What to know
- Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is urging Donald Trump to “take a page” from Dolly Parton’s book.
- The mayor criticized Trump’s threat to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” calling it “not a very neighbourly thing to do.”
- Chow pointed to the deep personal and economic ties between Canada and the United States, including members of her own family who live in the U.S.
- She said Trump should follow Parton’s example of being “loving,” “generous” and “joyous” rather than “bullying.”
Toronto mayor Olivia Chow has shared that she encourages Donald Trump to take a page out of Dolly Parton’s book.
In an interview with American channel CBS News, Chow told Errol Barnett that President Trump should “take a page from Dolly Parton” after the U.S. president threatened to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”
“It’s not a very neighbourly thing to do. We’re supposed to love our neighbour as ourselves,” she told Barnett.
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Chow pointed to the close personal and economic ties between the two countries, noting that members of her own family live in the U.S.
“My brother, my cousins are all Americans. We are so tight economically, and you get the best deal on our oil, lumber, and autoparts. So to do this kind of senseless, brutal attack, why? There’s absolutely no reason.”
And when it comes to how Trump should approach Canada, Chow said he could learn something from one of America’s most beloved entertainers, Dolly Parton, who passed away yesterday at the age of 80.
“I think Mr. Trump should take a page from Dolly Parton. She’s loving, she’s generous, she’s joyous,” Chow continued. “That’s the way to treat your best neighbour and your friends. Not just bullying.”
The mayor also addressed Canada’s response to the escalating trade tensions, explaining that the federal government’s counter-tariffs are intended to protect Canadian workers and businesses.
“That’s not who we are; that’s why we have to retaliate in order to defend ourselves and protect ourselves with the $28B counter-tariffs. “
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Tensions in the ongoing North American trade war escalated significantly this week, when last-minute trade talks between the United States and Canada collapsed, triggering sweeping 50 per cent U.S. tariffs and a promise of dollar-for-dollar retaliation from Canadian officials.
