Kathrine Frich
The Canadian province of British Columbia has decided to hit back.
When political tensions boil over between neighboring nations, the response often involves angry speeches and stiff diplomatic notes.
But sometimes a government chooses a different path to express its frustration.
A simple roadside warning can send a very clear message.
A polite rejection
The Canadian province of British Columbia has decided to hit back at recent threats from the United States with local humor. Premier David Eby revealed new road signs on Tuesday intended for border crossings in the Pacific Northwest.
The 50-year-old official read one of the new greetings aloud during a press conference in Victoria, as reported by The Daily Beast.
“Welcome to British Columbia, Canada,” the sign reads. “Strong, proud, and will NEVER be the 51st state. Sorry!”
Eby described the tone as distinctly local. “This is a uniquely Canadian message,” he noted. “It’s confident, good humor, and it’s unmistakably clear. British Columbia is part of Canada, and Canada is not for sale.”
Retaliatory tariffs begin
Another sign lists a mix of everyday hazards and political boundaries, including “Watch for Moose” and “Kindness ≠ Weakness.”
The playful messaging arrived on a grim day for the wider North American economy. On Tuesday, Ottawa officially launched its sweeping counter-tariffs against American imported goods.
Those measures serve as a direct response to a massive tax placed on Canadian products by the Trump administration. The sweeping financial penalties followed the total collapse of cross-border trade negotiations late last month.
The British Columbia leader warned about the looming financial damage. “People will lose their jobs and businesses will close on both sides of the border,” Eby said, according to CTV News.
Escaping the piggybank
The trade dispute comes alongside a relentless barrage of social media insults from the American president. Donald Trump recently threatened to annex Canada entirely, and he even suggested renaming Lake Ontario.
He also posted a synthetic image showing himself towering over Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on an ice rink.
On Monday, the president targeted the aerospace company Bombardier. “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!” he posted on Truth Social. “If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank.'”
According to CTV News, the premier called the president “clearly unhinged” for his digital mockery. “Canadians sure didn’t start it, and working families on both sides of the border will be worse off because of it,” Eby noted about the trade war.
Sources: The Daily Beast, CTV News, Truth Social
