The threat of a trade war has been on the minds of many Canadians since President Donald Trump took office for a second time, leading to more division between the neighbouring countries – and a surge of patriotism amongst some Canadians.
“I’m a Canadian, I’m a Canuck,” says Janet Murray in an interview with CTV News on Halifax’s Spring Garden Road.
But President Trump has also been clear he wants Canada to become the 51st state, reinforcing that desire in an interview that aired on Super Bowl Sunday.
“Is it a real thing?” asked Fox News' Bret Baier.
“Yeah, it is,” Trump responded.
There’s even rivalling attire now. First, it was Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford sporting the “Canada is not for sale hat.”
Now, an Amazon search yields plenty of results portraying “51st State” items, such as clothing, flags and pins.
But Haligonians seem pretty set on staying true to the maple leaf.
“I think he should just leave Canada alone right now,” says Florence Hearn.
“I’m not really taking it serious; I don’t think a lot of us are,” says Chuck Wisen. “He’s more of a ‘gaslighter.’”
“It’s a very bad idea, I’m just actually kind of sick about the thought of it,” says Marsha Tinkham. “It’s making me very anxious.”
Some say it would be nice to not require a passport to travel across the border, but still oppose the larger idea.
“Do I want to become a 51st state? No,” says Andrew Goodsell, who campaigned to become Halifax’s next mayor. “But do I think that we all need to amalgamate, maybe rename (the land) and just work towards a better future for all? Yes.
“I think that we do that by working together, not by keeping ourselves divided.”
CTV Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis says the 51st state proposal is “a ridiculous notion all around.”
“From a public safety perspective, without a border between us and the U.S., that would open up Canada to a consistent flow of guns and narcotics unlike we’ve ever seen,” he says.
Moshe Lander, an economics professor from Concordia University, says the one “pro” from a financial side is that it would help alleviate uncertainty, particularly for business.
“But any business should recognize that what benefit you might see there will immediately be offset by a ‘one size fits all’ monetary policy that’s often not going to work in Canada’s favour,” Lander says.
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