytime soon, and I won't say it's any loss on my end. Someone has to push back on what Trump's doing, though. I think they have to at this point."
Others feel that the negativity isn't coming only from the American president, either, as some suggest that everyday Americans aren't doing themselves any favours as it relates to the frayed relationship between both borders.
"I mean, you just look at social media and it's a firestorm right now," says John Parsons, a retired teacher living near Swift Current. "There's all sorts of disinformation floating out there, all kinds of verbal attacks on anything related to Canada right now, and this is coming from normal, work-a-day people. But the problem I'm seeing is that half of these people are coming at you with made-up 'facts' that they got from God knows where, and it kind of makes you sit back and just think to yourself, 'We really are the sane ones, aren't we?' That's what I'm seeing out there right now; Canadians are the sane ones. It feels like we're the sane country right now. I don't mean to paint all Americans with that some kind of brush, but the loudest ones are getting the most attention, and it doesn't make everyone else look that great."
The emotional toll this is taking on everyday Canadians is something that has been noticed as anxiety about travel plans, particularly at this time of the year when the usual snowbird types are typically down south, has caused a number of people to stay put on our side of the border this winter.
"Right now, I should be sitting on my back deck in Lake Havasu making plans to go golfing or firing up my grill," says Larry Tommason, a former Moose Jaw area farmer who vacations in Arizona. "But I'm still here at home. I don't want to be, but I am. By choice too, if I'm being honest. I just can't see myself going back down there the way things are right now. It's just too wild. I don't know when things are going to calm down, but I'm willing to wait for right now. If I have to wait through another Saskatchewan winter, well, that's okay with me, I guess. Things are just too bad between these two countries. There's no real rhyme or reason for any of it; I just think egos are too out of control."
Other comments shared with SaskToday:
- "If we (Canadians) don't stand up for our country, then Trump may very well invade. But I think if we (Canadians) push back, he will leave us alone. He's just being a bully."
- "Trump does not want to be the reason for World War Three, and that's what he will get if he tries to take over Canada."
- “I grew up during the Richard Nixon administration, and I remember thinking ‘things cannot get any worse than this.’ I guess I was wrong, it has gotten worse.”
Things have been shaken up
As relations between Canada and the United States continue to sour, especially in trade and political rhetoric, a University of Saskatchewan political scientist believes Canada is being forced to confront the uncomfortable reality of its vulnerability to the US. This is something that Canada’s leaders have avoided since the end of the Second World War.
Dr. Martin Gaal, PhD, a Political Science and International Studies lecturer at the U of S, believes the current wave of tariffs and aggressive language, such as calling Canada the 51st State, under the second term of President Donald Trump, has shaken up the once-stable Canada-U.S. relationship. Trump, during his speech at last month’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, even said Canada would cease to exist with the U.S.
Gaal says that since WWII, when Canadian and US forces fought alongside other Allied troops, the two countries have developed a close relationship, unlike the integration Canada has seen in the EU. He added that one year into Trump’s second term, Canadian political leaders and citizens now question the reliability of this arrangement and, at worst, threaten important structures that provide Canadian economic and territorial security.
“One way to look at this: are we sensitive or vulnerable to Trump’s threats via tariffs and making Canada the ‘51st State?’ Sensitive means we face high and immediate costs from Trump’s policies, but we can adapt to them in the medium to long term: perhaps by finding accommodation with the US or by supporting economic diversification,” said Gall, after two studies showed the growing unrest among Canadians about the future of the country’s relationship with the U.S.
An Angus Reid poll showed 79 per cent of Canadians are worried about the year ahead for Canada-US relations, another poll, this one by GEF Consulting, had 57.9 per cent of Canadians increasingly concerned about a military conflict with the U.S.
Gall clarifies that being vulnerable means it will be difficult to overcome or adapt to Trump’s threats, which require Canada’s leaders to make the hard choices and high unavoidable costs that might mean making unwanted trade-offs, such as taking our own security, increasing defence spending, and forging new economic and security alliances, which means Canadians need to adapt to the new reality that has a direct impact to our quality of life.
He also points out that it would be nice to think that Trump is the problem, and that Canada-U.S. relations would return to normal after he steps down in 2029. However, he is not optimistic that Canada can still rely on the U.S. as a trustworthy ally, whether in trade or defence.
“First, Trump is a symptom/product of populism and nationalism in the U.S. – and this is unlikely to go away. Second, Canada and the U.S. have traditionally worked together, albeit not in lockstep, in maintaining the international economic and security order. Trump has critically undermined the US in this international order by withdrawing from NATO, 31 UN agencies, the WHO, the Paris Agreement, and over 35 non-UN international agreements focused on human rights, the environment, and other niche areas,” says Gaal, who is also the U of S’s Global Studies Certificate coordinator.
“Third, Canadian citizens have shown a remarkable commitment to avoiding American goods and travel to American destinations. It will be interesting to see if this continues.
"Fourth, Canadian businesses have become acutely aware of how dependent and vulnerable they have become on American supply chains and politics. Finally, Canadian politicians have recognized the cost of that dependency and are working on plans to adapt or evolve in response. With all that being said, some things will likely normalize over the medium to long term.”
He also points out that the U.S. is forcing Canada into a subordinate position, seeking access to the country’s rich natural resources, such as oil, gas, electricity, and rare earth minerals. The U.S. sees Canada as a threat to its economy and security, and it is unlikely to believe the country would join it.
“But again, it is the smoke that hides the real fire – the goal of political, economic, and security subordination,” Gaal says.
Glenn Wright, though an environmental lawyer, said he has also been following the ongoing threats made by the Trump administration against Canada, Greenland, and the EU, and believes most of his colleagues have their own opinions, likely shaped by their practice, socioeconomic standing, and political stripe.
“The problem, as I see it, is that the international order and respect for international law and compromise are being steadily eroded by the U.S., Russia, and Israel. I don’t profess to know much about geopolitics, but it really seems shaped by oil, energy, and wealth, often derived from oil. So, to me, every act of development that embraces renewable energy is an act toward peace, equality, and sustainable development as it helps to unseat oil and oil extractionists as the dominant influence in geopolitics and global conflict,” says Wright.
– with files from Azure McGonigle
