For the last eight years, Canadian expats and Chicagoans who love Canada have flocked to Hopleaf bar in Andersonville for its annual Canada Day celebration. But this year many had an added mission: to celebrate “Canada’s birthday” while taking a stand against the actions and words of President Donald Trump.
Wearing a T-shirt that said “Cool as a Moose, Quebec Canada,” Chicagoan Donna Kraus and her husband, Keith Rodvold, who wore a hat touting fishing in Ontario, said they came to Hopleaf for lunch to show their support for Canada.
“They’ve been great neighbors for decades, and I hope it stays that way,” Kraus said.
The relationship between the United States and Canada seemed to change following Trump’s inauguration in January when he began imposing tariffs on trading partners.
Even before his inauguration, Trump said Canada should become America’s “51st state” and referred to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor.”
“You get rid of the artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security,” Trump said in January at Mar-a-Lago. “Don’t forget: we basically protect Canada.”
About 80% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., and Trump’s heated rhetoric sparked a wave of nationalism in Canada, with retailers refusing to stock U.S. whiskey and other goods.
Keith Lemcke of Lincoln Park grew up in Vancouver and started working in Chicago for a Canadian company in 2000 before moving here permanently in 2006. He was at Hopleaf drinking an American beer before switching to a Dieu Du Cieli Aphrodite beer from Montreal. For him, Trump’s 51st-state talk is insulting.
“For him to say Canada should be the 51st state may be considered by some as Trump being Trump, but for Canadians it’s something of great concern because Canada has a lot of natural resources that may be attractive to the United States,” Lemcke said.
Rodvold, who grew up in northern Minnesota, said he often fished in Canada and doesn’t think Canadians want to become part of the U.S.
“They don’t want it, and I don’t think we should bully them into it,” Rodvold said.
As for tariffs, on March 12, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imports of Canada’s steel and aluminum. Shortly after that, the president announced 25% tariffs on auto imports. Autos are Canada’s second-largest export. The industry employs 125,000 Canadians and nearly another 500,000 in related industries.
More recently, on Friday, Trump announced he was suspending trade talks because of Canada’s plan to start collecting a tax on big American tech companies — a tax that Canada scrapped on Sunday.
Those hoping to enjoy their favorite Canadian beers this year at Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark St., saw their choices reduced because of the tariffs, owner Michael Roper said.
“A lot of Canadian breweries have pulled out of the American market in fear of tariffs and the uncertainty around them,” Roper said. “Because of that, this year’s celebration features very little Canadian products. Last year we had 11 Canadian craft beers, this year we have two.”
Roper started the bar’s Canada Day celebration in 2017 after he grew frustrated by Trump’s rhetoric about Canada at that time. Since January, when his current term began, Trump’s tariffs against Canadian goods and rhetoric about turning the country into the 51st state have only inflamed things, Roper said. He added that along with Canadian beers, the bar imports more Prince Edward Island mussels than any other business in Illinois, adding that the shellfish have not been affected thus far by tariffs.
The Trump administration actions seem to have had a chilling effect on travel to the U.S. by Canadians. In April, two Canadian travel companies told the Sun-Times that they were canceling all trips to Chicago over the summer because of Trump’s policies.
Lemcke said most of his relatives are still living in Canada and like the travel companies, are avoiding coming to Chicago.
“None of them will come here,” Lemke said. “My family and friends have said they are going to lay off traveling to the United States until it’s clear that there’s less animosity, and I’m not sure that will happen anytime soon.”
How long the tariffs and rhetoric about Canada will continue is unknown, but the patrons at Hopleaf said it was necessary to show support for their neighbors to the north.
Rob Lundskow of Andersonville said it was important to show Canadian solidarity by ordering Canadian beers.
“It’s not American to be prejudiced against other countries,” Lundskow said. “We should be supporting their businesses and pushing back against this.”
Asked what she would say to Canadians about the situation, Kraus was to the point about Trump, saying “I didn’t vote for him.”