EDITORIAL – Never has Canada-U.S. friendship faced such a challenge
Premier Christy Clark — saying the right things.
An ArmchairMayor editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
WE CANADIANS were saying all the right things yesterday (Nov. 9, 2016), in our usual polite way. We common folk might have been shaking our heads, but our leaders were being diplomatic, as leaders should.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Donald Trump with congratulations and an invitation to visit Canada, reiterating “the importance of the Canada-United States bilateral relationship.”
Later, he offered assurances that he will be quick to connect with Trump’s administration on matters of mutual interest. “Canada has no closer friend, partner, and ally than the United States,” he said.
Premier Christy Clark was equally cheery in her expectations. “Alongside the Government of Canada, we will work diligently and with determination to ensure we protect and grow the relationship that is crucial to working families in our province on issues like free trade and a new softwood-lumber agreement.”
Really? This new president is a man who wants to rip up NAFTA, back out of the TPP, renege on the Paris Agreement and plunge the U.S. into isolationism. A man who believes climate change is a conspiracy. Who insults women, makes fun of people with physical disabilities, promotes racism and wants to build walls.
Never has the distinction between our two countries been so dramatic, never have our values been so diametrically opposed. We’re friends because of mutual history — the time we burned down their White House notwithstanding. We’ve always felt we come from the same fundamental belief in an inclusive society.
But that was then, this is now. How do we crawl into bed with an angry giant? We’re not supposed to be pessimistic or negative in times like these, but let’s face it — keeping our friendship with the U.S. will be more challenging than ever before.
mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
That,s a great picture of our Premier.Study it well. It says something.
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Our leaders are doing what they should be doing, respecting the decision of over 59 million American voters.
What benefit would it be for British Columbian and Canadian leaders to focus on the negatives of President Elect? We’re stuck with working with Trump now, better to try and start off on the right foot.
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I’m not a big Trump fan at all, but the American electorate spoke loud and clear, despite concerted mainstream media and Hollywood attempts to sway them the other way. The people wanted change, and for better or for worse, they got it. Just as the Canadian electorate spoke in October 2015, to the dissatisfaction of many. As with some medicines, you may not like it, but you have to take it. All the wailing and moaning from liberal progressive (and often wealthy) elites, otherwise known as the presumptive ruling class that thought they had this one in the bag is actually kind of humorous in its own way. In the end, it was a pretty firm decision in Donald Trump’s favour, and Canada and the rest of the world will have to work with President Trump, for better or for worse, in the best way possible for the next 4 years. One thing is for sure, it won’t be more of the same. If he turns out as bad as some folks fear, the American people, as in other democracies, will have their chance to bounce him in 4 years.
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Wait and see. As we Canadians well know, what is said in the campaign has no resemblance at all to what is in the works. Trump is a business man. Hopefully what he does is good for both nations. As for disrespecting women…..read a little, he is certainly not the first president to do that. Wait and see, he is a family man with daughters.
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I have just read your article and voted in the poll attached, in my opinion we must now serve up some respect for the position if not the person, like it or not Mr. Trump is now the figurehead of the most powerful nation on earth, he has new ideas, he and his congress are now very powerful but we need to remember that while he is the leader he cannot just go in there and start swinging the cat around by the tail, he is only one man and a figurehead at that, I say give it a chance, in matters other than disease and death I believe that change is nearly always a good thing and certainly the american people wanted and needed change from the eliteist position that it was in, lets try to be positive, expect the best and wait to see in a very hopeful manner.
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-Funny enough and maybe not funny enough: Your mentioning things of Trump (rip apart agreements; climate woes; sexism, etc.), as the former Pierre Elliot Trudeau made the environment into some type of zen for Canada -and now there are places in national parks people can’t visit(!); he (Trudeau) thought America was just some big ol’ elephant waiting to destroy Canada by crushing it corporately; he played loose with women and described people whose intellect was less than his as moronic and imbecillic; he figured that because he spoke Parisian french that those from his home province were not only provincial, yet comical and on the other hand, decided that the Queen needed to be ‘piroueted’ behind her back, when signing a constitution for growth of this country…he even fingered Salmon Arm, BC because it gave him a little flack, while on passing visit through there…!
So, if P. Trudeau could muster thousands of people passing his in state funeral viewing some cold winter day years later, perhaps Trump might be the street fighter sending this garbage globalism to its grave. (Trudeau might have been an intellectual bigot to Donald’s egotism, yet all leaders put forward some type of idiosyncracies outside of what might be deemed having a politically correct view.)
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