Canada's former top general, Wayne Eyre, has advised Canadians to avoid burning bridges with their American neighbours, warning that actions like booing the U.S. national anthem at sporting events can turn friends into foes. Speaking at a University of Ottawa event, Eyre acknowledged that Canada's relationship with the United States has changed and may never return to its previous state, but stressed the importance of maintaining ties with Americans who remain friendly.
Eyre's Warning on National Anthem Booing
"We need to be careful about burning bridges with those who are still friendly," Eyre said during an event organized by the university's Centre for International Policy Studies. He added, "Evoking wide-scale nationalism by not considering the population separate from the administration, by booing national anthems at hockey games and turning those who are friendly to us against us. We've got to remember there are more Americans friendly to Canada than there are Canadians."
In the first year of Trump's second presidency, attendees at some sporting events in Canada, particularly when a local team faced an American opponent, booed the U.S. national anthem. A notable example occurred during a 4 Nations hockey match between Canada and the U.S. in Montreal in February 2025.
Caution on China Relations
During his keynote speech, the former chief of defence staff, who retired in 2024, also warned against turning to China as a way to reduce dependence on the United States. He subtly criticized two of Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent foreign policy directions. First, he cautioned against "sacrificing" Canada's relationship with Taiwan to appease the Chinese government. Second, he said he "bristled" when Carney announced a new "strategic partnership" with China to increase trade.
Eyre noted that this move has raised concerns within U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which is in intense economic competition with China while also seeking to increase trade with the Asian giant. "We need to be wary about siding with China over the U.S., as I believe that is the path to ruin," Eyre said. "Having some trade is good, but doing it from a position where we're not sacrificing our national interests and national values has got to be the way forward. Because if we go all in, we'll have our lunch eaten for us very, very fast."
Military Procurement and Risk-Taking
Eyre, who previously suggested Canada should consider acquiring nuclear weapons as a deterrent, did not repeat that call during the June 2 event. Instead, he argued that the government needs to be more comfortable taking risks with military procurement. He said Canadians should accept solutions with an 80 per cent chance of success, acknowledging that failure two out of ten times is "the price of doing business."
