The Door is Open to a Grand Bargain with the US—Grab It

“On trade, whether it’s energy, automotive, nuclear, defence and all of those types of things, we were hoping that we would not just renegotiate CUSMA, but that we could take it into being something much bigger.” -- Peter Hoekstra, US Ambassador to Canada 16 Sept 2025

At a time when Canada-US relations are at their lowest since perhaps the US Civil War, it is time to pull back from the brink and recall that these two countries have been each other’s most steadfast allies throughout the 20^th and 21st centuries. They share the largest undefended border in the world. This is so often repeated that it can be taken for granted yet it is an astonishing achievement--find another 9000 KM border in the world that is undefended? Consider the alternative and ask yourself what would have happened if Canada’s powerful neighbor to the south had been China or Russia? For a hint look to Hong Kong, Tibet, or Ukraine.