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Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
‘Elbows up': Canadian public opinion of the U.S. hits a new low after Donald Trump's election
Canadian public sentiment towards the United States has plummeted to new depths, a new report suggests, revealing how decades of Canadian goodwill toward its southern neighbour have reversed mere months after President Donald Trump took office. Contributors Opinion Trump's tariffs have launched a rare moment of Canadian consensus. We shouldn't waste it Trump's trade war has created a national crisis for Canada. We need a leader who can seize the moment. Contributors Opinion Trump's tariffs have launched a rare moment of Canadian consensus. We shouldn't waste it Trump's trade war has created a national crisis for Canada. We need a leader who can seize the moment. The survey, conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, also found the vast majority of respondents were strongly opposed to Canada becoming the 51st state. 'It's really the worst collective opinions of the U.S. that we have recorded' in the more than 40 years the institute has been keeping track, said Keith Neuman, a senior associate at the Environics Institute for Survey Research. 'By more than a two-to-one margin, Canadians' opinions are negative rather than positive.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW It's the result of what some experts call a 'visceral reaction' toward Trump's tariffs and annexation threats. 'The unfavourable feelings are much stronger this time, and much more intense,' said Adam Chapnick, a Canadian foreign policy analyst and professor of defence studies at the Royal Military College of Canada. 'It's being reflected in Canadians not travelling to the United States, not purchasing products that are made in the United States and becoming more serious about making hard decisions domestically to improve our productivity and competitiveness in the world.' Canadian public perception of the U.S. hits new low The survey, conducted in mid-May, found 65 per cent of respondents held an 'unfavourable' opinion of the U.S., while just 29 per cent had a 'favourable' opinion. That's a dramatic shift from last fall, when public sentiment toward the U.S. was divided roughly 50-50. The closest Canadians have come to a similar unfavourability rating was in 2020, during the tail end of Trump's first administration. At the time, 63 per cent of Canadians felt unfavourable to the U.S. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'In Trump's first term, it took several years for Canadian public opinion to deteriorate to the same point,' Neuman noted. 'The impact on Canadian public opinion has been much quicker this time ... there's not only the history, but he's been much more aggressive and assertive with policies much quicker this time around.' A majority of Conservative voters — 57 per cent — still viewed the U.S. favourably, down six points from last fall. In contrast, more than 80 per cent of Liberal, Bloc Quebecois and NDP voters had an unfavourable opinion of the States. Overall, 78 per cent of Canadians disapproved of Trump's handling of the U.S. presidency, a figure that matched 2018. Trump was most popular among Conservative voters, 30 per cent of whom approved of his performance. Canadians can still recover their positive relationship with the States 'if we can turn things around in a reasonable period of time,' Chapnick said, referencing Trump's tariffs and threats against Canadian sovereignty. 'I think that the long-term positive relationship is quite resilient,' he said. 'Geography makes us more resilient. Family ties add to that. I think that, should things get back to some sort of new normal, there should be an ability for us to bounce back to a reasonable degree.' Large majority of Canadians strongly against becoming the 51st state Canadians have taken an 'elbows up' response to Trump's threats against Canadian sovereignty, Neuman said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Eighty-three per cent of respondents said they 'strongly disagree' that Canada and the U.S. should unite into one country, while just seven per cent said a merger should happen. Canada Canada has long faced calls to join the U.S.: A short history of saying nope to the American dream Donald Trump joked that Canada could become America's 51st state. But for much of Canadian history, the sentiment has been no laughing matter. Canada Canada has long faced calls to join the U.S.: A short history of saying nope to the American dream Donald Trump joked that Canada could become America's 51st state. But for much of Canadian history, the sentiment has been no laughing matter. That's a stronger sentiment than when the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA) — the precursor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) — was negotiated in 1986, stoking fears of an economic and cultural merger between the two nations. Back then, just 63 per cent of Canadians were strongly against Canada and the U.S. uniting. Shortly after the CUSFTA was implemented in the late-1980s, an Environics poll found 30 per cent of Canadians felt it was 'very likely' that Canada will remain independent from the U.S. over the next decade. Today, that figure has jumped to 70 per cent. 'That, in some ways, is maybe the most surprising or notable finding,' Neuman said. 'It's not evident that we should be seeing that strong a level of confidence right now, given the uncertainty with tariffs and the uncertainty about Trump ... We have not been threatened as a country like this since before we became a country.' But Chapnick wasn't surprised, noting that Canadians grew more confident in their nation's sovereignty after worries of annexation during CUSFTA negotiations didn't come to pass. Canadians changing plans to visit the U.S. According to Chapnick, Canadians' plummeting support of the States will have little significance on the 'strategic level.' The real impact will be felt by our pocketbooks, in our trade relations and tourism, he said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Environics poll found 35 per cent of respondents have already changed plans to visit the U.S. this year — more than double those who made the same decision during Trump's first term in 2017. Thirty-two per cent say they'll carry on with their U.S. trips, seven per cent are thinking of changing plans and 24 per cent said they never had any plans for a U.S. visit. The results reflect that trips from Canada to the States have cratered as polls show more than half of Canadians believe it's no longer safe for all Canadians to travel to the U.S. Federal Politics Canada's domestic tourism industry could net billions due to U.S. trade war: report OTTAWA - Canada's tourism industry might be in for a boost as Canadians boycott the United States and spend their travel dollars closer to hom… Federal Politics Canada's domestic tourism industry could net billions due to U.S. trade war: report OTTAWA - Canada's tourism industry might be in for a boost as Canadians boycott the United States and spend their travel dollars closer to hom… 'There's an economic impact for certain,' Chapnick said. 'But I'm not convinced yet that individual Canadians dislike individual Americans any more than they would have before.' The Environics Institute for Survey Research conducted telephone interviews with a representative sample of 2,000 Canadians between May 5 and 18, 2025. A sample of this size produces results accurate within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points in 19 out of 20 samples.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Marc Garneau, first Canadian in space and ex-Foreign Minister, died at 76
Marc Garneau , Canada's first astronaut and a former foreign minister , passed away on June 4, 2025, at the age of 76 after a brief illness. His wife, Pam Garneau , confirmed that he died peacefully, surrounded by family. The cause of death was not disclosed. Born on February 23, 1949, in Quebec City, Garneau pursued a career in the military and engineering. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1970. He later obtained a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Imperial College London. Garneau served in the Royal Canadian Navy , reaching the rank of captain. In 1984, Garneau made history as the first Canadian to travel to space, flying aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-41-G. He participated in two more missions: STS-77 in 1996 and STS-97 in 2000. He spent over 677 hours in space. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm After his astronaut career, Garneau became president of the Canadian Space Agency from 2001 to 2005. He entered politics in 2008, serving as a Liberal Member of Parliament for a Montreal-area riding until 2023. He held cabinet positions as Minister of Transport from 2015 to 2021 and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2021 under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Live Events Garneau was honored with several awards, including being appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1984 and promoted to Companion in 2003. He also received multiple honorary degrees from Canadian universities. In tribute, members of Parliament held a moment of silence in the House of Commons. Garneau's legacy is commemorated in Canada, with several schools named after him. He lived in the United States for nine years, where two of his children were born.
CBC
06-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Sports helped heal Maj. Jessica Guerin — now she's headed to the Invictus Games
It was 4 a.m., and Maj. Jessica Guerin was on a mountain in the Scottish Highlands crying. Twenty-two hours into the 24-hour race at Cateran Yomp, Guerin suddenly found herself at a breaking point. "The sun's sort of coming up and I just start crying, like, uncontrollably bawling, like I was a little girl again," she said. Guerin had been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dating back to her 2008 military tour as a medic in Afghanistan. Coming into 2023, she was in a "dark place," and knew she needed to make a change in her life. Six months later she was alone on a mountain in Scotland, crying about "things that I had held on for so long." Guerin pulled out her phone and put on her "angry music" playlist, listening to the same five songs on repeat. She had a Tylenol, an energy pack and some tea from a hydration station and soon she found herself running. At the finish line was a fellow Canadian and retired army veteran waiting to congratulate her on completing the 90-kilometre race. "That experience kind of opened up my world to putting myself out there, to [the] Invictus [Games]," she said. Guerin will be of 56 athletes from Canada and 500 athletes from 20 countries across the world competing in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., for the seventh Invictus Games kicking off Saturday. Vancouver-Whistler will be the second time Canada has hosted the Invictus Games since Toronto in 2017. This year will also be the first time winter sports are featured. Created by British veteran Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, the Invictus Games were first held in 2014 in London to encourage recovery and rehabilitation to wounded, injured and sick service men and women across the world through the power of sport. "The Invictus Games for me was the opportunity to put myself out there and try a team sport and be with people," she said. "I didn't know how rewarding that was." A military family Guerin grew up in a military family with her grandparents, parents and brothers all serving. She first enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces 23 years ago as a medical technician where she served until 2008, including seven months as medic in Afghanistan. After her tour, Guerin went to the Royal Military College of Canada where she trained to be a personal selections officer, a role she now serves in Petawawa, Ont. Before being diagnosed with PTSD in 2018, Guerin said she enjoyed a very active lifestyle, competing in half marathons, full marathons, military Mountain Mans and even an Ironman. But in 2019, while taking a motorcycle driving course, Guerin crashed and broke her arm and leg. Then during COVID she was re-stationed to a new city, working from home. "After my leg broke and my mind broke, I just watched TV and I just slept and I just couldn't find that thing," she said. On New Year's Eve in 2022, she was sitting on the couch with her parents, drinking a bottle of wine by herself, when Guerin decided this would not be her life. Always interested in the Spartan Races – long distance races involving several obstacles and challenges – Guerin decided to sign up for every race in 2023. She got herself back into the military gyms with trainers to help her reach her goals for the races and slowly began to feel like herself again. The Cateran Yomp in Scotland was an opportunity that Guerin decided to do last minute. But the experience at that race and her Spartan races became part of her application to Invictus, showing how sport was helping her heal and why she believed she should be on Team Canada. "All of the demons that I kept buried, just started coming out, being like, 'it's time. It's time to open up these drawers and clean it up and sport has helped,'" she said. One of the few people Guerin has confided her PTSD diagnosis with is her best friend of 31 years, Raelene Anderson, who said she knew Guerin had been struggling. Anderson said Guerin's experiences with the endurance races made it so "admitting that she maybe needs a little bit of help wasn't as daunting." Part of a team again Guerin first heard of the Invictus Games while listening to Prince Harry's autobiography, Spare, along with learning she and the prince had both fought in Afghanistan at the same time. To be eligible to compete, she volunteered for Soldier On, an organization which helps the recovery of ill and injured Canadian military and veterans through sport and recreation. The Invictus Games feature the core sports of indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball. Vancouver-Whistler will also debut the winter adaptive sports of alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing and biathlon, skeleton and wheelchair curling. Guerin sees the Invictus Games as her "comeback show." She'll compete in indoor rowing, wheelchair basketball, alpine skiing and skeleton – an event involving racing head-first on a sled. "That's par course for Jess," Anderson said. "She likes to push herself and I think by challenging herself as much as she can with the sports, it just proves to her that she can overcome anything." Guerin used to ski with her son, Liam, when he was younger, but hadn't been on skis since her motorcycle accident. Being able to compete in alpine skiing for the Invictus Games was "the big thing for me, bringing skiing back into my life." Since finding out she was selected for Team Canada last year, there have been several training camps where she and her teammates have come together to pick and practise their events. At the final training camp last month, Guerin celebrated her 43rd birthday, where her teammates sang her Happy Birthday not once but three times throughout the day with two cakes. "It was amazing, like the love and support from this Team Canada," she said. One of the most rewarding elements for Guerin of being part of Invictus is the team aspect. Since joining Team Canada Guerin learned there are five other athletes who also work on the same base in Petawawa, but whom she would never have met otherwise, as they all work in different sectors. The athletes now have a group chat they communicate with each other in. Other Canadian athletes Just before Christmas, Guerin and some other athletes on Team Canada got together to compete in a wheelchair rugby tournament in Montreal. "It felt nice to be part of a family, a team, a group. Something I hadn't experienced since I was a medic," she said. Along with competing for Team Canada, Guerin is one of the four players from Canada who will be part of "Team Unconquered" for wheelchair basketball, along with various players from different countries. Team Unconquered allows smaller nations to compete in the Games or gives athletes who don't have space on their own nation's teams an opportunity to compete as well. These players will not meet each other until they arrive at the Games. "I've heard that's the big heartwarming part, because we're all going through a similar journey of injury, illness, whatever it is, just trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel," Guerin said. An open door For most of the people in Guerin's life, the Invictus Games will be the first time they'll learn of her struggle with PTSD since she was diagnosed. Anderson and her husband, son and mother will be in Vancouver and Whistler to watch Guerin compete in person, while her father and brother will both be cheering her on from home. "I have Canada head bands, I've got temporary tattoos, and we're going to make signs. Everyone will know we're there for her," Anderson said. Anderson said Guerin's bravery in telling her story through Invictus is "incredible." "I think it's just going to help her accept everything and manage it in a more healthy way, and I think she'll be an inspiration to the next generation of soldiers," she said. One person who will be missing is Guerin's son Liam, now 19, who she hasn't seen in three years. Guerin said her ex-husband also has PTSD and that she primarily raised Liam on her own, burying her own trauma and struggles to be able to take care of her son and ex-husband. When Liam turned 16, Guerin said he made the decision to live with his father and she hasn't heard from him since. Despite not knowing why Liam has decided not to have contact her, Guerin said "he is my favourite person in the whole world." She also hasn't stopped showing up for her son. In the same way Guerin was at all his sports competitions when he was younger, she has continued to watch his success from afar, even secretly attending his high school graduation.
