British Columbia Premier David Eby unveiled new signage Tuesday at border crossings into the Pacific Northwest, offering a "uniquely Canadian message" amid an escalating trade war with the United States. The signs come as President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and floated the idea of annexing Canada.
One sign reads, "Welcome to B.C., Canada. Strong, proud and never the 51st state. Sorry!" Another humorously warns "Watch for Moose" and plainly states "Kindness ≠ Weakness." Eby stated that the messaging is "confident, good humor, and it’s unmistakably clear: British Columbia is part of Canada and Canada is not for sale."
The unveiling occurred as Canada launched retaliatory levies on approximately $28 billion worth of U.S. goods, a move that went into effect Tuesday. This action followed Trump's imposition of a 50% tariff on a similar value of Canadian goods after trade negotiations failed.
Eby acknowledged the economic impact of the trade dispute, stating, "The road ahead is not easy. And while we’ll continue building new opportunities, there is no getting around the fact that people will lose their jobs and businesses will close on both sides of the border. That is the unfortunate reality of Trump’s trade war." He urged British Columbians to "buy Canadian whenever we can."
This development follows recent provocations from Trump, including an AI-generated image depicting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the ground during a hockey game with Trump, and a map of North America on Monday painting Canada as part of the U.S. Eby called the president "clearly unhinged" and the memes "bizarre."
Separately, a wooden plaque in Victoria reading "Donald J. Trump Memorial" was reportedly removed by the city Sunday evening after being installed above a restroom facility on a hiking trail. Trump has previously declared he was renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America."