Immigrants from the United States living in Canada have expressed relief following Democratic victories in the US midterm elections, although many remain cautious about expecting an immediate improvement in relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Several Americans who have relocated to Canada say Donald Trump’s policies, his trade war against Canada, and his controversial remarks about making Canada part of the United States have seriously damaged trust between the two countries.
Lucia Lloyd, originally from the US state of Virginia, moved to Canada in 2019. She said she had already become dissatisfied with Trump’s policies during his first presidential term. However, the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court, despite allegations of sexual misconduct against him, ultimately pushed her to consider leaving the United States.
Lloyd said she began researching the possibility of moving to Canada at that time and eventually relocated in 2019. She is now serving as a priest at an Anglican church in Bowmanville, east of Toronto.
She explained that Trump’s decision to launch a trade war against Canada during his second presidential term, along with his remarks about annexing the country, had caused her considerable concern.
According to Lloyd, Canada had done nothing to deserve such treatment. She described the policy as unnecessary and counterproductive, arguing that it amounted to disrespect towards allies, trading partners and friendly nations.
Lloyd welcomed the Democratic victories in the US midterm elections, saying the results had brought her considerable relief. She expressed hope that the Democrats’ success in Congress would provide some measure of oversight over President Trump’s powers.
She also said the election results had raised hopes for gradual improvement in Canada-US relations. However, she warned that restoring normal relations would remain difficult while Trump continued to occupy the White House.
Lloyd added that she currently lives in Canada on a work permit, while her permanent residency application is still being processed. She considers herself fortunate that she does not face the same concerns over immigration enforcement and potential arrests that many immigrants are experiencing in the United States.
Trust in US Policies Unlikely to Recover Quickly
Kate Kitchen, an American-born dual citizen of Canada and the United States, also welcomed the Democratic victories.
Born in Ohio, Kitchen now lives in Peterborough, Ontario. She believes that despite changes in American politics, rebuilding Canadians’ confidence in the United States will take time. Nevertheless, she remains hopeful that economic and cultural ties between the two countries could improve over the longer term.
Kitchen said the individuals taking on new responsibilities in Congress appeared trustworthy, intelligent and compassionate, giving her reason to hope for better days ahead.
She revealed that she stayed awake until after midnight on election night to follow the results, particularly those from Ohio, where she had cast her ballot by mail.
Kitchen said Democratic victories in both the House of Representatives and the Senate came as a pleasant surprise, as she had not expected the party to perform so strongly.
Restoring Relations Will Be Difficult While Trump Remains in Power
Matthew Lebo, a political science professor at Western University in London, Ontario, said he was more optimistic about Canada-US relations following the midterm results than he had been a week earlier. However, he cautioned that it was still too early to celebrate the future of relations between the two countries.
According to Lebo, American voters elected Trump to power two years ago but have now rejected a significant number of Republican candidates. Nevertheless, the political direction of the American electorate over the next two years remains uncertain.
He said further elections would be needed to determine whether voters were consistently rejecting racism, threats against immigrants and aggressive treatment of political opponents.
Lebo added that while Canadian concerns over the trade war and American tariffs remain significant, an even more fundamental question is whether a fully functioning democratic system continues to exist in its neighbouring country.
He warned that concerns about the state of American democracy have been growing and that the trend has accelerated during Trump’s presidency.
Trade Disputes Could Continue Despite Democratic Victories
Lebo said that although some Democrats have historically supported protectionist trade policies, the newly elected Democratic leadership could oppose Trump’s tariffs on Canadian products.
He expressed hope that Democrats who secured victories in Congress would put pressure on the administration to reconsider its tariff policies against Canada, particularly as several Democratic leaders have already spoken out against the measures.
However, he stressed that the main responsibility for negotiations with Canada would remain with President Trump and his administration.
As a result, the next two years could bring further political confrontation within the US government, alongside continued tensions in Canada-US relations.
While Democratic victories have provided some encouragement to Americans living in Canada, restoring trust between the two countries is likely to remain a long and challenging process.
