In the face of repeated economic provocations and talk of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state from president-elect Donald Trump, some prominent Conservatives on this side of the border aren’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat.
While he didn’t reference any of the Republican’s threats of tariffs or the repeated jabs about absorbing our sovereign nation, former prime minister Stephen Harper appears to have subtly weighed in on the debate in a timely post to X on Wednesday evening.
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The founding leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (2004), who led the nation for nearly 10 years (2006-2015), shared a party ad from 2011 featuring one of his speeches set over various images and videos portraying the country and its people.
“True when I said it, true today,” Harper wrote and shared the transcript of his speech in which he espouses Canada’s strength and freedom as the reasons its people are proud to call this land home.
“Canada is, and always has been, our country. And we want Canada to be a True North that is as strong and as free as it can be in every way that matters: the best country in the world. That’s why we’re here, that’s why we strive, that’s why we serve.
“Canada must reflect the true character of the Canadian people: honourable in our dealings, faithful to our commitments, loyal to our friends. By turns, a courageous warrior and a compassionate neighbour.
“It is our purpose that Canada must be great, it must be great for all Canadians, it must be a country of hope and an example to the world. And only when it is these things, when Canada is all that it can be, only then can we say that our work is done.”
Harper’s post came amidst an active day in the furor created by Trump’s latest promise to enact 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports unless more steps are taken to increase security on the shared border.
Earlier Wednesday, Conservative Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who’s been vocal in response to the threats and merger rhetoric, again pitched his Fortress Am-Can idea, a new trade deal benefiting both nations’ security and bottom line.
He also took another swipe at Mexico and China for employing unfair manufacturing and trade practices.
“Let’s stop wasting time and ridiculous ideas about merging and instead focus on efforts on restoring the pride of Made in Canada and Made in USA,” he told reporters at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.
Part of the Fortress Am-Can pitch involved creating a cross-border working group to facilitate improved and increased energy transmission from Canada to the U.S., particularly as it relates to Ontario’s nuclear power.
Ford’s press conference was followed by a virtual meeting of Canadian premiers and the Council of Federation, which two days earlier had sent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a letter expressing their concerns and asking for an in-person first minister’s meeting this coming Monday.
“This approach will ensure we can act quickly and be coordinated in our approach,” Ford, the council chair, wrote.
Following the meeting, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the council, recognizing any tariffs would affect each province differently, is “united and steadfast” in opposing them, per a statement sent to the National Post.
To strengthen its relationship with the U.S., she said Alberta will double its “oil production and increase exports of crude oil to the U.S., enabling them to export even more light oil to the rest of the world.”
Smith also said she will attend Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20 and plans to “advocate for Canada’s interests and against these tariffs” during events and meetings there.
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