Mississaugua, Ontario
Cnn
–
The working day in Lola Bloom begins by unpacking morning delivery: a colorful mixture of dahlias, hydrangea, eyelets, roses and more lifted boxes and distributed over the work tables.
Until a few weeks ago, there were almost always flowers from the United States in the mixture while Lindsay Smith and Kaitlynn seized a vase, mowers and set to work by manufacturing floral arrangements.
But no more now.
Smith and Strain are law sisters, business partners and offended Canadians determined to send their share in sending a message to US President Donald Trump.
“We are just trying to buy the Canadian as much as possible,” said Smith. The tension of the chips in that Holland and Mexico are good options if there is no choice but to import. Certain vases and other materials of the store still come from states, but Smith and Strain are busy looking for alternatives.
“It’s … Donald Trump,” said Smith. “I have the impression that he is a tyrant in this situation. We are supposed to be allies. We thought we were in terms of friendship. “
Tariff threats. Talk about making Canada on the 51st state. Derisory references to the Prime Minister as governor. “It is very insulting,” says Smith, before showing Maple Leaf earrings that she chose for the visit of CNN “because I love Canada”.
The Trump effect is easy to find. There are more Canadian flags flying. Pacards “Proud Canadiens” in Windows. And, above all, a very different tone and tenor as an elector here are preparing to choose a new parliament and a new Prime Minister.
Smith and Strain are only two examples.
The two are traditionally supporters of the Green Party. But the two told CNN that they were almost sure to vote the Liberal Party next week because they know that the Greens will not win enough seats to choose the Prime Minister. The Liberals have a shot, and Smith and Strain want the winning party to have as great mandate as possible.
Canadians do not vote for the Prime Minister. They have made ballots to elect a representative of their district, or the conduct, and the party which earns the most seats can form the government and choose the Prime Minister, generally the leader of the party.
“We just need a strong leader who will not defend bullying,” said Smith. “You put your vote where it counts more in this situation.”
Toby Gorman offers more evidence than Canadians rethink almost everything.
Gorman is an environmental author and journalist, and self -proclaimed independent who says that he has supported candidates for all bands over the years. But the climate crisis is its most important problem at the moment, and Gorman considers the Green Party as the most aligned with his opinions. But he too said that his plan, unless a last second reversal is to vote liberal.
“If it was another election, without the American situation, without the crisis we have, I would probably go with the Greens,” said Gorman. Like Smith and Strain, he wants the winner to have a mandate. And he was impressed by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has been at work since mid-March after replacing Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader.
Small games tend to get a little better in Canada than in the United States. There are no members of the Green Party of the US Congress, for example, but the Greens are currently holding two of the 338 seats in the Canadian Parliament. The new Democrats hold 24 seats; The Quebec Bloc 33. But Gorman is one of those who move to one of the two main parties because he wants the winner to have more power.
“A very concentrated leader” is Gorman’s point of view on Carney. “An intelligent leader. It can manage the economy. I think he can manage the American situation. ”
Each Canadian we talked about during this visit to Ontario and on A trip to British Columbia A few weeks ago, characterized this campaign as a Carrefour moment.
The Government of Canada, they say, must increase its military spending and find new markets and economic partners. Canadians are expected to recheck at the grocery store and buy the Canadian on American as possible. And both should get rid of the idea that the neighbor of Canada to the South is a reliable friend with shared values.
“We are just tired of him,” said Gorman about Trump. “And it’s been only three months in the term. It’s, he will annex us. He wants to crush us economically. At first it was a bit like losing your best friend. You know:” What happened? What’s going on? “But now I think we are to the point where it is like, we can continue.”
The federal elections here are often defined by geographic or cultural rivalries. East against west. The ribs against the middle. Urban against Rural. English against French. Liberal versus conservative. But Trump caused a wave of Canadian nationalism, and he is the central question of this race.
“I myself put a flag,” said Gorman. “I never thought I would set up a Canadian flag. But when it comes to taking the time, Canadians really come together.
Peter Hamilton is a curator for life and hopes that the conservatives will come in mind when the votes are counted next week. But he saw the historic swing in the polls: a conservative advantage of 25 points in January evaporated, and the late election shows a modest liberal advantage.
“The main thing is that the Liberals and the Conservatives have worked together here,” said Hamilton. “They cannot be managed and arguing between others. We have to work together to advance this country – go for it. ”
This consensus is critical, says Hamilton, because the United States suddenly seems so distant and unreliable.
We interviewed Hamilton at Rock Maple Lodge, a 200 acres farm in a rural area about 60 miles from Toronto. The border and the buffalo are about 100 miles away, but Hamilton said that states suddenly do not feel so close.
Some 2,000 maples dot the property and there are 11 miles of tubes to bring maple syrup back to a building where it is boiled, filtered and in bottle, some after an additional aging in barrels of Bourbon in the United States. Hamilton also cultivates corn, wheat and soybeans and has a sawmill for a modest wooden enterprise.
Hamilton, still a Canadian proud, now feels more than ever. He welcomes a visitor to a team of team hockey Canada and our first stop is a farm building full of memories of hockey legends: Wayne Gretzky, Guy Lafleur, Bobby Orr and many others.
In a window of another building: one of the “Canadian proud” signs that we have seen over and over again during our visit to Ontario, from the reliable and liberal city center to conservative rural farms dotted with dairy farms and vegetables and Hamilton’s Rock Maple Lodge.
Hamilton is 75 years old and has been in the farm for 54 years, after having also worked in the construction of a house. He saw a lot. But nothing like it. Like most of the Canadians we met, he couldn’t understand why Trump decided to take the neighboring relationship in bad guy.
But he is not the type to live in and believes that the Canadian election is a key step for a country which, according to him, needs to reaffirm its independence and underline its ways.
“There are no more friends,” said Hamilton about the United States. “The greatest thing in Canada is that we have friends all over the world. How many friends have America have right now? ”