More than three-quarters of Canadians feel insulted by suggestions that their country should become the 51st state of the United States, according to a new poll that reveals deep national sentiment about Canadian identity and sovereignty.
Overwhelming Rejection of 'Compliment' Claim
The survey conducted earlier this month by Narrative Research and the Logit Group found that 78% of Canadians disagree with U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra's assertion that President Donald Trump's call for Canada to become the 51st state represents a compliment and term of endearment. Only 11% of respondents agreed with the ambassador's characterization.
Just one in ten Canadians believe that suggesting Canada should become the 51st state is complimentary, according to the pollsters' statement. Approximately one in ten respondents remained unsure or declined to express an opinion on the matter.
Historical Roots of Canadian Resistance
Asa McKercher, the Hudson Chair in Canada-U.S. Relations at St. Francis Xavier University's Brian Mulroney Institute of Government, expressed no surprise at the poll results. Canada's very existence stems from people rejecting American identity, explained McKercher, an associate professor of public policy and governance based in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
The professor highlighted how English and French residents united to throw back the Americans during their invasion in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. He noted that Canadians voted to become a colony rather than welcoming annexation in the 1860s.
McKercher pointed to the Newfoundland referendum of 1948 as another historical example, where residents opted to join Canada despite having the option to appeal for American statehood. This resistance to American annexation has united Canadians throughout our entire existence on the northern half of North America, he emphasized.
Generational Divide in Perspectives
While most Canadians rejected the 51st state rhetoric, the poll revealed an interesting generational divide. Among Gen Z respondents aged 18 to 24, 27% agreed that Canada becoming the 51st state should be taken as a compliment - more than double the national average.
McKercher acknowledged that the American perspective could be interpreted as complimentary in one sense. It is a compliment, in a sense, I guess, in that Americans have this kind of typical view that everyone wants to be American, he commented.
The poll results emerge amid ongoing diplomatic tensions, including Hoekstra's warnings about Canadian meddling in U.S. politics and his profane rant against an Ontario official that prompted Premier Doug Ford to demand an apology.
