Canadians are livid. Americans have no clue.
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It felt like the whole country was watching the series and yearning for Canada to stick it to America. Canadians were sick of being bullied and this was their chance to hit back on their turf (which is to say, ice). So when Connor McDavid scored the winning goal in overtime that night, there was a collective release. Justin Trudeau even took to social media, to say 'You can't take our country — and you can't take our game.'
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It may not be apparent from this side of the border, but Trump's bellicose 51st state talk is downright terrifying for Canadians, many of whom are unironically comparing themselves to Ukrainians before the Russian invasion. The economic uncertainty caused by the tariffs has already cost jobs and investment in Canada, with Deloitte anticipating a 'modest recession' this year.
Canadians are in fight-or-flight mode.
Brady Tkachuk of Team USA and Devon Toews of Team Canada in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off championship game at TD Garden in February.
Bruce Bennett/Getty
The writer Stephen Marche, my one-time professional collaborator and compatriot (all Canadians really
do
know each other, you see), described it this way in the
Over the last few months, I've been asked a question I never anticipated getting when we decided to move here:
How far are you going to let it go before you decide it's no longer safe?
My beloved aunt even warned me not to be 'the last to leave.' I recognize that this sounds insane to most Americans. And yet, I get the sense that they don't appreciate how thick the border has gotten in the Canadian psyche.
The first year after we moved here our pullout sofa was constantly occupied by visiting friends and family. But the visits have come to a halt since January. After the tariffs were announced, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law canceled their Martha's Vineyard booking for this summer. My mother-in-law was even reluctant to cross the border to see her grandkids because she's heard too many stories about border agents checking cellphones and detaining travelers. (In the end, she came and ran into no problems at the border.)
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In late June, Maine Governor Janet Mills spent a few days in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia begging Canadian tourists to come back to her state. On CBC News, she argued the travel boycott wasn't hurting Donald Trump. 'You're only hurting your friends,' she chided. It was a bit tone deaf to Canadian ears. How are we supposed to feel for New England B&B owners, when our economy — our country — is under existential threat?
The fervor with which Canadians are rejecting America right now may be hurting innocent bystanders in relatively blue northern New England, but Canadians aren't really doing nuance right now. They just want someone —
anyone,
goddammit — in the United States to understand how angry they are.
A Liquor Control Board of Ontario employee removes American wine from shelves in a Toronto shop in March.
Laura Proctor/Associated Press
Many Canadians follow every twist and turn of American politics and they know you can't name a single one of our premiers. It can be exhilarating to observe with a sense of smug superiority, like watching Gilead from the safety of your couch. But now, America is coming for Canada and it's not just a game on CNN.
Canadians have had a longstanding subconscious fear about being on the other side of the world's longest undefended border, with so much fresh water, oil, and critical minerals on our side. Our military is a fraction of America's. Now the Arctic ice is melting and those resources are in the sights of so many nations.
I consume Canadian news every day, but the anger still shocked me when I was in Ottawa a couple months ago. Every single grocery store aisle touted Canadian products. Every newscast seemed to include a story about finding a wine to replace your favorite California red.
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Canadians are desperately reaching for some sense of control as they watch the post World War II order they've invested in fall to pieces. And as long as they've got the Loonie, they won't spend a single one supporting the American economy.
My mother wouldn't even make her 'world-famous' Caesar salad when I was in town because the only romaine lettuce she could buy was imported from America. She tried to find some from Mexico or grown in a Canadian hothouse, but just couldn't. So she roasted carrots in maple syrup and Barefoot-Contessa-levels of butter from Canadian dairy farms. The revenge tasted sweet that night.
Understand, something has broken that will not easily be fixed or simply go away in four years. Even if there is a trade deal over the summer, there's a fundamental distrust now. Canadians have turned away from America.
Kristin Nelson can be reached at
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