Sleeping With an Elephant: Canada–U.S. Relations, 1945–1982

Sleeping with an elephant

In 1969, speaking to journalists in Washington, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau described the relationship this way:

"Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt."

After 1945, the United States replaced Britain as Canada's most important partner in defence, trade, investment and culture. The relationship brought security and prosperity, but it also raised a question that Canadians argued about for the whole period: How close is too close? In this lesson you will sort developments into cooperation and tension, and judge how the relationship changed.

Building together

• The St. Lawrence Seaway (opened 1959): a system of locks, canals and channels that let ocean-going ships travel from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes. It was built jointly by Canada and the U.S., and opened by Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight Eisenhower. It boosted shipping and produced hydroelectric power, but building it flooded riverside villages in Ontario (the "Lost Villages") and affected the Mohawk community of Akwesasne and Kahnawà:ke, whose lands and access to the river were changed.
• Continental defence: NORAD and the DEW Line (from the Cold War lesson) tied Canadian and U.S. air defence together.
• The Auto Pact (1965): an agreement that removed tariffs on new cars and parts traded between the two countries by the car companies, as long as the companies kept a certain level of production in Canada. Southern Ontario's auto industry grew strongly.
• The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (1972): the two countries agreed to clean up the badly polluted Great Lakes, for example by limiting phosphates from detergents.

Tensions and disagreements

• The Avro Arrow (1959): Canada relied instead on American Bomarc missiles (chosen in 1958) and later bought American fighter jets. Critics said Canada had given up its own defence industry to depend on the U.S.
• Nuclear warheads (1963): the debate over putting U.S. nuclear warheads on Canadian Bomarc missiles helped bring down the Diefenbaker government.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): Diefenbaker's delay in putting Canadian forces on alert angered President Kennedy.
• Vietnam (1960s–1970s): many Canadians opposed the war; Pearson's 1965 call for a bombing pause angered President Johnson; Canada welcomed many American war resisters.
• Economic shocks: in 1971, President Nixon placed a 10 percent surcharge on many imports to the U.S., without exempting Canada. In response, Canada's government proposed a "Third Option" (1972): trade more with Europe and Japan to reduce dependence on the U.S. (it had limited success).
• Acid rain (late 1970s–1980s): pollution from power plants and smelters, much of it from the U.S. Midwest, drifted north and fell as acid rain, harming lakes and forests in Ontario and Quebec. Canada pushed for action; the U.S. was slow to agree. Canada's own smelters, such as those in Sudbury, also caused acid rain, so both countries had work to do.
• Culture: American magazines, TV and movies filled Canadian homes. Many Canadians worried about losing a distinct Canadian identity. (You will see Canada's responses in the lesson on arts and culture.)