🍁🇺🇸 AN OPEN LETTER FROM A CANADIAN CITIZEN — Personal opinion only. Not affiliated with any government, party, or campaign.
Ted Lee — Freedom Through Knowledge

Dear America: You Have No Better Friend Than Canada. It's Time to Tell Congress That Matters.

A Canadian citizen's open letter to the American people — with the facts, a case study, and a ready-to-send letter to your Member of Congress.

Get the sample letter Find your representative

The NumbersWhat's Actually Happening Right Now

None of this is speculation. Every figure below is drawn from public reporting in 2025 and 2026, with sources listed at the bottom of this page.

$1.6T+ Canada–U.S. annual trade — the largest bilateral trading relationship either country has
25–50% U.S. tariffs imposed on Canadian goods, steel, aluminum, and energy since February 2025
$0 What Michigan/the U.S. paid to build the $4.4–4.7B Gordie Howe International Bridge — Canada paid it all
85% Of Canadians opposed to U.S. "51st state" annexation talk — a neighbour, not a target

Case StudyThe Gordie Howe Bridge, in Plain English

🌉 A bridge Canada paid for, alone

The Gordie Howe International Bridge connects Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, Michigan, across one of the busiest trade corridors in North America. Canada financed the entire project — reported at roughly $4.4 to $4.7 billion USD in construction costs, with total repayment obligations near $6.4 billion once financing is included. Michigan and the U.S. federal government contributed $0 to construction.

Under the original 2012 agreement, Canada was to collect 100% of toll revenue until it recovered what it spent. That was the deal both countries signed.

  1. 2012: Canada and Michigan agree Canada will fund and build the bridge, recouping costs through 100% of future tolls.
  2. 2018–2025: Construction proceeds, funded entirely by Canada, through repeated delays.
  3. Early 2026: Opening is held up amid a new round of U.S.–Canada trade tension.
  4. July 2026: A new deal is struck: the U.S. now takes 50% of toll profits after expenses, plus veto power over any toll increase above 10% — on a bridge it did not help pay to build. The bridge opens July 27, 2026.

Whatever one's view of the negotiation, the pattern is worth naming plainly: a neighbour fronts the entire bill for shared infrastructure, and the terms are renegotiated afterward, in the stronger party's favour, as a condition of opening something both countries need.

Not An Isolated CaseThe Wider Pattern Americans Should Know About

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Tariffs on your closest ally

Since February 2025, the U.S. has imposed 25% tariffs on most Canadian goods, 10% on energy, and up to 50% on steel, aluminum, and copper — Canada's largest trading partner, hit with the same tools used against strategic rivals.

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Retaliation nobody wanted

Canada responded with its own tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in U.S. goods. Escalation like this raises prices on both sides of the border — including for American businesses and consumers who rely on Canadian steel, lumber, and energy.

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USMCA in question

The USMCA trade agreement — negotiated during the first Trump administration to replace NAFTA — faced a formal review deadline in July 2026. Its renewal is not guaranteed, leaving the $1.6 trillion trade relationship that supports millions of American jobs in limbo.

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"51st state" rhetoric

Repeated public suggestions that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, including references to using "economic force," have been met with near-unanimous rejection in Canada — and strained a friendship built over more than two centuries.

Why This Isn't Just Canada's ProblemWhat It Costs Americans Too

Canada buys more American exports than the U.K., China, and Japan combined. Tariffs on Canadian goods raise input costs for American manufacturers, homebuilders, and energy consumers, since Canadian steel, aluminum, lumber, and electricity feed directly into U.S. supply chains. An uncertain USMCA makes it harder for American businesses on the border to plan, hire, or invest. None of this requires taking Canada's side over America's — it only requires recognizing that a fair, stable relationship with your closest neighbour is also in America's own interest.

What You Can DoTell Your Member of Congress

Members of Congress respond to constituent mail. A short, specific, respectful letter — from a real constituent, with a real address — carries real weight. Here's how to send one in about five minutes.

  1. Find your representative and senators. Use the official House and Senate lookup tools: house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative and senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm.
  2. Copy the sample letter below and personalize it — add your name, address, and, if you like, your own words about why this matters to you or your community.
  3. Send it through the representative's or senator's official contact form, mail, or a call to their local office. A physical letter or a phone call often gets more attention than an online form.
  4. Ask a specific question in your letter and, if you get a reply, consider sharing what they said with others.

Ready To SendA Sample Letter to Your Member of Congress

Copy this, personalize the bracketed sections, and send it to your representative and senators.

Dear [Representative/Senator Name], I am writing as your constituent about the state of the U.S.–Canada relationship, which I believe deserves more attention from Congress. Canada is the United States' largest trading partner, with close to $1.6 trillion in trade between our countries each year, and one of America's oldest and most reliable allies. Over the past year, I've watched that relationship come under real strain: tariffs of 25 to 50 percent on Canadian goods, steel, aluminum, and energy; retaliatory tariffs that raise costs on both sides of the border; renewed uncertainty over the USMCA trade agreement; and, most recently, a renegotiated toll-sharing deal on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a crossing Canada paid for in full, that now gives the United States half of the toll profits going forward. I am not asking you to take a side against American interests. I am asking you to: 1. Support a swift, good-faith renewal of the USMCA that gives American businesses and workers the certainty they need. 2. Push back on tariff policies that raise costs for American manufacturers and consumers who depend on Canadian steel, lumber, and energy. 3. Speak up for a trade and infrastructure relationship with Canada that is fair to both countries, especially where one side has borne the full cost of shared infrastructure. 4. Treat rhetoric about annexing Canada as the serious diplomatic matter it is, not a talking point. Canada has stood with the United States through generations of shared history, trade, and defense cooperation. I would like to know your position on these issues and what you are doing, or could do, to support a fair and stable relationship with our closest neighbour. Thank you for your time and your service. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email or Phone Number]

Go DeeperA Bigger Question Worth Asking

🍁🇺🇸🇲🇽 The New America: One North America

If you're curious how far this conversation could go, this companion piece is a citizen's thought experiment on what a closer, even fully unified, continental partnership between Canada, the United States, and Mexico could look like — healthcare, gun safety, taxation, trade, and its own sample letter to Congress. It is speculative, honest about the obstacles, and not a real policy proposal — just a bigger question worth asking out loud.

Read "The New America" →

SourcesWhere These Facts Come From

TopicSource
Gordie Howe Bridge toll-sharing dealBenzinga, July 2026
Gordie Howe Bridge opening date & costClickOnDetroit, July 2026 · Britannica
2025–2026 U.S.–Canada trade war & tariff timelineWikipedia: 2025–2026 U.S. trade war with Canada and Mexico
Steel, aluminum & copper tariff ratesBlakes: U.S.–Canada Tariffs Timeline
USMCA review deadline, July 2026CSIS: USMCA Review 2026
U.S.–Canada trade relationship overviewCongressional Research Service, via Congress.gov
"51st state" rhetoric & Canadian public opinionTIME, June 2026
Find your U.S. Representativehouse.gov
Find your U.S. Senatorssenate.gov
A note on accuracy and opinion: This page reflects the personal opinion of a private Canadian citizen, exercising free expression, and is not affiliated with any government, political party, campaign, or lobbying organization in Canada or the United States. It is not legal, financial, or political advice. Figures on trade, tariffs, and the Gordie Howe Bridge deal are drawn from public reporting available as of July 2026, are approximate, and may change as agreements are finalized. Readers are encouraged to verify current details directly with official government and congressional sources before acting, and to consult a qualified professional for any legal or financial decisions.