By Staff
February 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It has been a whirlwind past week in Canada-U.S. relations, after announced tariffs on Canadian goods entering America – set to take effect on Tuesday – were delayed 30 days. This, after a call between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump, where Trump claimed victory but by many accounts received little.
The mood in Canada amid this pause is multifold. The population has received a boost in patriotic sentiment but remains concerned about what the future holds.
An Angus Reid Institute analysis of data donated by the Angus Reid Group finds a 10-point jump in the number of Canadians who say they are “very proud” of their country compared to just two months ago. The same increase is noted in the number who say they have a “deep emotional attachment to Canada”, which has risen from 49 to 59 per cent. The proportion who say they would like to see Canada join the United States has dropped from six per cent to four per cent over the same period.
With this newfound national fervour, Canadians are looking at productive ways to fill the 30-day period between one tariff threat and the expected next. Paramount in the public perspective are two items: removing interprovincial trade barriers and increasing the nation’s pipeline capacity. Nearly all Canadians (95%) agree that Canada should immediately begin work to eliminate barriers between the provinces and territories to increase the flow of domestic goods. Four-in-five, meanwhile, say that Canada “needs to ensure it has oil and gas pipelines running from sea to sea across the country”.
More Key Findings:
- The amount of attention paid to this issue is matched in recent Angus Reid Institute tracking only by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nine-in-10 Canadians say they are following this issue closely. This includes the largest portion seen in 10 years saying they are following it “very closely” – 56 per cent.
- Canadians are more likely to want a reduction of the country’s reliance on the United States (91%) over repairing the relationship to a place it was before the near trade war (59% agree this should be attempted).
- Three per cent of Canadians say they would lose their job if tariffs were implemented, while three-in-10 (30%) are less certain but worry about what might happen.
President Trump wants Canada to be the 51st State of America, Why? (my favourite word) You could take a sheet of paper and list all the reasons why, then prioritize that list, with the one at the top being the most likely; But there are disenfranchised Canadians whose list would be titled ‘Why Not’. For my part, I would like to understand the Trump administration’s plan, I’ve already read and understood Project 2025’s use of tariffs as a tool, I then read a thesis by Dr. Stephen Miran who is now Chairman of Trump’s economic advisory panel. https://www.hudsonbaycapital.com/documents/FG/hudsonbay/research/638199_A_Users_Guide_to_Restructuring_the_Global_Trading_System.pdf
I was somewhat taken aback this morning at a Global News piece: Trump’s plan for ‘hemispheric control’: Steve Bannon on why tariffs may only be the start https://globalnews.ca/news/11005023/steve-bannon-donald-trump-tariffs-canada-arctic-interview/ This piece also had an opinion from Elliot Abrams for some stability, this is eerily close as to my thoughts, as to Trump’s plan for the Western Hemisphere. ‘Why?’ Those answers are numerous and will have to be addressed at some point. The WEF also recognises the same problems, but the sharing of those solutions will only be among the elite class, ‘You will own nothing and you will be happy’ (or else?) Trump’s plan seems to involve everybody that resides in the Western Hemisphere, you can own stuff and have a choice as to your happiness.
All well and good but polls say 1 out of every 5 Poilievre supporters want to join the USA. Trump likes him because they are on the same page.
How disgusting is that!
Quebec has repeated it’s stand to block pipelines to the east .