From bagels to 'Canadianos,' Trump tariff threat inspires symbolic acts of patriotism

U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to impose across-the-board tariffs on Canada — not to mention his musings about making the country the 51st American state — have unleashed an uncharacteristic wave of patriotism across the country, marked by acts big and small.

From flag-inspired Montreal bagels to Super Bowl boycotts, here are some of the ways Canadians are expressing their displeasure with U.S. actions and showing home-country pride.

Canada Bagels

Fairmount Bagel, which has been baking the Montreal staple since 1919, is rolling out a red-and-white twist on a classic in response to the tariff news. Co-owner Rhonda Shlafman said she got the idea while driving home, listening to the news on the radio and looking at the people in cars around her.

"Everybody just looked really sad," she said in an interview. "So I thought to myself, why don't I make a Canada bagel? Why don't I make something that shows everyone here in Montreal and in Canada that we are strong, we are independent, we have our own products, we have our own produce, we have our own lives here." She said the bagels are made by taking white and red dough, and intertwining them in a colourful, wood-oven-baked treat that she says is a fitting metaphor for Montreal, Quebec and Canada — with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.

Maple skies

Canadian pilot Michael Jones made news headlines after he flew his small two-seater Grob G 115 for two hours near the U.S. border, taking a meticulous path to draw a Maple Leaf in the southwestern Ontario sky. 

“I'm proud to be a Canadian,” he said. “So, I thought that was just one way of, you know, kind of showing it there.”

Jones, who has been a pilot and a flight instructor for over four decades, said while Trump uses the 51th comment as negotiating tactic, "it is still not nice things to hear.” 

His real fear is the tariff threats which could hurt Canada’s economy, he said. 

“With everything that's going on between Canada and the U.S., you know, it's a little upsetting and sad,” he said in a phone interview. 

Flightradar24 posted the Maple Leaf shape on Facebook on Wednesday, attracting thousands of comments. The image showed Jones's patriotic two-hour long flight departed from London, Ont., and traced a Maple Leaf path in a large area between Lake Erie and Lake Huron — two of the Great Lakes shared between Canada and the United States — before landing back in London.

“I Am Canadian! And what's not to love about a Maple Leaf in the sky? Kudos to … this Canadian who found a unique way to express his love for Canada,” wrote a user on X.

Americanos no more

A B.C.-based coffee company is inviting coffee shops across the country to show their displeasure at the U.S. actions by dropping the term Americano, and serving "Canadianos" instead. Kicking Horse Coffee is offering cafés a "Proudly serving Canadianos" window display as a symbol of their participation in the patriotic movement. Chief marketing officer Lori Hatcher-Hillier says now, more than ever, Canadians need to stick together and demonstrate pride in their country. The brand says it has been calling its own Americanos "Canadianos" for 16 years and now it wants others to join in.

Oranges to apples

Carol Ann McDevitt served her first glass of apple cider to her guests Thursday morning at the Roaring '20s B&B, in Lower Queensbury, N.B. McDevitt, who has owned the bed and breakfast about 40 kilometres west of Fredericton since 2019, said until recently her guests always got a glass of orange juice with their breakfast. But going forward, they'll be served local cider instead.

The gesture is McDevitt's way of supporting Canadian-made products and taking a stand against Trump's proposed tariffs. "It just seemed very unfair. It was unprovoked, and we should do what we can to support our local communities," she said. She said the vast majority of oranges come from Florida, and labelling on bottles isn't always clear. Early reviews of the cider have been good, with some clients saying they preferred it, she said.

So long, Super Bowl

Quebec-based brew pub Dieu du Ciel announced this week on social media that it would no longer be broadcasting Sunday's Super Bowl at its two locations, in Montreal and St-Jérôme. "We have indeed been chilled by recent events and we didn't have the heart, this year at least, to participate in this great American celebration," the company wrote on social media. "The current situation is a reminder of the importance of further highlighting our local culture, by promoting programming that reflects our values ​​and our commitment to our community in our pubs." The social media posts on Facebook and Instagram drew a torrent of comments, both supportive and critical.

The power of the moose

Graphic artist Eric Goggin was at his cottage in Washademoak Lake, N.B., last weekend when he hatched a plan to express his Canadian pride. With a frozen lake as his canvas and his footprints as a brush, he spent more than three hours drawing a striking, 12-metre-high moose in the snow. He was aided by a drone hovering above to help him visualize his work. "Let's just say I got my steps in and then some," he said with a laugh.

Goggin said Trump's talk about tariffs and Canada becoming the 51st state are no laughing matter, and it was what inspired his gesture. "I firmly disagree with everything (Trump) stands for, and to imply that we would even accept as ridiculous an arrangement as becoming another state is just, in my mind, completely treasonous. It's terrible," he said. Goggin said he wanted to do something unique to showcase his homeland. "And there's nothing more Canadian than a moose in the snow."

(A video of the moose's creation can be seen at this link: https://youtu.be/hFd-aIe3LlQ?si=NAaxWm6L1VMKygpI)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2025.

— With files from Morgan Lowrie in Montreal, Hina Alam in Fredericton, Sharif Hassan in Toronto and Nono Shen in Vancouver.