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Osborne Burke sported a shameless grin. Most days, as the general manager of one of the last surviving independent seafood companies on Cape Breton Island, it was his business to get along with people. But not today. Today, he recalled the “open letter” he had recently written to the current president of the United States, where, for decades, Victoria Co-operative Fisheries had exported its local lobsters.
“It was bee-ooo-tee-ful,” he said from his dockside office in Neil’s Harbour.
“Dear Donald,” the missive, published in the Cape Breton Post on February 18, began. “I am a proud Canadian citizen and a resident of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. There has been a lot of media coverage in recent weeks regarding comments you’ve made directed to your northern neighbours, some of which have been somewhat threatening and upsetting to many of my fellow Canadians.”
So far, so Canadian: polite, measured, bordering on diplomatic. Then came the reminder that “Canadians do not appreciate threats, intimidation or bullying… We have been your friend through many challenges—world wars, terrorist attacks, floods, wildfires. Remember the horrible 911 attacks? No? How about this, then: Canadians have universal free health care. Women have freedom of choice. We welcome all races, religions and genders. We enjoy much lower violent crime rates.”
“Quite frankly and with all due respect not everyone wants to be a citizen of the United States… It’s NO THANK YOU.”
Burke’s letter made waves—across Facebook feeds, morning radio and the seafood trade press. Even the Wall Street Journal wanted to run it on their opinion pages. But the bravado masked something bleaker. In all his 30 years at the helm of Victoria, Burke had never seen anything like this. And, frankly, he was scared. Writing that letter was an act of self-absolution—a way to rid himself of the terror of watching the market that sustained his community begin to slip away for no “goddamn good reason.”
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