So Wayne Gretzky is "heartbroken" because we citizens of his former country have taken exception to his shameless toadying up to Donald Trump. What on earth did he expect? He's not a stupid man and knows perfectly well that his new pal has designs upon taking over our accepting and civilized country.
I, like all Canadians, rejoiced when Gretzky and his teammates brought the Stanley Cup back home to Canada and led our country to so many international triumphs. How could he then turn his back on the very country which made him what he is?
It is my view that Canada needs to start playing hardball. We have the ability to hurt the Yankees as much as, if not more than, they can hurt us, simply by ceasing to sell them potash, uranium, cobalt and especially germanium, effectively delivering a crippling blow to their agriculture, cyber industries (including those upon which the U.S. military depends) and medical imaging capability. The U.S. already imports 48% of its uranium from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Without our 27%, it would be even more dependent upon these dubious sources. Of course, that might not bother Trump, who has cheerfully settled into his role as Putin's pull toy.
Why haven't we yet walked away from the renegotiation of the ruinous Columbia River Treaty? What good has that misbegotten pact ever done for us? As far as I can see, thanks to the late W.A.C. Bennet, we perform all the work, take all the responsibility and assume all the potential liability for a lousy few million bucks a year and a trivial bit of hydroelectric power which the Yankees may or may not deliver to us. We have the capability of generating that power on our side of the border; who on earth cares what happens downstream? As for me, I say let the Yankees kill their own snakes.
Finally, why do we continue to refer to citizens of the United States as Americans? I'm an American, a North American from Canada; my lovely wife is an American, a Central American from the Republic of Panama; we recently visited dear South American friends in Argentina.
By the way Mr. Gretzky, would you be so kind as to inform your new pal the following: Twenty times the quantity of illicit drugs flows south-north rather than north-south. Virtually all the fentanyl and/or its raw materials arrive upon your shores from China. And please step up and halt the illegal flow of guns from your benighted country into ours.
John C. Simpson
Oak Bay
