OPINION: O Canada! Let’s keep it ‘friendly, familiar, foreign, and near’

IMO, our president’s attitude toward our neighbor to the North is … well, it’s hard to describe because it’s so unusual and unexpected. It’s uncalled for, disrespectful, unpresidential and definitely not deserved.

I think Canada’s responses so far, by officials, pundits and media, reflect their restraint. It’s as if they’re “considering the source” and recognizing that such childish behavior doesn’t reflect the U.S. citizenry. And that hopefully it will cease before any serious and irreparable damage can be done.

As their Department of Tourism proclaimed in 1967, “Ontario: Friendly, familiar, foreign and near.” Let’s keep it that way.

Both the lake and the province bear the name, which is from an indigenous native word “Ontari:ío,” meaning lake of shining waters. So the lake was Ontario long before Canada borrowed the name for one of its provinces. Both honor the Huron and Iroquoian peoples, and will not be changed at some personal whim.

I was born and grew up in Niagara Falls, New York, in the days when the border was more relaxed than it is today. We kids walked across the Rainbow Bridge to swim in Cyanamid’s large free public swimming pool, and my mother and I drove across for grocery shopping. We also frequented their amusement park at Crystal Beach on Lake Erie – now closed.

Not that it mattered to me, but the drinking age in Ontario is 19 and in New York 21, so young United States adults could celebrate over there and return — but risk being questioned at the border. Canadian liberalism was also evidenced in their attitude on fireworks, and near their 1 July Canada Day, and our 4 July Independence Day, their stores were well stocked, tempting us to illegally bring them into more restrictive New York — but no one paid much attention.

I’ve visited Canada a few times since, including both coasts, and have always found them friendly and welcoming, so it’s a shame one individual is driving a wedge between us. Tourism both ways has been needlessly hurt.

Trade is also potentially and needlessly hurt. We’re each other’s largest trading partner and have always depended strongly on each other. And any silly tariff tiff is like kids arguing on a playground.

An even more serious result of our president’s demeaning attitude toward Canada is the damaging of their close relationship on both the political and popular levels. We share too much to be at odds: language, culture, origin, history, values, sports teams, arts and entertainment … Thankfully, Canadians have a sense of humor, and the situation is easily reversible.

Unfortunately, as a direct result of the 9/11 attack in 2001 security has been tightened; not to discourage U.S. and Canadian citizens from visiting each other, but to keep bad guys from peacefully entering one country and slipping into the other. So we should recognize that increased restrictions are not due to animosity between these two sister nations — sharing the same mother country.

But the border remains (thus far) the longest undefended border in the world — 5,525 miles including 1,538 miles abutting Alaska — with military forces on both sides unnecessary due to the historically peaceful relations. I hope it stays that way.