Fresh out of Barnard College with a degree in political science, Riley is learning the ropes as a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
Since taking office, Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened the US’s closest ally, Canada, with high tariffs and statehood, sparking a surge of national pride among Canadians. The tension has manifested in symbolic acts of resistance: coffee shops renaming Americanos to “Canadianos” and premiers threatening to ban American products. New polling shows that this defiance isn’t anecdotal.
An Angus Reid poll conducted over the weekend reveals a dramatic shift in Canadian patriotism. Strong patriotic feelings increased from 49% to 59% in just one month. Canadian pride is up 12 points in British Columbia, 13 points in Quebec, nine points in Ontario, and a whopping 15 points in Atlantic Canada. The prairie provinces saw more modest increases, with Alberta up three points and Saskatchewan up four points, while Manitoba experienced a slight decline.
Despite a last-minute deal to delay 25% tariffs, the threat deeply unsettled Canadians. Given the US’s status as Canada's largest trading partner, potential tariffs could trigger a recession and imperil thousands of jobs. Accordingly, perhaps the poll’s most striking finding was that 91% of Canadians now want to reduce dependence on the US, prioritizing national economic independence over reconciliation.
