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Letters Jan. 24: Should we boycott American goods?; school trustees should resign

3 0
25.01.2025

While it is both prudent and natural for federal and provincial governments to spend significant time and effort dealing with the threat President Donald Trump’s policies pose to Canada, let’s not lose perspective on how to best plan for the future.

In an effort to mollify the U.S., over the past 15 years Canada has literally eviscerated our relationships with both India and China, the world’s two ­dominant emerging economic powerhouses.

Making matters worse, we have failed to aggressively expand our partnerships with other global regions in any meaningful way. Thus, our current isolation and expanded economic dependency on our American cousins is of our own doing.

It will be up to us to change course if Canada is to thrive in the future. Again, the current war room strategizing underway to deal with the immediate threat Trump poses is necessary, but it is even more important to re-establish and strengthen relationships with the rest of the world.

The good news is that Canada is not alone in feeling the sting of the new U.S. isolationist policies, and the necessity of expanding our international partnerships on everything from trade to security is shared across the globe.

Strategically, it is critical Canada begin putting more energy into building relationships elsewhere than we do pushing back on the new reality in Trumpland.

Howard Brunt

North Saanich

As a Canadian, local business owner and employer of six Canadians whose livelihood depends on selling high quality U.S. made products, I am alarmed every time I hear the chant echoed by Premier David Eby to avoid American products.

I’m as angry as the next person at being held ransom by the Supreme Lunatic in D.C., however, I still have a business to run and Canadians who depend on that business.

The rhetoric, while emotionally satisfying, hurts us all in the end. I just ask that people consider this when they make their boycott decisions.

Jennifer Smith

Victoria

In the discussion about Canada, the United States and economic ramifications, no one seems to want to talk about the colonialization of the Canadian retail market by big American corporations since the mid 1990s.

Canada has lost innumerable Canadian grown businesses: Eaton’s, Hudson Bay to name just a couple.

Thankfully, Canadian Tire is still owned by Canadians and has not been put out of business by big American box stores, so........

© Times Colonist


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