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I am a proud Canadian and I honestly believe that we live in the best country in the world. There is no other place I would want to live and raise a family. Yes, it is cold and snowy in the winter — but that is part of being Canadian.
Yes, we are not amongst the most powerful countries in the world and others are financially more prosperous than us (10th in gross domestic product (GDP), 17th in GDP per capita).
Although we have common roots and many similarities with our southern neighbours, we have chosen a different path. And yes, we can do better and there is definitely room for improvement. How are we different?
We have created and live in a more tolerant and less polarized society. We have a more educated populace. We embrace universal healthcare and other social support programs. We have created safer communities and do not have the proliferation of guns/gun violence/mass shootings. (Hard to believe nearly 400 million civilians held firearms in the U.S., or 1.2 per person.) I could go on and on — but I think I have made my point.
So, here we are in the early stages of a U.S.-created trade war based on false accusations relating to illegal fentanyl and immigrants coming from Canada. I think we all know the amounts from Canada are quite miniscule.
I think the world is still trying to figure out if there is a coherent agenda with the Trump regime or if they are just randomly and without thought “shooting from the hip.”
Our federal and provincial leaders are responding to this challenge on behalf of Canada. So, I have been thinking a lot about this and wondering what the little guy, the average Canadian, can do to support this country’s response to these tariffs and other threats. So, I have put pen to paper and created a list of 10 ideas for you to consider. I would encourage you to take action.
This is not an exhaustive list, so I would encourage you to share other ideas.
The “elbows up” list:
- Vacation/travel to Canadian and non-U.S. destinations. Let your family, friends and contacts know you are doing this and why. Encourage them to do the same.
- When shopping, replace U.S.-sourced goods with Canadian/local goods and goods sourced from non-U.S. countries. Shop at local and Canadian-based retailers. Make inquiries of retailers as to where goods are sourced. Let them know this is on your mind.
- A hard one for many — stop or reduce the use of U.S.-based platforms like Amazon, eBay, etc.
- Show your true colours — fly a flag, wear Canada apparel, wear red and white, put a Canada magnet/bumper sticker on your car and maybe even get a Canada tattoo.
- Post or repost on social media how you feel about the disrespect shown towards our country, our leaders and Canadians, the tariff war the U.S. has embarked on, the misinformation being spewed by U.S. interests and other adverse acts instigated by the Trump regime.
- Attend Canada events/rallies in your area — elbows up, people.
- Make Canada Day extra special this year.
- Put partisan politics/beliefs aside and support a unified Canadian response.
- Let your local federal, provincial and municipal politicians know that you are a proud Canadian and:
- a) Thank them for their efforts to date and their service to Canada. b) Expect a strong and unified response to U.S. economic and other threats to Canada. c) Expect them to work in the best interests of Canada and eliminate interprovincial trade barriers. d) Expect them to work together to reduce our trade dependence on the U.S.
- Let your local federal, provincial and municipal politicians know that you support a boycott of government spending on U.S. goods and service providers.
A proud Canadian,
Doug Varty
Oro-Medonte Township
