Diane Francis didn’t move to Canada to stir up controversy. She crossed the border from the U.S. for an entirely different reason: “I immigrated with a draft dodger during the Vietnam War”, she told the Independent.
Decades later, after becoming a Canadian citizen and raising her children in her adopted country, she wrote a book that many Canadians despised. The backlash was swift—media blackouts, criticism, and even her own children’s disapproval.
The Book That Shook Canada
Her 2013 book, The Merger of the Century: Why Canada and America Should Become One Country, barely made waves inside Canada but gained traction internationally. Many refused to engage with its premise, but 12 years later, Donald Trump’s call for Canada to become America’s 51st state reignited the conversation.
“It was a warning,” Francis said. “Either Canada gets organized or the U.S. will make a takeover bid and gobble us up.”
A Negotiation Strategy for Canada
Francis, while rejecting Trump’s blunt rhetoric, believes Canada should approach the U.S. as a serious negotiating partner. If she were prime minister, she’d propose:
- Doubling military spending
- Procuring U.S.-made supplies to ease the trade deficit
- Negotiating to remove tariffs in exchange for these commitments
She argues that this approach would give Canada leverage, rather than simply reacting to U.S. trade threats.
Could a U.S.-Canada Merger Be Inevitable?
Francis believes merging the two nations is a matter of when, not if. But she acknowledges major differences, especially in healthcare, gun control, and social policies. To make a merger work, she suggests maintaining separate political systems and offering lifetime free healthcare to ease Canadian concerns.
Her stance is pragmatic: “Why merge fully if we don’t have to? But we can create economic partnerships and strengthen security cooperation.”
Rising Interest in a U.S.-Canada Union
Francis isn’t alone in her thinking. Canadian author Don Tapscott has proposed a similar vision, emphasizing the economic benefits while maintaining Canada’s progressive policies on climate change, campaign financing, and refugee support.
Meanwhile, journalist Rupa Supramanya notes that younger Canadians see opportunity in joining the U.S. “They see better economic prospects in being attached to a larger, more dynamic economy,” she said.
Canada’s Weak Position in Trade Talks
With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau facing political struggles, Francis warns that Trump is already “eating him alive.” She believes Canada needs a stronger leader to negotiate on equal footing with the U.S.—or risk being absorbed on American terms.
While a full merger remains a distant possibility, one thing is clear: Trump’s latest tariffs and economic pressure have forced Canada to reconsider its place in North America’s power structure.
