The patriotic wave sweeping Canada is a breath of fresh air from the division over the country and our flag of recent years.
It is awesome to see Sea to Sky shops and grocery stores highlighting their Canadian-made products.
Go, Canada!
But you don’t have to scratch too deep below the surface to see some of that old ugly division just underneath.
In Squamish, it is starting to feel a bit like the first year of the pandemic when folks began to turn on each other.
With the tariff threat looming, and talk of annexation, Canadians are booing U.S. hockey teams. Frankly, this seems silly given only 28.5% of players in the NHL are from the U.S.
Closer to home, locals are attacking each other online more fervently than usual over the actions of President Donald Trump.
While anger over tariffs and annexation threats is sure to cause emotional outbursts, we must separate our feelings for a government from its people.
This seems like very basic stuff, but one that humans struggle with.
On a practical level, painting all Americans with the brush of their government is not very neighbourly and is bad business.
According to Stats Can, in 2021, at least 340 of us living in Squamish are immigrants from the U.S., the third most common place of origin after the United Kingdom and India.
Squamish Nation members, and Coast Salish peoples, have strong ties across our borders.
And, of course, we are a town dependent on tourism. U.S. visitors are an economic driver for our community.
Airbnb stats show that, not surprisingly, many visitors from the U.S. stay in town.
The mountain biking community has also long noted our trails’ draw for U.S. riders.
Beyond being bad for business and social—and recreation—relations, vitriol toward our neighbours to the south can be dangerous.
Political ascription—when people are equated with their government— is unfortunately common.
Think of how Japanese Canadians were treated as if they were proxies for their government’s actions in the Second World War.
Beginning in early 1942, the Canadian government detained and dispossessed more than 90% of Japanese Canadians.
These are unprecedented times and many Canadian residents are confused and even angry.
Defiance in the face of annexation threats is understandable. Patriotism is welcome. But it is in times like these we need to hold most tightly to our humanity.
After all, on our best days, politeness and compassion are what define us as Canadians.
Let’s hold on to them as tightly as our flag.
