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by Tod Maffin
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Every year, my friend Laura would eat a chocolate bar that she hated. On purpose. In front of witnesses.
And it’s kind of the perfect way to see the relationship between Canada and the U.S. right now.
One bite a year
In my twenties, I lived in a farmhouse in Richmond with three friends. One of them was Laura.
Laura hated the chocolate bar Eat-More. (Americans would call this a candy bar, which is adorable and wrong.) She hated it with a fury most of us save for parking tickets and February.
T O D B I T
Eat-More was originally a Canadian product. A Cape Breton man named the Eat-More in the early 1930s. Angus B. MacDonald of New Waterford won a newspaper naming contest, and his prize was an art deco clock shaped like a tape measure. Eat-More is now American-owned.
But once a year, she ate one anyway. She wanted to know if she’d changed. Tastes shift over time… Maybe this was the year?
Every January, the four of us would walk down with her to the corner store. It was an annual ritual. A tiny, four-person parade.
Laura would buy one. Unwrap it. Take a bite. Chew. Then she’d look at the three of us and spit it out on the ground, saying she still hated the damn thing.
Then we all walked home, and the matter was closed for another year.
After the circus leaves
I think there’s a feeling among Americans that in two years, when their circus leaves town, Canadians will flood back in roughly the same volumes as before the Trump era. We’ll vacation in Vegas. We’ll buy California wine. We’ll snowbird in Florida again.
T O D B I T
Canada used to be the biggest buyer of American wine, taking 36% of all U.S. wine exports in 2024. In 2025 those exports to Canada fell 78%, a loss of about US$357 million.
After the blue wave in the midterms, social media was flooded with Americans saying, “Hey, Canada, are we good now?”
But that’s not the way we are.
We are an optimistic people, yes, and friendly, but we’re also fairly cautious with our trust. Even more so after the American government threatened to annex us.
The taste of trust
Here’s what I understand now that I missed in that farmhouse: Laura wasn’t testing the chocolate bar; the Eat-More was just the excuse. Laura was testing herself. She wanted to know whether she was still the same person.
When Canada checks back on America in a couple of years, we’ll be running Laura’s test. But we won’t be asking whether we’ve changed, we’ll be asking whether Americans have.
We’ll look for people who still have our backs, like Penny Thomas. Last year, Washington announced the end of the old arrangement that let Canadians walk into the Haskell Free Library without a passport. That’s the library built right across the border, straddling a town in Quebec and a town in Vermont. Penny stood on the American side holding a sign reading “Keep Haskell open to Canada.”
T O D B I T
This past June, the Haskell opened a new Canadian entrance, built from what used to be an emergency exit.
As for Laura, I asked her this week if she still hated Eat-Mores. Turns out, she doesn’t mind them now. Thinks it might help with irregularity.
But she’s still only eating one a year.
We hold grudges here, but not forever.
I believe in hope.
I believe that one day our nations will return to friendship. Just don’t expect us to flood back.
It won’t be the same, but remember: you only taste-test the things you haven’t given up on.
Join the discussion about this issue in Tod’s Clubhouse!
Test Your Knowledge!
What was the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854?
- An agreement allowing Canadians to vote in American elections.
- A trade agreement that reduced tariffs on certain natural products traded between British North America and the United States.
- A treaty creating a common Canadian-American currency.
- An agreement allowing American soldiers to be stationed permanently in Canada.
- A treaty requiring every Canadian visitor to the USA to bring a barrel of maple syrup.
The Weekly Poll
Has the recent "blue wave" changed how you view the US?
Want to see last week’s results?
I post them Mondays on my social media channels.
Drawing Conclusions
Stellantis plant closure a 'betrayal', Carney says
What You Missed This Week
The Good News ♥️
A former firefighter gave lifesaving care after witnessing a bus crash near Mackenzie, BC.
Students in Thunder Bay, ON, are honouring the memory of fallen veterans through No Stone Left Alone, a project in which students clean the headstones of those lost in the line of duty.
Trailblazer- Stephanie Case, a human rights lawyer, and ultra marathon runner has made history by becoming the first woman to complete an extreme 100-mile race in Antarctica.
Barry Gannon, a search and rescue volunteer from Hope, BC, has received an Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award for 40 years of service.
SCIENCE!!!!!! 🔭
A group of students at McGill University are working on giving cancer patients their voices back with their new, award-winning product Silent Voice.
Thousands gathered across Nova Scotia as part of province wide protests against EverWind’s $8 billion AI data centre campus in Point Tupper, NS.
Researchers from McGill University have found many of the same vocal patterns that appear in bird species are also present in human song and speech.
The First Peoples 🪶
The federal government is promising to spend $50 billion over a decade on programs and services for Indigenous peoples in key sectors.
Members of Akwesasne Mohawk Territory are fighting the opening of a hyperscale data centre.
Yellowknife’s Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony incorporated traditional practice and offered participants a moment to ground themselves, reflect and honour First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who served.
Canadian Content 🍁
Comedian and writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes Clare Belford has released her sophomore album The End is Nigh.
Toronto singer-songwriter Hayden has released his tenth studio album The Recent Past.
Montreal indie rock band Land of Talk’s sixth studio album Lasts is out now.
You Oughta Snow-Iconic singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette has released her first holiday album Good Weather For Immaculate Conception.
Across Canada 📍
Roughly 8,000 handmade crocheted poppies hung over the township office in Port Perry, ON, as a collective effort to mark Remembrance Day.
An Ontario teen living with Celiac disease has launched a gluten-free bakery business. Those in the GTA can order from her business Sensitive Tasty Treats, here.
The daughter of a WWII veteran is selling ‘door poppies’, large wreath-like poppies that can be hung on doors, walls and windows to support her local Legion.
Politics 🧑⚖️
Prime Minister Mark Carney has embarked on a 10-day summit tour with stops in Ireland and across Asia.
The Office of the Auditor General of Canada says the federal government wrote off billions of dollars in COVID-19 benefits that it no longer expects to see repaid.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a new ambassador to China has been selected.
Entertainment 🎭
US comedian Josh Johnson had a wholesome impromptu interaction with an editor for CBC at a recent live show in Vancouver, BC.
Canadian pop star and three-time Juno winner Carly Rae Jepsen is set to host the 2027 Juno Awards.
Heated Rivalry fever continues as Hasbro announces the upcoming release of Heated Rivalry Monopoly, which includes a cottage game piece and a 17+ rating.
Road Rage Laugh Riot-Canadian comedian Steph Tolev is going viral for her relatable crash out about traffic on the 401.
Sports 🏒
The Montreal Roses will face off against AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League final in Ottawa on November 14.
Olympic Gold Medalist and legendary Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The 113th Grey Cup championship between the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Elks will take place in Calgary, AB on November 15.
Hockey Night in Canada is now broadcasting PWHL games with all new hosts and panelists including four-time Olympic medalist Cassie Campbell-Pascal.
In the Clubhouse
Tod’s Clubhouse is a social network like none other. No ads, no anger algorithm, just 8,179 people who still hold doors. Come say hi. Here are three conversations that happened there this week:
The great postcard hunt. One reader loves the Dear Canada postcard project but discovered the hard part: actually finding a postcard. Members came through with tips, from Canada Post outlets and antique stores to the souvenir aisle at Walmart. Another member has a stack of old travel postcards from her mother and grandmother and wonders whether to burn them or find them new writers. (Please don’t burn them.) Join the discussion
Poutine, prairie edition. A member married into a Mennonite family and found out they have their own winter-proof poutine. It starts with potatoes fried in bacon fat, then Bothwell squeaky cheese, white gravy, fried onions and garlic, and crumbled bacon on top. His estimate is about 1,000 calories per forkful. Join the discussion
Why people stick around. One member wrote that time in the Clubhouse leaves her feeling better, which she says is the opposite of every other app on her phone. She challenged everyone to invite five people. Someone promptly invited seven. It’s not a competition, Brenda 🤣 Join the discussion
Made in Canada
Purdys Chocolatier was founded in 1907 by Richard Carmon Purdy, who opened his first chocolate shop on Robson Street in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Originally a barber, Purdy developed a passion for chocolate-making and began experimenting with recipes in his home kitchen. His focus on quality ingredients and handcrafted chocolates helped establish a loyal local following.
In 1963, Charles Flavelle and Eric Wilson purchased the business, setting the stage for national expansion. The Flavelle family eventually took full ownership, with Karen Flavelle acquiring the company from her father in 1997.
Today, Purdys remains family-owned and headquartered in Vancouver, with more than 80 shops across Canada. It is best known for premium chocolates and Canadian favourites like Hedgehogs and Sweet Georgia Browns.
⚠️ This is not sponsored. This brand learned we profiled them the same time you did.
Also see: Tod and Jocelyn’s Buy Canada projects: Main Street Canada and Unplug America
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