The grave error

My current house is 206 years old, built in part from rubble after the Americans burned it on December 10th, 1813. Out my window is a fine view of a hulking stone fort on the US side of the river built by the French, then occupied by the British and taken over after the revolution by Yanks. It’s now operated by the Coast Guard.

Canadians – then made up of British troops, colonists and Indigenous allies – fought a bloody and protracted war with the aggressive, territorial, expansionist, manifest-destiny Americans for a couple of years. They totally burned the town and sacked the fort on our side. We eventually got to Washington and burned the president’s house – which was subsequently painted white.

In the river there were fighting ships. By night there were incursions. The battle front was miles long up and down the river. The Americans lost 15,000 soldiers. Our guys counted 8,600 dead. Disease killed more than bullets and ship-borne artillery. Over twenty thousand prisoners were taken, and 4,500 men were wounded. Between seven and nine thousand First Nations fighters perished. It was a serious thing.

The street my house sits on was within range of the US cannons from across the river. At the moment of the war’s outbreak, it was the main commercial throughfare. But after the conflict, stores and businesses moved a block north, to be out of danger when the next US bombardment took place.

Why was there a war with America?

Trade restrictions, and US expansionism. Britian blockaded US trade with France (they were in conflict). And the president, James Madison, was aggressively pushing out the American borders, instrumental in the Louisiana Purchase, and in acquiring most of Florida from Spain. The thirst for dirt spilled over the northern border. The Yanks attacked Canada. My house was incinerated. (Fortunately I wasn’t home at the time.)

This historic minute is worth dwelling on. Not since 1814 has anyone living south of the 49th parallel seriously contemplated biting off big pieces of our nation. Since then Canada came into being partly in response to the US civil war (1867), we formalized the international border (1908) and I first got elected in support of a free trade agreement between the two nations (1988). Most recently, that NAFTA deal was renewed and became CUSMA in November of 2018 when it was signed by the president of that time, Donald Trump.

In the past eight weeks the same guy has said clearly Canada should be the 51st state. He’s mocked the PM and called him ‘Governor’ repeatedly. His unelected lieutenant, Elon Musk, labelled him ‘girl’. On calls between Trump and Trudeau, plus their officials, the American president has said…

• The border should be redrawn because the treaty is not valid
• Americans should have more control over water resources, including the Great Lakes
• US banks should have greater access to the Canadian market
• The GST is unfair because it makes US imports more expensive
• That Canada floods the US with drugs and migrants
• The US is victimized because Canadian exports exceed imports.
• He will tariff our goods and arbitrarily break the free trade deal (and did)
• The US should have access to our dairy and poultry markets
• It’s time to review NORAD, which provides joint defence of Canada’s north.
• Canada should be part of the USA, and ‘economic force’ could be used to force annexation

Justin Trudeau, in the thick of the nascent trade war responded: “The excuse that he’s giving for these tariffs today of fentanyl is completely bogus, completely unjustified, completely false. What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that’ll make it easier to annex us.”

A few months ago that would have sounded like extreme hyperbole and the ravings of a Canadian leader who fell out of a coconut tree. The relationship between the two countries, after all, has been just ducky for two centuries. We’ve helped each other. Fought together. Traded everything. Built stuff together. Defended each other. Aided and comforted each other. And lovingly punched each other at the blue line.

But this time Trudeau speaks clearly and with reason. Trump is being a Napoleonic, alpha-male, out-of-his-lane, bully who has abandoned his key election promises (make life cheaper and fairer) to become the new James Madison, only better. A king. Thus, every act of resistance is justified.

It’s gone too far. Canada cannot be annexed, occupied, or held. American voters made a grave error.

Trump will go. The memory will not. There are still scorched timbers in my basement.

About the picture: “My niece put her $5 bill up on a wall in some bar in Arizona,” writes Michelle, “and posted video in her Instagram. She like our children is dual and working in Michigan as a nurse.”

To be in touch or send a picture of your beast (or your patriotism), email to ‘garth@garth.ca’.

Source: https://www.greaterfool.ca/2025/03/07/the-grave-error/