The Canadian province of British Columbia unveiled new border signs on Tuesday that took aim at the Trump administration amid the ongoing U.S.-Canada trade war and President Trump’s threat that Canada could become the 51st state.
The signs read, “Welcome to British Columbia, Canada. Strong, proud, and will NEVER be the 51st state. Sorry!” Premier David Eby said at the unveiling that the message was “uniquely Canadian, confident, good humor and unmistakably clear.” He added that British Columbia is part of Canada and that Canada is not for sale.
The same day the signs were revealed, tariffs on $20 billion worth of U.S. imports took effect. In response, the Trump administration moved to shut Canada out of certain U.S. government contracts and banned the importation of various Canadian dairy products, alcoholic beverages and motorcycles.
The trade dispute has increasingly turned into a meme war. Last month Trump renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America, shared AI‑generated videos of himself knocking over a Lake Ontario sign and of armed “Donald Ducks” patrolling the shore, and posted images of a U.S. flag covering all of North America and a comic‑style depiction of himself as a hockey player confronting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Canadian leaders have replied in kind. Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a billboard along the Canadian shore that reads “Lake Ontario. Now and Always.” Carney called on the U.S. to stop producing memes and to engage in serious negotiations, while Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canada would work in good faith toward a mutually beneficial relationship that respects Canadian sovereignty. The tariff war is expected to hit states near the border—such as the Dakotas, Maine, Idaho and Montana—impacting tourism, oil, agriculture and auto manufacturing.
