Historic ties to the US crumble in small Quebec town amid Trump threats

US President has repeatedly called for annexation of Canada

A sign marking the US-Canada border at Peace Arch Historical State Park in Blaine, Washington state. AFP

La Malbaie in Quebec is not for the faint of heart. Winter temperatures in this town along the St Lawrence River frequently plunge deep into negative territory and snow blankets the shore for months, but this seemingly uninviting environment is home to one of Canada’s oldest and most renowned summer destinations, which has proudly welcomed visitors from across Canada and the US.

When winter’s grip finally recedes, usually sometime in late April or early May, a stunning pastoral landscape emerges, with grand old homes peeking out over immaculate hedges along Chemin Des Falaise, better known as the “Boulevard” to locals. Along this strip of road, carved into the side of a mountain, La Malbaie’s deep connection to the US reveals itself – English names like Tucker and Culver hang on signposts side by side with more traditional French names.

Since the 1840s, wealthy Americans have escaped the oppressive heat and crowds of their home cities and migrated north to La Malbaie. President William Howard Taft, who served in the White House from 1909 to 1913, owned a property here and summered in town for four decades. His descendants still come every year.

A house along Chemin des Falaises in La Malbaie, Canada. Willy Lowry / The National

But US President Donald Trump’s stated desire to annex Canada and his insistence on implementing tariffs that could crush the nation’s economy have soured many locals on their neighbour to the south.

“The economic impact of the tariffs is one thing,” Canadian Jean-Pierre Bouchard, standing alongside his American wife Rebecca Harper, told The National, as the couple stood beside the frigid mid-March waters of the St Lawrence. “It's going be tough, and it's not nice, and it will hurt the country but the whole 51st state thing – people hate that. They are absolutely, really insulted by this constant reference that Canada is not a country.”

Mr Bouchard, who runs a paper mill near La Malbaie, said he will be adversely affected by the tariffs, but his primary concern is for his country. “I'm proud of Canada,” he told The National. “I'm proud when I travel to have a Canadian passport, because this is a country of civil liberties, we have real free speech, and we have access to health care and abortion, and it's a place that I feel safe.”

Ms Harper, who is originally from South Carolina, said the last few months have been deeply troubling. “It has made me uncomfortable,” Ms Harper said. "There have been a few occasions now with things that have happened that have embarrassed me as an American.” A self-described political independent who has voted for both Republican and Democratic candidates in the past, she has watched with great concern and anxiety as Mr Trump has repeatedly taken aim at Canada.

Jean-Pierre Bouchard and Rebecca Harper at the Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie. Willy Lowry / The National.

There have been calls to the mayor’s office to remove the US flags that fly in the town, though that has not happened so far. “We have a long tradition of hospitality here with the American citizens,” Mayor Michel Couturier told The National.

He added that while many in town were furious with the US President, their anger was solely directed at the administration, not individual Americans who might visit. “We predict for the summer an excellent season of tourists due to the exchange rate,” Mr Couturier said.

Some in town are already feeling a boomerang effect from Mr Trump’s threats. Marie-Eve Tremblay owns Gallerie P’tit Bonheur, and she has noticed a steep rise in the number of Americans buying her art.

“In the past couple of months, I've sold so many paintings to my American customers,” Ms Tremblay told The National. “I don't know if somehow they feel the need to compensate, if they want to take advantage of the strong American dollar, or if with all this news, Canada is in their thoughts, so they go online and visit my website.”

Regardless of the reason, Ms Tremblay is not complaining and expects Americans to once again be welcome this summer. “We are happy to see every summer, these families coming back, it’s tradition,” she said. But Mr Trump’s threats of annexation weigh heavily on her.

A church in the centre of La Malbaie. The village has long been a popular tourist destination for Americans. Willy Lowry / The National

While many Canadians took the US President’s threats as a joke at first, in the months since then both the general population and the government’s views have changed. In February, former prime minister Justin Trudeau was caught on a hot mic telling business leaders that Mr Trump was serious, and was after Canada’s bounty of minerals and natural resources. "Mr Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country, and it is a real thing,” Mr Trudeau said.

In the final weeks of his near-decade in power, Mr Trudeau devoted his time to defending Canada from US tariffs and speaking out against the US President. His image, which had been battered by a poor economy and several scandals, received an unexpected boost, and Canadians were proud of the way he stood up for them. His replacement, Mark Carney, has said he will not sit down with Mr Trump until the President shows Canada the respect it deserves.

Every summer, Mr Bouchard and Ms Harper fly the Canadian and American flags, as well as the Quebec and South Carolina flags, outside their home overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, in a nod to all the places they call home. Unless Mr Trump changes his tune, this summer, they do not plan to fly the US flag. It will be a small, symbolic gesture of the couple's sense of betrayal – one that echoes across Quebec and all of Canada.

Light glimmers through the trees in La Malbaie. Willy Lowry / The National