The U.S. and Canada have been long-time allies and neighbours. But when US President Donald Trump began musing and then doubling and tripling down on Canada as the "51st state" tensions pushed us to the brink of a trade war. Then, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a group of business leaders on a "hot mic" that Donald Trump's 51st state comments are not a joke but in fact “a real thing”. And after meeting Canadian premiers, deputy White House chief of staff, James Blair cautioned them to take Donald Trump’s comments about the 51st state "at face value”. But while some see this as an attack on Canadian sovereignty, others believe the President is trolling and seeking negotiation leverage for the next round of trade talks.

Our question: What do you think of Trump's comments about Canada becoming the 51st state?

With every tariff threat Donald Trump makes and every casual reference to our country being the 51st state, Canadians have been responding. From Canadian flags on cars to flags draped over porch railings, Canadians are finding a newfound sense of patriotism. What impact has Donald Trump's tariff threats had on you? Has it made you reflect on what it means to be Canadian?

And for our AMA, we brought in a panel of guests to dig deeper into Canada's trading relationships. Moshe Lander is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Concordia University. And Laura Dawson is the Executive Director of the Future Borders Coalition, an organization dedicated to better trade relations between the U.S. and Canada.

Right now, more than 77 per cent of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. But with the threat of Trump’s tariffs just weeks away, Canada is also looking to stretngthen trading relationships with other countries. So how feasible is it for Canada to expand its footprint in other markets? Our AMA brought in a panel of experts to explore that question. Moshe Lander is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Concordia University. And Laura Dawson is the Executive Director of the Future Borders Coalition, an organization dedicated to better trade relations between the U.S. and Canada.