The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn -- Can The US-Canada Relationship Ever Be The Same Again? (Part 2)

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

Two weeks ago Your Turn focused on your thoughts about the Canada/US Relationship and whether it will ever be the same again. There were so many letters from across the country we promised we would return to your thoughts. Plus the Random Ranter drops by with his latest rant on the American president. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of the bridge. Canada and the United States, will that relationship ever return to the way it used to be? Part two of your thoughts on this, on today's Your Turn, plus, of course, the random renter. That's all coming right up. And hello there, welcome to Thursday. Welcome to Your Turn. And the second episode, really, of what we started to two weeks.

weeks ago when we asked for your thoughts, your letters on the relationship between Canada and the United States. Will it ever be like it used to be? Or are we clearly in a whole new game now between our two countries? Okay, I know it's not a game. It's pretty serious stuff. But you get the message behind the question. And there were so many letters two weeks ago that we said, we're going to have a second episode of this. And that episode is today. Last week we took a detour on the Iran War, which is still very much a topic of discussion

and one we have talked about a number of times this week already. But this still is an ongoing story, this relationship we have with the United States. Where is it heading? Where is it going? Will it ever head back to the way it used to be? You have a lot of thoughts on this, and there are a lot of letters. So let's get to them. Starting with Christina Stonehouse in Fredericton.

The relationship might return, but not for a long time. And several things would have to happen first. The GOP would have to move more to the center and have a non-Mageliter and basically behave themselves for at least 15 or 20 years. The U.S. would have to start taking climate change seriously again, and boomers would have to die off. She, thanks. I don't think boomers will ever trust the U.S. again. Well, that may be true.

As a boomer myself, I don't see the U.S. making the changes I think are necessary in my lifetime. Henri Vodin in Ottawa. Whenever Trump refers to Canada as the 51st state, Canadians become offended. Why? Because effectively it's true. For the past half century, we could have invested in roads, railways, pipelines, hydro corridors, seaports, and a modern military. Instead, Canada chose to outsource its independence. When he inevitably walks away from NAFTA, Kuzma, USMCA, the bombastic buffoon may force us to reclaim the greatest gift possible, our independence. Robert McCall in Montreal. From the age of 15, I remember thinking, it's not a good idea that we have all of our economic eggs in one basket like this.

All it would take is for the U.S. to elect one inhospitable president and our entire economy could be derailed. Well, it's taken 41 years from my fears to be realized, but here we are. So no, I don't ever want to be that vulnerable as a nation again. I'm not naive enough to imagine they ever really saw us as friends. William Pallender in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Our relationship with the USA has changed forever.

No Canadian should ever be allowed to forget the American betrayal. Greg Lang of Bell River, Ontario. That's down near Windsor, east of Windsor, I think. The political relationship will return to what it was, be it in three years or sooner. Nothing has changed in my personal relationship or my work relationship. Ignore what the mainstream media is cramming down our throats. It is bunk. I have traveled in the USA several times in the past year and there have been no issues. Ignore CBC and CTV.

I. Okay, Greg. Peter Pilgrim in Ottawa. The relationship with the U.S. will never go back to being a semblance of what it was. The U.S. has been fundamentally changed and will remain in thrall to MAGA. The wounds and damage of the Canadian relationship are too deep. We are already moving to build alliances with other like-minded powers. That is the future. Amberly Ryan Henry in Toronto. My position is clear.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me. There now exists in the Canadian collective consciousness and awareness that the USA can invert 180 degrees. This shall never be erased from the minds of the watchful. It would now be negligent not to take the necessary actions to mitigate the possibility of another such inversion, because anything else would be delusional. Patricia Murphy in Peterborough, Ontario.

The relationship has changed fundamentally, and for me permanently. I will not step foot across the border, and I will avoid giving them one cent of my money. They believe they have the right to take whatever they want, wherever they want, whenever they want. Nobody is safe from their rapacious greed. Their eyes will turn north soon, and Canada and Greenland will be back on the menu. Carl Mosculuk in Montreal This is a no-brainer Of course our relationship with the U.S. is not forever damaged

This is a pure liberal construct To demonize the U.S. Create a false enemy And In-swoops the fearless and all-powerful liberals And Carney to save the day This is a cynical, devious power grab So so far the letters are

are not suggesting the relationship has changed forever. But they're not all suggesting that. As you can see, those who don't feel this way are pretty strong with their message. Darrell Wright in Lower Newcastle, New Brunswick, far too few Americans understand why Canadians are angry with their government.

The relationship won't be repaired until Americans demand the kind of reforms worthy of a Western democracy. Susan McCormick in Eastern PEI. I feel some of our relationship with the U.S. is permanently changed. Some trust between our countries can be restored only after Trump leaves office and if his party changes the narrative of we don't need Canada, they need us. We all know we need each other.

Julie Smith Allen in Luthbridge, Alberta. I believe that our relationship with the United States can get back to some semblance of the way it used to be, but only when Trump and anyone who thinks like Trump is gone. We don't hate all Americans. We hate Donald Trump and the people who drink his Kool-Aid. FinCenza Grupposo in Mississauga, Ontario. The milk was spilled, the genie is out of the bottle.

The relationship was abruptly forced to adapt and evolve. This doesn't necessarily mean the relationship will be consistently worse. It may be better at some unknown future time, but for the moment it is not in a good way, and we are not going to get back to some previous time or previous version of the relationship. Jesse Rye in Ottawa. It would be difficult to trust the American people again after they voted Trump in twice. The idiocy, arrogance, and racism on display by the unsurious and professional. profoundly unqualified Trump administration should tell us all we need to know. This is who the American people chose to represent them.

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to return to our previous relationship, and I do not see this changing. Rebecca Hanson in Vancouver. I don't think Canadians will ever want to return to such an overwhelming reliance on the U.S. for trade or defense. I certainly don't. The current circumstances have forced us as a country to grow up and to no longer be so under the influence of our big brother to the south.

Ross Hanwood in Barhaven, Ontario. I've been disturbed and depressed by the noticeable change in the USA. The bond and friendship between Canadians, Americans, and our two countries was the one thing in this world I felt relatively certain of, Now it feels like they're completely gone. Trust is gain drop by drop and is lost in bucketfuls. How can we trust them at this point? Mark Manchester in Toronto.

I've worked for over 50 years as a film technician. Ours is a cultural art form that relies heavily on U.S. involvement. We must work together, regardless of political uncertainty. This is not changed. not likely will. We need stability. David Milton in Winnipeg. The USA is no longer part of a rules-based order, and it is dangerous and foolish to think that we can safely trade with them. We should be diversifying as fast as humanly possible, and reducing

trade with the U.S. at every opportunity. I honestly think it will take decades, if ever, to undo the damage Trump has done to the USA's international. national image and relationships. Looking back is not in our best interests. We need to move on. Sarah Allinger in New Westminster, BC. You know, I love this fact that we're hearing from so many Canadians from different parts of the country

and so many who are writing in for the first time. They listen. They like Thursdays. They like your turn because it's the one day of the week where, you know, for the most part, it's not my opinion. You know, it's not Bruce and Chantal. It's not Althea and Rob. It's not Moore and Butts.

It's not Dr. Stein. It's you. It's your thoughts. It's your turn. And I'm glad we spend one day a week listening to what you have to say on the topics that, that obviously mean a lot to you. All right, Sarah Allinger and New Westminster, BC, here's what she said. Forever is a long time, and given that Germany was able to rehabilitate their reputation

after doing immeasurably worse things in World War II, I have no doubt that the USA will eventually be able to do the same. But after watching Canada get bullied and threatened for more than a year while the good U.S. citizens buried their heads are joined in on the so-called joke, I personally will never be able to trust them again. Robert Lambert in Edmonton. While the U.S.-Canada relationship has changed forever, it will likely return to something closer to what it originally was.

Some industries will likely have changed permanently, but in the long run, most industries, commodities and services, will be less effective. It takes decades to build trust between nations and just as long to rebuild it. Many Canadians, citizens, may never feel quite the same again about our neighbors. Glenn McLaughlin in Regina The relationship with the U.S. is not ruptured, but it's not healthy. Canada's international trade will always be overwhelmingly with the U.S.

However, in the past, although we weren't equals with the U.S., we both played by the rules and we were treated fairly. we are still in a relationship, but the trust is gone. Anita de Rosier in Toronto. Our relationship with the Americans has changed permanently. Because of the actions or lack of actions of the Americans with respect to the election of Trump and his subsequent control of the country,

the U.S. and the whole world is now at risk. This will be very difficult to reverse and hard to forgive, because Trump exists, the U.S. is a threat. But Trump exists because of what the U.S. has become. Betty Donderdman in Toronto. Our relationship with the U.S. has changed and will be changed for many years. Trump may go, but the infrastructure that supports him will be there a long time. No longer an ally, no longer a beacon of democracy.

They are a chaotic administration that stands for nothing but personal. gain. Trump has gotten away with so much criminal and immoral behavior, there is no normal to return to. It could take decades for the pendulum to swing back. Canada can't wait in false hope. Carney was right. We need to adjust to the reality. T.C. Sang in Vancouver. I think Canada's relationship with the U.S. has been changed for a generation, if not forever. The idea that over 75 million voters in the U.S. preferred Donald Trump in 2024 didn't go unnoticed in Canada. We're now aware of the fact that Americans in subsequent elections can vote for another person who may be hostile to Canada.

Carlos Probst in Ottawa. I think the relationship has changed fundamentally, forever, and for the better for Canada. Trump has forced Canada to realize it cannot depend on the United States. And with Carney's leadership, we have come of age as an independent country. Canadians and Americans are friends, even family, and this will never change. What will change is our relationship, from one where America leads and Canada follows, to one of peer nations. There are a few things I give the Trump administration credit for, but I am grateful for them,

forcing Canada to face the new geopolitical reality and grow up as a nation. Dan McDougal in Innesville, Ontario. I don't think the relationship with the U.S. is permanently ruptured, as long as America's democracy is maintained. If so, I believe the current administration will be out in 2028, and the relationship can start to heal. It won't be immediate and probably won't fully recover, but certainly won't be adversarial.

However, if the current administration hijacks American democracy, suspending elections in response to some national security crisis, gerrymandering, limiting voter access, all bets are off. We are probably in great sovereign danger. Roddy Harb in Toronto. The future of U.S.-Canada relations depends heavily on the next American president. If a Democrat wins, I expect our traditional relationships to return, given our deeply interconnected economies, familial bonds, and shared culture. However, I remain skeptical of this outcome if a Republican takes power, considering their divisive politics and the likely successor.

One thing is clear, however, this era showed Canada the importance of organizing itself domestically, to de-risk and become more self-reliant overall. Let me just say a couple of things about the trend of these letters. One of the letter writers earlier basically suggested that this is all a liberal plot to make Canadians feel this way. Liberal slash Carney plot. You know, I don't think that's fair to a lot of people out there who aren't. liberals who feel pretty strongly about this. And you can see it in the research data that's out there.

Poll after poll, no matter what firm it is, is showing the same kind of thing that those who have, who normally vote and may well still vote, conservative, and in some cases, NDP, are supporting the government on this, issue, on this approach, not necessarily on other issues that are facing the country right now, but certainly on this one. And I think it's too easy, if you disagree with the government's position right now, to simply suggest, ah, it's all a big liberal plot. Because I get a lot of mail from people

who say, I'm not a liberal. I've never voted liberal. But I support the government on this issue. this Canada, U.S. issue. So I think it's important to keep that. I mean, clearly these letters, as they were, the first we could do at this, are running not necessarily in favor of the government. But certainly along the lines of our relationship has changed and has probably changed forever, certainly for the next generation or two. I mean, you know, we use that term, don't poke the bear.

well, don't poke the Canadian bear on this kind of issue. Seems to be the case. Okay, let's take our break. I remember it halfway through the letters we've got it, and we've also got the random ranter standing by, paw on the ground, he's ready to go. His most familiar topic in the last year has been Donald Trump, and guess what? It is again today.

But we'll get to the random ranter. Right after this. That's nice to throw in a little different music every once in a while. Even if it was a by accident, even though it was because I pushed the wrong button. Nevertheless, welcome back. This is your Thursday episode of the Bridge. I'm Peter Mansbridge.

You're listening on Series XM, Channel 167, Canada Talks, or on your favorite podcast platform. And as we told you yesterday, and as there's been some publicity surrounding it, we reached yesterday 20 million downloads for the bridge since we went on the air, you know, roughly six years ago. It was kind of a staggered start before we got organized and achieved this wonderful relationship with Sirius XM

for both on the satellite radio network right across North America every day at 12 noon Eastern. plus the ability to download the podcast. And there have been 20 million of those downloads since we started. And obviously we're proud of that fact. We are a little humble operation. But it appears that certainly some of you quite enjoy listening to the variety of things that we offer on a weekly basis. This Thursday is, as it always has,

been your turn. Your opportunity to give your thoughts on the issues that are facing the country and facing the world. We also on Thursdays have our friend the random renter who comes along and gives us his ideas and thoughts on whatever's crossing his mind. And it's that time again. It's time for the random renter. So here he is. When Trump talks about unconditional surrender in Iran, surely he's talking about when America has had enough and just gets up and leaves, right? Because if they thought Iraq and Afghanistan were bad, wait until they put some troops on the ground in Iran. I mean, don't they teach history at West Point? Even someone with a max the 2,000-year-old mouse understanding of history

knows that Iran is the modern embodiment of Persia, one of the world's oldest civilizations, one that survived and thrived for over 2,500 years. The Persians were the world's first superpower. They fought the ancient Greeks, the pharaohs, the Romans, the Turks, and they survived some of history's greatest conquerors, including Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. I think history has proven that as a people, they're resilient, certainly resilient enough to withstand a phony,

want to be strong men like Trump. Now, surely there has to be someone in the Pentagon that knows this. So what's the end game? We know it's not democracy, and we know his concern about the Iranian people isn't their well-being. It's how to keep them out of America. I mean, I just saw him on the news saying, they were about to get nukes. But who's really buying that, especially coming from him? I don't know about you, but I find it's scary that he could compel the American military to start a war like this without a coherent reason or a viable plan. But look out Greenland. He did it. And now the whole world is paying for it at the pumps and in the grocery aisle. We're really kind of screwed on this too. Because unless Trump manages to gin up some kind of face-saving excuse to walk away a winner, then this war is going to go on for some time. and continue to escalate.

This whole idea of bombing Iran into submission is not going to work. It's not a viable strategy. It's a fantasy. I mean, air power is great, but in the history of warfare, it's never been enough on its own. To win, you need boots on the ground. But let's get real. In the case of Iran, boots on the ground or not, there will be no winning, only suffering and death. Look, I know America is the most powerful military in the world, but that didn't help them much against the Afghans.

And that's a country with less than half the population of Iran and a fraction of the military infrastructure. The Afghans didn't have Shahid drones, ballistic missiles, or a standing army of over a half million men. And they didn't have a stranglehold over one of the most strategically important shipping routes in the entire world. But I get it, the almighty American military. Listen to Trump and he'll tell you, they're unstoppable. They're the most powerful force the world has ever seen. And while that's probably true on paper, when it comes to a fight, an actual fight, for all their strength, for all their fancy weapons, all their warrior spirit training,

and all their Ura bravado, they do have one massive weakness that turns out to be one of Iran's greatest strengths. It's their willingness to sustain casualties. Iran lost upwards of a million people during the Iran-Iraq war. They were bombed, they were gassed, and in a rare Cold War twist, both the Soviet Union and the United States were against them. Yet with all that pressure and all that loss, their government didn't fail, and neither did their resolve to fight. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not pro-Iran. Their government slaughters its own people. They're tyrants for sure, but they're also religious zealots. And what Trump doesn't understand is, zealots have principles they're willing to die for, principles that can't be bought,

sold, or even leveraged. The only tenants Trump lives by are to never apologize and to never admit you're wrong. Trump's belief system, surprise, surprise, is entirely transactional. He's a quid pro quo man through and through. For him, everything is for sale and money knows no wrong. That approach may be able to coerce Venezuela. It may even end up coercing Cuba. But in Iran, he's bitten off more than he can chew.

The random ranter for this week. I'm trying to imagine you sitting there and listening to the ranter and you're going, yeah, I agree with that. I agree with that. I agree with that. Oh, I don't agree with that. That's the beauty of the ranter.

He puts thoughts in front of you and you determine whether or not you're going to buy in or not. But as I've said before, and it's worth mentioning every once in a while. The ranter is not. a journalist. He's not a front-line person who's in the news. He's not affecting policy. Other than he's a voter. Lives on the prairies. Has a good job. Travels a lot. Meets a lot of people. Sits in the odd coffee shop. Here's what people are saying. Interesting guy, my friend, the ranter.

And your friend, too. And he's been doing this now for a few years, and every week he has something to say. Something for you to think about. All right, let's get back to your thoughts. Back to the letters this week on the topic of the Canada-U.S. relationship. Is it a change forever? Or is something about the past going to return in terms of that relationship?

Next up, we've got Jeff Fisher in Riverview, Brunswick. While the Canada-U.S. relationship will become less tense post-Trump, it'll take far longer to restore than it did to dismantle, and the days of old won't return. You know, we have this saying in the broadcast business, you know, no matter as how well you may be doing in terms of audience and ratings and all that stuff, you know, it can just take one misstep or one program that's seen as unpopular. Just take one little thing to impact that audience.

And as we'd like to think, and I like to say, it doesn't take long for something like that to have an impact on your standing. It takes an awfully long time to get that audience back. again. And we've seen that happen in the broadcasting business over and over again. All right. Moving on. Brenda Dobson in Enderby, BC, that's the northern Okinawagon, about 80 kilometers north of Colonna. Brenda writes, Canada, a country whose population to land ratio is the best in the world, would be crazy to break ties with the USA. We share the longest undefended border in the world with a country that has the world's largest economy.

Presidents come and go, so do prime ministers. Our businesses have stood through multiple administrations and will stand through many more as long as our governments reacts in favor of Canadians. I think Pierre Pollyev understands that part better than Mark Carney. Lee Neville in Edmonton, I'm entirely uninterested in restoring the previously enjoyed relationship with the U.S. We need to pivot to the world. I do not care that Americans like me. That's a them problem, not an us problem. Fair trade is the first principle. Free trade is dead. Thea Miller in Comox, B.C. The situation with the U.S. is temporary because Trump is temporary.

There is cause for concern about future Republican leaders, but I believe Carney's approach is smart. One, he understands its risky to depend so heavily on the U.S., short and long term, which became obvious during COVID-19 and more recently with Trump and, two, this risk can be addressed domestically by building and diversifying industry and internationally by expanding our trade partnerships. This is about Canada's economic sustainability, which has been sorely lacking for many years. Richard Swindells in Mono, Ontario Another way to look at this, what do the Americans think about our joint relationship? Their views are surely relevant. I believe the vast majority are ignorant at best,

indifferent and inward-looking. They have elected Trump twice, so yes, RPM is absolutely on the right track. We must stay the course and look elsewhere. Lana McLaren in Vancouver USA can't be trusted for years to come. 50% support the current orange ding-dong and policies are just starting. An election equals uncertainty.

Sold my real estate. Won't cross the border. We'll never take a flight with a USA layover. Darrell George in Whiteway, Newfoundland, Labrador. It's on Trinity Bay. The Canada-U.S. relationship has never been static. It has fluctuated continuously over the past 250 years. We have experienced periods of free trade, followed by protectionism.

American expansionist rhetoric is also as old as the relationship itself. What has changed is the very close post-World War II relationship. History indicates that this most recent setback is not permanent. Instead, a close relationship featuring free trade and amicable relations will be decades away. But as before, they will return. Debbie Fletcher in Jackson's Point, Ontario. That's on Lake Simco.

I cannot help but think this question should be split into two parts, politics and people. Politically, we must endeavor to maintain this partnership that has benefited both countries so much. Even though it's likely that Trump will try to circumvent the midterms, eventually he will be gone. As for the people, it really depends upon how much work the next administration is willing to put in to try to win us back. Thanks, Debbie.

You know, what I like most about Debbie's letter is it comes from Jackson's Point, Ontario. Now, I know Jackson's Point, and I know it because of Peter Zoski, the great Peter Zoski. Used to have a golf tournament raising funds for literacy. and the main tournament, there were many across the country, the main tournament was in Jackson's Point. I believe in the cemetery at Jackson's Point is where Stephen Leacock is buried. Am I right about that, I think? Anyway, just reading the name Jackson's Point brings back great memories of a great man

in Peter Zoski, one who generations of Canadians will know and remember fondly. Pat Wharton in Vernon, BC, I don't believe our relations with the U.S. will ever go back to the way it was before Trump 2.0. We would be fools to trust them again. Something is fundamentally broken in America, and I'm not sure that Americans realize how dysfunctional their country has become. Electing Trump once should have been a big wake-up call to them, but it wasn't. Cautionary tale for Canada. Joshua Seguart in Kingston, Ontario.

I think our cultural relationship will recover to something similar to what it was. However, our economic relationship will not. My understanding is that we are making generational investment in infrastructure to trade and with other countries. That is permanent. When the Americans finally snap out of this cult of personality, they will find that our resources are no longer exclusively available to them at the very moment when they will need them the most. Barb Demeret in Vancouver,

my knee-jerk response to whether Canada and the U.S. will ever get back to what it was is not in our lifetime. I'm a baby boomer. Having said that, I believe if the Democrats are able again to take control of Congress, it's definitely possible. Things seem to be moving towards blue, rather than red, and with fresh young progressive blood like James Telerico and others, I think there's hope.

The Republicans need a complete makeover. Rachel McDonnell in Victoria, BC. I think the key to any solid relationship is trust. We cannot trust Donald Trump. But more importantly, we've lost the respect and certainty which exists when dealing with a truthful trading partner. This has caused a reparation. damage between Canada and the United States. Eric Wees in Ottawa.

I think it's reasonable to assume that Canada-U-S. relations will be altered for the foreseeable future. This is mainly because there is Trump and there is Trumpism. The MAGA movement isn't going away even when Trump exists, exits the stage. And as long as the possibility exists of its return to power, Canada will take a once-bitten, twice-shy stance vis-a-vis the U.S. and will continue to diversify and strengthen our other international relationships. Maureen Manning in Nanaimo, BC. Canada's relationship with America will never be the same. We've taken our proximity to the U.S. for granted for too long.

We've allowed them both liberal and conservative governments to favor their Bay Street friends and big corporate lobbyists who've pressed for quick, easy profits from proximal trade deals with the U.S. This trade war now has us diversifying and reunifying with other nations, finding new trade and manufacturing agreements. This is our future. Matthew Tamblund in Wakefield, Quebec. I don't believe that most Canadians blame Americans for the actions of their administration. Even now, I think there is goodwill between the countries, citizens, it is the American president and members of his administration who are responsible for

the aggressive rhetoric regarding Canada's sovereignty. That being said, I believe we Canadians and the world at large are hopeful that the American public will wake up and save their democracy before it's too late. Terry Sims in Victoria, I believe we've turned a corner permanently with regard to our economic and political relationship with the U.S. They have continued to deteriorate as a nation since 9-11. Trump's government is a symptom of their decline, not a cause. Canada needs to be very cautious about who we consider as friends and allies. The world is watching, and you know how the old saying goes.

You are the company you keep. Tony Pillow in Calgary. Yes, the Canada-U.S. relationship can return to the old normal, but it should not. I fear that the combination of a normal future U.S. administration combined with a looming capital expenditure for major nation-building projects will undo Canadians resolve and we will remain in our current state of vulnerability. Christine Franzen in Dundas, Ontario. I do not believe that Canada and the USA will ever be the same. I do believe the relationship will evolve into a new, more cautious acquaintance. there's so much history and connection between the two countries that it is impossible to imagine a permanent estrangement.

Ultimately, as an optimist, I hope for a better future than what we currently have. Willis Spencer in Owen Sound, Ontario. The trust and comfort level has been broken and will take generations to repair. The USA corporate has always looked down at us, but with limitations of our board, order. Not now. There is a clear mental state that they can just take and we have to give. No more. This fortunate wake-up call has finally pushed us to truly stand up. I hope as one team, Canada. Nick della Puerta, or Peruta, in Pitt Meadows, B.C. That's a suburb of Vancouver. Will the Canadian-American relationship ever be the same? No. We will have, of course,

course, be interconnected, but how could we possibly return to what our relationship was like in the 80s and 90s when I was a child? Canada needs to forge its own path, moving forward and diversify as much of our trade and economic ties away from the U.S. as possible. They have proven to be a completely unreliable partner that will use whatever leverage they have to gain an advantage. It was naive of Canadian leadership to think otherwise. Pat. Ryan, Pat's in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In a word, no.

Americans marvel at the perfection of their constitution. It's tragic that they have, through their conscious choices, rendered it, Congress, and the Supreme Court irrelevant. I thought their revolution was supposed to get them out from under the thumb of a king. It doesn't look that way to me. When this one goes,

the founding oligarchs will install another one just like him. Maggie Wilson in Sydney, BC. I've been pulling away from the U.S. for years, but that accelerated after Trump 2.0. I have zero desire to go to the States, and I'm not sure I'll ever go again. When picking a new book, TV show, or movie, I avoid U.S. ones.

The pervasive attitude of exceptionalism down south has long been off-putting to me. I've always felt more at ease in Europe or Australia. Noel Pruden in Winnipeg. I will never again enter the USA. Admittedly, it's uncommon. I've only been once in the last 22 years. However, seeing Trump merchandise and mass support in rural Pennsylvania in 2022

made me extremely uncomfortable. It's unbelievable that some Americans assume after everything Trump has said and done that they'll continue being leader of the West, never mind Canadians returning to the status quo. It's been satisfying permanently changing my spending habits away from U.S. products. Baalman's Belding in Halifax. You ask whether the Canada-U.S. relationship can return to what it once was. Well, I don't believe it should.

For years, the U.S. treated Canada with a quiet smugness, and more recently has turned away from its closest neighbor. with American politics sliding backward under Trump, why look back? Canada should move forward on its own terms and let the U.S. confront the consequences of its choices. Edward Peters in Camloose, B.C. The U.S. Canada relationship will never return to what it once was.

Faced with challenging times, U.S. voters selected a far-right failed business mogul with six bankruptcies under his belt. Canadians by comparison selected a PhD economist with a strong public service central banking background. The results of this divergence of priorities will reverberate for generations. I couldn't be more proud of my fellow Canadians. Garth Wilson in Bowmanville, Ontario.

When trust is fractured, a relationship can with time be repaired, but will forever change. Our two nations' proximity are resorts, their economic engine made interdependence easy, and for most of our shared history, it worked, rather seamlessly, for both. This administration made its attack personal, and too many Americans sat quietly on their hands. We get it now. No eggs survive when we don't get any control over who builds or carries the basket.

Frank Wang in Surrey, BC. The old relationship will reform if we become complacent in a post-Trump era. we have received a perfect punch in the gut to wake up and diversify. It's time for Canada to build a new economy that does not heavily rely on any single trade partner. Failure to seize this moment means we will be facing enormous pains again at a future date. Darren Schemmer in Vancouver. People-to-people relationships will return to what they were before Trump's insults and attacks, but trade relationships won't.

Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are pro-free trade anymore. We will have trade, but our future lies in trade with more partners. Constance Blundie in North Vancouver. There are people and places in the U.S. that we have not been visiting. I think we will eventually be comfortable with seeing them again because we still love those ordinary American people and places. However, on an economic level, we will never trust the American establishment in the same way. We will never again let down our defensive guard, and we will never again put our commercial eggs in that one basket.

Anne-Marie Vezina in Ottawa. The relationship between Canada and the U.S. will never be the same, not because of animosity or lack of goodwill, although surely there will be some of that, at least in the short term, but simply because the U.S. will never be what it was before President Trump. The rest of the world is being forced to make changes, and those changes won't be undone. You cannot unboil an egg. A lot of egg references here lately. Pamela McDermott in Burlington, Ontario.

When trust is lost, it creates a profound crisis, and rebuilding it will be a slow process. Trump's zero-sum bargaining has given Americans the taste of unchecked political power, Will they be able to rein that in? Is diplomacy dead to them? Unfortunately, I don't trust the American political system with its big money influence and increasing gerrymandering to be able to vote in someone else of a different flavor. Kevin Ellis in Toronto.

No, our relationship with the U.S. will never be the same. In fact, our take on the entire world needs a different perspective and quickly. Government, industry, religions, health care, all types of media that provide our views on the world today, are being transformed. If Canadians aren't catching on to this, we're just frogs in a big, slowly boiling pot. Eyes open, folks. Byron Hone in Calgary The United States government is a pathology personified, a diluted, self-angrandizing addict of power and influence,

unable to see themselves in relation to others. Just as you would set boundaries for a troubled individual, so too we set boundaries as a country from our lost and sick friend. Boundaries are mutually beneficial. At times a chasm, reconciled, only through years of a proven commitment to accountability, self-awareness, and compassion. We can only hope.

Patrick Chung in Toronto. The trust has broken. No one in their right mind would put up with it. I'm glad Prime Minister Carney is moving our trade from the U.S. to other countries. We're still a great neighbor to the U.S., but we will never trust them again. All right, here's the last letter for this week on this topic. And it comes from someone who's probably a minority in our audience. most of our audience, as far as I've been able to tell,

is kind of middle age to seniors, anywhere from the kind of mid-30s on. But not exclusively. There are quite a few young people who write in. You know, still going to school, going to university, college, just starting off in the workplace. They write as well. including Evan Panton from North Vancouver.

As a young person, it's hard to be optimistic about Canada-U-S. relations when my entire life has coincided with acute American decline. The late Bush era when I was born already seemed bad. Fast forward to today, with Trump threatening our sovereignty, we must understand this isn't a temporary deviation, but the culmination of years of deterioration. Economic ties may recover, but socially speaking, I believe my generation

has been forever poisoned against America. Pretty strong words, Evan. Once again, thank you for all your letters. This is the second episode on this topic. First one was two weeks ago. and it's great to get a sense behind the numbers that you see in polling data, but actually your own feelings about how you feel about this topic.

So, as always, I appreciate your letters. I thank you for sending them in. Following the rules of the 75 words or fewer. I know I didn't get to all the letters, but I thank you for all of them. Really appreciate it. tomorrow it is your turn or not. Tomorrow it's good talk, which is their turn.

Chantelli Bear and Bruce Anderson will be by with their thoughts on whatever we decide to talk about tomorrow. It's always interesting and it's always fun to talk to those two. So we'll do that tomorrow as we get ready for another weekend which slowly, and parts of the country, slowly is pushing us towards spring. I hope we see some evidence of that this weekend. I'm Peter Mansfich. Thanks so much for listening today, and we'll talk again in 24 hours.