Canada-U.S. Relations

I‘ve been in the United States for about a month now and one of the most encouraging parts of my experience thus far has been how positively Canada is viewed by literally everyone I’ve encountered.

My discussions with Americans dispel many of the myths that Canadians have about their neighbours to the south. Leading Americans are deeply interested in Canada and view it as a role model in many respects. But I’m afraid we often struggle to recognize the good in our largest trading partner.

Unfortunately, most Canadians think that Americans are oblivious and indifferent towards their country. They think that Americans are so arrogant as to be incapable of seeing a world beyond their borders. It’s true that Americans are less familiar with Canada than Canadians are with the United States, but that’s normal. The U.S. is by far the most dominant country in the world; if we were that important, we’d be a little self-absorbed too. And even Canadians who visit New York City often forget that there’s life beyond the five boroughs.