One of my proudest moments as a Canadian was watching the Unity Rally in Montréal during the 1995 Referendum where tens of thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to coast demonstrated their love and appreciation for Quebec a nation with its own distinct culture and language within a strong and united Canada. Despite a campaign based on misinformation and outright fabrications on behalf of Lucien Bouchard the leader of the separatist movement, ultimately Quebeckers chose Canada. Today we are faced with a similar campaign based on falsehoods and pretexts orchestrated by pathological liar and demagogue Donald Trump. Imagine blaming Canada for illicit drug traffic when all evidence demonstrates that guns, crime, and drugs generally flow North from the US into Canada. And it is equally disingenuous to say that Canada somehow subsidizes the US in any way when we both benefit from long-standing trade agreements.
Nowadays we may forget how close we came to losing Canada in 1995. Yet a federalist coalition of Conservatives, Liberals, New Democrats, and even moderate Quebec nationalists found a path towards victory during those difficult days. During the Referendum it was beautiful to see Canadians from all walks of life united with a common cause. Today in 2025 we must be just as strong and united as we were in 1995. A small yet important act we can all do is buy local. I am fortunate to live in Parkdale – High Park which has many farmer’s markets and grocery stores with local produce from Ontario and Canadian products. It does not take long to look at the label of any product to determine where it was made. You will be surprised by how many local options and choices we have. During the tough times ahead, our local businesses and workers will need all our help. Let’s all do our part to help them.
In the short term, there is only one way to deal with bullying and intimidation: we must fight the good fight. And, we must fight strategically with a focused response that maximizes the impact on the US economy to bring them back to the table. In the long term, we may come out stronger as a country with more global trade partners and free trade between our provinces.
Bon courage and remember Canada has survived worse moments and has helped defeat demagoguery before. Let’s do it again. Together and united we will prevail. Vive le Canada!