AN ALIEN VISITING THE USA

I watched an interview on an American TV network with Tom Clark, Canadian Consul-General of New York, a few days after Mark Carney became our new Prime Minister. He was asked how Canadians are feeling about the US. His answer: “We’ve been punched in the nose by our best friend, and we’re trying to figure out why!”

We’ve been in Florida since the beginning of March and are observing this dispute between neighbours with great interest. We’ve been spending time here since 2016, and I can’t remember reading or seeing much about Canada in US media outlets. This year is very different.

I made a New Years resolution for 2025: try to understand why a majority of Americans voted for such a major change. I’ve heard the reason why described in very simple terms as “Too much woke, and too many broke”, and I think that covers it for many people. I’m purposely ignoring the character flaws of the man a majority of Americans chose as their President and am instead focusing on the changes he has promised to bring forward.

President Trump has many balls in the air in this country: federal government downsizing, spending reductions, energy self-sufficiency (in his words “Drill baby drill!”), border control, the war on drugs, deporting illegal immigrants, and the list grows every day. He has also disrupted the world order by intervening in very unexpected ways in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israeli-Hamas conflict, in the NATO alliance, in US-European relations, and even toward the United Nations.

I don’t disagree with everything he’s done and proposes to do. The US shouldn’t be expected to be the peacemaker and rescuer of every ally that gets into trouble as well as the prime defender of Western-style democracy. Americans have decided that their focus must turn inward, for a time at least. And so, geopolitically, this is the most interesting period I can remember, and I fully intend to learn from it and keep an open mind.

When President Trump says he wants Canada to become the 51^st state, what does he really mean? What is his end game, and what does he really want if we resist these overtures, as I know we will?

Our two countries are so different that Elva and I have purposely avoided discussing four potentially contentious subjects here: politics, religion, health care, and gun control. Say the wrong thing to the wrong person and you might lose an acquaintance or, more importantly, a cycling buddy. This year, for the first time, we’re being asked by people what we think of what’s going on. My answer goes something like this: “I’ve made an effort to understand why a majority voted for such a major change and so strongly rejected the old order, I’m following things very closely, and I’m keeping an open mind.” To my surprise, this has prompted some very interesting exchanges, none of them thus far unpleasant.

So, where do we go from here? With Canada being essentially leaderless since Justin Trudeau announced he was stepping down, an unlikely ambassador entered the arena in the PM’s stead, Ontario Premier Doug Ford. He’s the Don Cherry of Canadian politics: direct, plain-spoken, and pugnacious. And we’ve seen the emergence of Dominic LeBlanc and Canada’s Ambassador to the US, Kirsten Hillman, both of whom have proven very effective in conveying our message to Washington officials. Now it’s up to Mark Carney to play the cards he’s been dealt, and that won’t be easy to do during an election campaign that will see him fight to not be the shortest-serving Prime Minister in Canadian history.

I’m not an economist and I don’t know what impact President Trump’s tariffs will have on our standard of living in the short term or the longer term. Most economists say they don’t know either and those who say they do are lying. But here’s an example I know something about.

Our family travelled to Arvida in the summer of 1989 while I attended Université Laval in Québec City. We were there to visit former neighbours of Elva’s who’d moved from Prince Edward Island to the Lac-Saint-Jean region many years before to find work. We spent time with an elderly gentleman who had worked in the aluminum plant, and he gave us the grand tour, explaining all aspects of the production process. 

The name Arvida is derived from the name of its founder, Arthur Vining Davis, president of Alcoa Corporation, an American company headquartered in Pittsburgh. Arvida was founded as an industrial city by Alcoa in 1927, when the first aluminum smelter was constructed. It was known as "The City Built in 135 Days" and described by The New York Times as a "model town for working families" on "a North Canada steppe". The smelter complex at Arvida was the biggest aluminum plant in the world from 1943 to 1975 and they produced two-thirds of the aluminum used by all the World War II Allied forces. I remember that from Grade 5 Canadian Geography!

The Alcoa story helps me understand the whole tariff question and how it will affect Canada and the US. Free trade is a recognition between two countries that each has its advantages and can use these to produce a good cheaper than the other. Sometimes that advantage is cheaper labour, other times it’s cheaper raw material. In the case of what were to become Arvida and the Alcoa aluminum smelter, the local advantage was cheap power derived from damming nearby rivers that flow into Lac-Saint-Jean.

Over 40% of the aluminum Alcoa produces comes from Arvida and, before the 25% tariff, all of that was sold in the US. Now, Alcoa, an American company, must find other markets since the aluminum produced in Arvida will be too expensive for its US customers. How does that make sense?

And with President Trump changing his mind on tariffs more often that he changes his ties, American companies like Alcoa can’t plan. Without stability, they can’t make the investments he expects them to make to bring production home and “Make America Great Again.” President Trump is a very intelligent man, a great dealmaker, and a master of using the media to his advantage but, thus far, I can’t see how his tariff war is going to make things better for the average American. He talks about a period of “transition” before things get better, but I believe he’s playing with fire. The stock market is the best barometer of corporate confidence and it’s not looking so hot these days.

Canada’s response to the threat of tariffs has been the strongest of any of the G7 countries, and the man responsible has done us a great service by uniting us against a common threat like never in my lifetime. Even Québec is feeling more Canadian these days, realizing that the provinces, the territories, and the federal government will be stronger if they work together. Although we know an extended tariff war will hurt us more than it will our American neighbours, Canada is ready for the battle ahead. As Mark Carney has said: “In trade as in hockey, Canada will win!”

Some Canadians believe we should boycott American products and avoid travel to the US as a way of retaliating against an unfriendly neighbour. Has anyone considered what would happen if our public pension plans followed the same approach and stopped investing in American firms? If so, I haven’t heard or read about it.

Both the Canada and Québec pension plans invest almost half their assets in American stocks and real estate. I’m sure the same is true of public service and teachers pension plans across Canada. Look at your own RRSP investments and see what percentage of the mutual funds you hold in them include investments in American companies. Boycotting American products and travel to the US may provide temporary satisfaction but the strategy quickly falls apart when you consider all the consequences of a complete withdrawal.

As for Canada becoming the 51^st state, this can only be a typo…

Elva and I first spent time here in 2016 to get away from the more miserable months of our long Prince Edward Island winter. We’re guests of a foreign country and we accept that. I’m a member of the Canadian Snowbird Association. Two weeks ago, I received an urgent message from them directing me to a new rule issued by US Customs and Border Protection, one that requires all Canadian visitors to apply for or retrieve a form called “I-94”. The order spread panic among Canadians already in the US or planning to come here. The media went crazy, implying that we’d have to be registered and get fingerprinted, or face a fine of $5,000 or six months in jail.

It turned out to be a red herring. The President’s executive order is part of his strategy to control the border and make it easier to deport illegal immigrants. It made us feel like “aliens” for a few days, but the feeling quickly passed. I put it down to the error of using a cleaver when a scalpel would have been better. I pity the poor bureaucrats who must operationalize the President’s many confusing and poorly-thought-out decisions. This was one of them.

Many friends and relatives have asked us why we’ve decided to spend time in a country that has no respect for ours. It’s simple. We worked hard all our lives and saved for a comfortable retirement, one that included travel to foreign countries and spending time in warmer climes. We discovered a lovely community in Ft. Myers and acquaintances who make us feel at home while we’re here. Yes, it may be seem selfish to spend money in a country led by a man that has no respect for us, but that’s not how Americans make us feel; those that voted for President Trump and those who didn’t. We only have so many good years left and to waste four while waiting for things to change would be foolish.

On March 9, we watched the Liberal leadership convention. Jean Chrétien, 91 years old and sharp as a tack, gave a political stump speech more in character with that of a campaigning politician than the elder statesman he is. It was Chrétien at his best, in complete control of his message and of his audience. My father-in-law, Jos Denis, would have risen from his chair several times at the punch lines and pumped his fist. His best line was directed at President Trump: “From one old guy to another old guy, stop this nonsense!”

 

FAMILY CRUISE WITH SYLVIE & CO.

While they were home at Christmas, Sylvie and Ghislain told us about a cruise they were planning to take over March break. The dates fit perfectly with our planned Florida sojourn so, with a few taps on the mouse pad, we were booked to go with them for a seven-day cruise out of Port Canaveral on the MS Norwegian Epic.

After a short drive from Charlottetown and overnight stay in Saint John, we hit the road, hoping to make it to Saint Augustine, FL, in two days. On our first day going south, we try to make it to Harrisburg, PA, around suppertime. Traffic was light the whole way, and we got there with no issues. The next day should have taken us 13 hours, but we suffered through two major traffic jams, and it ended up taking us 16.5 hours; we arrived exhausted at the Southern Oaks Inn at 10:00.

I’d been wanting to visit Saint Augustine for some time but seemed always in too big a rush to do so. I would have liked to visit the World Golf Hall of Fame there, but it moved to North Carolina a few years ago. The historic significance of the place was a draw as well, since the city was the first to be established in what is today the United States of America. The Spanish settled there in 1565 and built Fort San Carlos. While many Florida cities claim to have a historic district, none is as impressive as Saint Augustine’s.

We took the hotel shuttle into the historic district and spent the better part of the day there, just wandering around and taking in the sights. The place is every bit as interesting as Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. The pedestrian street, Saint George, is filled with quality boutiques and nice places to eat, and the seawall near the fort makes for a very interesting stroll. We visited many of the historic buildings, including the beautiful Cathedral, lavishly decorated in Spanish colours and themes. Late that afternoon, we drove across the Lion Bridge to Anastasia Island and walked the extensive beach there.

We met up with Sylvie, Ghislain, Samuel, Natalie, and Avery at the Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal and boarded the ship just before noon. It was fun wandering around the 4,500-passenger ship and taking in the festive atmosphere. Caribbean cruises are very different from the laid-back ones we’ve done with Holland America. Guests are here for a very different reason, mostly to drink, gamble, eat their faces off, and just have fun! The vibe takes some getting used to, but spending time with family made it very special indeed.

Norwegian is the fifth line we’ve cruised with. In addition to Holland America, we’ve been on Princess, AMA. and Hurtigruten (now called HX). It’s hard to compare the five because we were travelling for different reasons. Holland appeals to an older crowd interested in learning and visiting, Princess offers a similar experience and appeals to a similar demographic, while HX is all about expeditions and nature experiences. Our AMA experience was a river cruise. On Norwegian, we found our inside cabin to be quite small compared to what we’ve had on other lines, but the food was good, and there’s lots for young and old alike to do on board.

After a day at sea, the ship docked at Taino Bay, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; it was our first visit to the country known mostly to Canadians as an all-inclusive vacation destination. The DR shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, a “basket case” country ruled by ruthless gangs, with no functioning government, where people continue to barely survive in crushing poverty. The shops near the cruise dock appeal to the traveller who wants to spend a bit of money and relax. Elva and I ran the gauntlet of boutiques and attractions and made our way to the center of the city of 25,000 or so residents. While the DR is a poor country, what we saw did not make it seem that way. People were friendly, the place was clean, and the main square was lovely. As always, we were glad not to have taken a guided tour. On the way back to the ship, we ran across the rest of our party, enjoying themselves on the Lazy River attraction.

The next morning, we docked in Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands. We’d been to nearby Saint John a few years back on a Holland America trans-Atlantic cruise; Saint Thomas is a bigger island that has more to offer. Residents of this US territory are mostly descended from freed slaves who worked the plantations during the colonial period. People who live here are US citizens, are represented in Congress, but they don’t have the right to vote for the President and are not represented in the Senate.

We walked from the dock to the main town, Charlotte Amalie, along a beautiful belvedere which gave us a view across the harbour of the two ships in port that day. The young crowd did a SCUBA excursion that afternoon and came back to the ship with harrowing tales of their underwater adventures. I’m not sure they’ll be trying the sport again anytime soon. And we learned a new word from Natalie: “swass”, an apt conjunction that refers to excessive perspiration in the nether regions, a phenomenon I was to experience every day in the hot and humid Caribbean climate.

After a short sail, we docked early the next morning in Road Town, capital of Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands. After picking up a map of the town, we strolled along the waterfront promenade and followed Main Street in the direction of the botanical gardens. Along the way, we stopped at the pretty Anglican Church to see what it looked like inside. An Ash Wednesday service was taking place, and the lady at the door invited us in. The church was packed to the rafters with elementary school children, all of them in uniform, waiting their turn to have ashes placed on their foreheads. The organ played lively gospel tunes, and the place was abuzz. We were probably the only two passengers of the 9,000 or so in port that day who had the privilege of witnessing such a rich local event.

The botanical gardens certainly weren’t the most impressive we’ve seen but they did provide a quiet respite in a busy town. We had a nice chat with three people from the P&O ship in port that day. The older gentleman had been to Prince Edward Island and was quite knowledgeable about the history of Island shipbuilding. He was from County Devon in southwest England, near the port of Appledore, where many men left in the nineteenth century to work in shipyards on our Island. The first two paragraphs of my book, It Happened in Green Valley, talk about two men who met on the Appledore dock, both of them reading a notice inviting people to emigrate and work in James Yeo’s shipyard in Port Hill. Small world!

After a last day at sea, we dropped anchor off Great Stirrup Cay, a private island in the Bahamas owned and operated by Norwegian. The theme for the day was sun, swim, and lie on the beach. It was a nice way to finish our seven-day family cruise, an experience we hope to repeat some day before we get too old and decrepit and the grandkids get sick of hanging around with us. We said our goodbyes at the Port Canaveral cruise terminal. Sylvie and family drove to Orlando to spend the day at Disneyworld while awaiting their flight to Toronto while we headed to Siesta Key to spend a few hours with friends, Sandy and Bob Mayer, before driving south to Ft. Myers.