Oh, Canada: let’s talk trade — because, frankly, the conversation as of late has gone off the rails.
First off, there is no “trade deficit” between Canada and the U.S. That’s a myth wrapped in a tantrum, amplified by media who are either too stupid or corrupt to call it what it is.
The reality? The U.S. is simply ten times our size, with ten times the purchasing power. Their economy is worth $27.72 trillion, while ours sits at $2.89 trillion. In Business 101, you learn all about purchasing power; supply and demand. Clearly some politicians skipped that class.
If trade were proportionate, they’d be buying from us at a 10:1 ratio. Instead, in 2022, the U.S. exported $427.7 billion to Canada and imported $481.2 billion — a shortfall of $53.5 billion (some say closer to $40 billion when you dig into the details). But let’s be clear: this is nowhere near 10:1. It is merely a reflection of our purchasing power and theirs.
Yet Trump, in all his economic wisdom, wants these numbers to be equal — as if the laws of scale don’t exist. That’s not just unrealistic; it’s absurd. It’s like demanding that every hockey game end in a tie even when one team has ten players on the ice and the other has one.
So What’s the Solution?
Well, let’s use Old Dutch as an example. Since 1954, this Winnipeg-born company has been making some of the best damn chips you can buy. And yet, our shelves are still flooded with American brands. Why? There is zero reason we should be sending our money south for products we already make here for roughly the same price. Keeping dollars in Canada means more profit, more innovation, and more jobs.
This isn’t about shutting out the world — it’s about playing smarter. We should be buying Canadian-made wherever possible and diversifying where we get the rest. Trade where it benefits us. Build what we need at home. Be strategic.
I’m no economist, but I do understand the word “fair” — and this, my friends, is fair.
And while we’re on the topic of fairness, let’s get one thing straight: any country that threatens our sovereignty shouldn’t be cashing our cheques. That would be like signing a book deal with a publisher that plans to turn me into slave labour.
Look, Canada has big challenges ahead. Maybe one day, I’ll write about fentanyl, illegal migrant crossings, and the military.
But for now, one thing we should never do is lose our sense of self. Booing anthems and turning to extreme ideology? That’s not who we are. We don’t need to stoop to the level of global dysfunction — we need to rise above it.
We are Canada. The beacon. The example. The country that gets respect because we deserve it.
Because if we don’t value our own identity — who else will?
