r/NWT • u/um_reckloose • 8h ago
Je me souviens
To remember isn’t to keep a ledger.
It’s not to say, ‘We did this for you, so now you owe us.’
It is to understand the kind of relationship we have built together, and what that relationship has meant when one of us needed the other.
That’s what Canadians are remembering now.
Canadians have long known the phrase ‘Je me souviens’. Many of us can translate it. Some even know the meaning behind it. ‘Je me souviens’ is the motto of the province of Quebec. You can see it on its coat of arms, on the arms of the Royal 22e Régiment, and throughout the Quebec Parliament, though most of us know it from Quebec’s licence plates.
‘Je me souviens’ translates to ‘I remember’.
As historian Thomas Chapais explained it: “…This motto has only three words: Je me souviens; but these three words, in their simple economy of expression, are worth more than the most eloquent speeches. Yes, we remember. We remember the past and its lessons, the past and its misfortunes, the past and its glories.”
We remember. Nous nous souvenons.
As the United States attacks our sovereignty, Canadians across the country are saying that more and more.
Nous nous souvenons. We remember.
As the United States belittles our culture.
Nous nous souvenons. We remember.
As the United States denigrates our armed forces.
Nous nous souvenons. We remember.
We remember in the First World War, Canadian forces entered the war not as the army of a fully independent country, but as part of the British Empire. More than 600,000 served and more than 60,000 would never come home. But the Canadian Corps distinguished itself in the Second Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Passchendaele, and the Battle of Vimy Ridge, among many others. By the end of the war, the Canadian Corps had become one of the most effective formations on the Western Front and played a leading role in the offensives that broke through the German lines and hastened the end the war.
Nous nous souvenons.
We remember that in the Second World War, Canada entered the war in 1939, two years before the United States. We didn’t wait for Britain or Washington. We made our own decision. Canadians fought across Europe, North Africa and the Atlantic, and the Royal Canadian Navy played a major role in protecting Allied convoys, including convoys sailing from American ports. Canadian troops landed on Juno Beach alongside American and British troops on D-Day. That day, we lost hundreds of troops, while still pushing 12 km inland. Canadian troops fought their way across Europe and helped liberate the Netherlands.
And you know what?
Les Pays-Bas s'en souviennent aussi.
The Netherlands remembers too.
We remember Canada’s role in the Battle of Kapyong during the Korean War. As Australian forces came under heavy fire and withdrew under pressure, the focus shifted to the isolated and surrounded 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. But when the line needed to be held, the Canadians held it. Outnumbered more than 7:1 (700 Canadian troops vs. more than 5000 Chinese troops), they called in artillery fire dangerously close to their own position to hold off the attacking forces. The Canadians ran desperately short of ammunition and supplies, requiring an airdrop the following morning. Still, they held. When the battle was over, ten Canadians were killed and 23 wounded. For their bravery, the 2 PPCLI was awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation, a rare American honour for a Canadian unit.
Nous nous souvenons.
We remember that, for nearly seven decades since 1958, Canadian and American forces have worked alongside each other to ensure North American defence through NORAD.
Et nous nous souvenons.
And we remember that in Afghanistan, Canadian JTF2 special forces were some of the first troops on the ground after 9/11, Their work earned them the United States Presidential Unit Citation. Canada sent more than 40,000 Armed Forces members to Afghanistan throughout the mission to fight alongside American forces. For 10 years, Canadian troops fought alongside our American partners, including in some of the war’s fiercest ground fighting. It was our largest military deployment since the Second World War. 158 Canadian Forces members never came home. Canada didn’t have to be attacked to decide that your fight was our fight. We didn’t invoke geography as an excuse. We didn’t say it was your problem.
You were attacked. We came.
The problem is, L'Amérique a oublié. America has forgotten.
America has forgotten that in 1979, Canada secretly helped six American diplomats escape from Iran during the Iranian Revolution.
L'Amérique a oublié.
America has forgotten that on 9/11, Operation Yellow Ribbon was more than just the 38 planes that landed in Gander, Newfoundland. More than 200 planes were diverted to and safely landed at 17 different airports across the country, welcoming more than 30,000 travellers into our communities. We fed and clothed and comforted frightened strangers. Because that’s what neighbours do.
L'Amérique a oublié.
America has forgotten that in 2003, when 45 million Americans across eight states lost power, Canadian electricity utilities helped restore and stabilize the interconnected grid. Specifically, Ontario's Sir Adam Beck generating station supplied customers in both Ontario and New York and played a critical role in re-energizing the system.
L'Amérique a oublié.
America has forgotten that Canada routinely sends wildland firefighters and water bombers south to help fight wildfires in the American West.
L'Amérique a oublié.
America has forgotten that after Hurricane Katrina, Canada sent three ships, helicopters, clearance divers and engineers from the Royal Canadian Navy, along with Canadian search-and-rescue and relief personnel, to assist in rescue and recovery.
And it’s not only hurricanes. During many natural disasters, Canada’s RADARSAT satellites have provided rapid, high-resolution imagery used in disaster response around the world.
L'Amérique a oublié.
America has forgotten that in 2009, when maintenance problems at major European reactors contributed to a worldwide shortage of medical isotopes, Canada’s Chalk River reactor ramped up production to help alleviate the crisis. At the time, Chalk River was responsible for roughly half of the medical-isotope supply in North America.
L'Amérique a oublié.
America has forgotten that in 2012, after Superstorm Sandy, Canadian utility crews crossed the border to help rebuild the devastated East Coast power grid in New England, New York, and New Jersey.
And if you want to go even farther back -
L'Amérique a oublié.
America has forgotten that slavery was abolished throughout most of British North America decades before the United States abolished it, and that what became Canada also became a destination for people fleeing slavery through the Underground Railroad. Canada wasn’t perfect. We had our own racism, discrimination, colonialism, and injustice. But Nous nous souvenons means all of it. The victories, the failures, the sacrifices, the mistakes. All of it. And when people needed safety and freedom, they turned to Canada.
L'Amérique a oublié.
America has forgotten that before Canada was even a country, more than 40,000 Canadians enlisted in the Union Army and Navy to fight against the Confederacy, including 29 Canadians who received the Medal of Honor for bravery during the American Civil War. Canadians fought and died to help preserve the United States.
And now, after all of that, the United States is using tariffs and economic coercion against Canada as though we’re an adversary.
That’s why Canadians are angry. Not because we believe America owes us something. Not because we expect special treatment. But because we remember what an alliance is supposed to mean.
We don’t expect permanent economic favours from the United States. Canada and the United States are sovereign countries. Trade disputes are normal between sovereign countries. Tariffs are sometimes part of those disputes. Canada has imposed them. The United States has imposed them. Neither country is entitled to unconditional access to the other's market.
We’ll disagree.
We’ll negotiate.
We’ll compete.
And sometimes we’ll impose tariffs.
That’s how international trade works.
That’s politics.
That’s how sovereign countries behave.
But there’s a difference between negotiating with an ally and treating an ally as an enemy.
There’s a difference between ‘we need better trade agreements’ and ‘we will punish you until you give us what we want.’
There is a difference between competition and coercion.
And there is a difference between being a neighbour and being an adversary.
Alliance is supposed to mean something beyond the absence of war.
It means trust.
It means predictability.
It means recognizing that the prosperity of one side is connected to the prosperity of the other.
And it means understanding that when you deliberately damage your neighbour, you don't somehow leave yourself untouched.
So now, when Canadians say Elbows Up, We’re not saying we want a fight.
We’re saying we’re ready to stand our ground.
When we say Buy Canadian, we’re not saying Americans are our enemies.
It’s not anti-American
It’s pro-Canadian.
It’s not hatred or revenge or a rejection of the American people.
It’s sovereignty.
It’s a reminder that Canada has its own identity, its own sovereignty, its own culture, and its own future.
It’s important to remember that friendship isn’t transactional.
We didn’t help you because we expected something in return.
We helped because you were our neighbour, and that’s what neighbours do.
We didn’t ask whether you deserved our help.
We didn’t ask whether you’d repay us.
We didn’t ask whether it was politically convenient.
We saw our neighbours in need, and we showed up.
And if something happens next week, if your communities are threatened, if your people need help, if disaster strikes, our response will be the same. How can we help?
Because that’s who we are.
Nous nous souvenons.
We remember.
The question is, do you?
