OTTAWA — Pierre Poilievre began a speech on Saturday with a quote from the country's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, pledging to create a united, rich nation "instead of making us a tributary to American laws, to American railways, to American bondage, to American tolls."
The Conservative leader, who appeared at a rally in a room at a downtown Ottawa convention centre, went on to address Americans directly, laying out the consequences of "an unprovoked attack" on Canada's economy via tariffs.
"If Canada is not your friend, who is?" Poilievre asked.
U.S. President Donald Trump's shifting threats to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods and his repeated claims that he wants to annex Canada have prompted a sudden rise in Canadian patriotism.
Poilievre reiterated that if his party forms government, he will retaliate against U.S. tariffs by targeting "American goods we don’t need, can produce ourselves or buy from others," while pledging to return the money collected to reimburse businesses and workers and cut taxes.
"Let me be clear: we will never be the 51st state. We will bear any burden and pay any price to protect our sovereignty and independence," Poilievre said.
Standing in front of a massive Maple Leaf, Poilievre spoke for more than an hour to hundreds of enthusiastic supporters. Hundreds of others who showed up and were unable to get into the room watched a TV in an overflow area, while more still were turned away at the doors.
Local riding associations in Quebec and the Toronto area organized buses to bring people to the nation's capital for the event which was billed as a "Canada First rally."
Attendees were asked to wear red and white to mark the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag, and Maple Leaf flags waved in the corners of the room.
With the next federal election campaign likely to begin in a matter of weeks, Poilievre's speech felt like an unofficial launch to the Conservative campaign against the man he believes will be his next opponent: Liberal leadership hopeful and former central banker Mark Carney.
Poilievre said Trump's tariff threat had caused him to reflect on whether the Conservative slogan "axe the tax" — a pledge to eliminate the consumer carbon price brought in by the Liberals — was still relevant.
"I have to concede, it's an even bigger issue," he said.
"Combining Trump's tariffs with Carney's carbon tax will decimate our industries and destroy the jobs of our workers."
He attacked the record of the "Carney-Trudeau Liberals," blaming the government's policies for a raft of problems including the rising cost of living and Canada's lack of export options for oil and gas.
Poilievre laid out broad strokes of a plan to "restore the promise of Canada."
That begins, he said, with "the biggest and most patriotic tax cut in Canada's history" and a plan to slash government spending on bureaucracy, consultants and corporate welfare.
It includes a west-to-east pipeline and a resource plan that he said would "incentivize Indigenous leaders" to support projects by allowing companies to pay some of their federal taxes directly to First Nations, something he said "will allow First Nations to spend that on clean drinking water."
He pledged to break down interprovincial trade barriers to make Canada its own biggest trading partner.
Carney issued a news release Saturday that said Poilievre may have a new slogan, but his ideas are old. He accused the Conservative leader of trying to divide people, saying Canada needs a new leader to stand up for Canada amid Trump's threats.
"It’s clear that Pierre Poilievre is not that person. No one who runs down Canada will stand up for it. No one who imitates Trump can negotiate with him for Canada. No one who tells you Canada is broken will put Canada first," Carney's statement said.
Poilievre also reiterated policies he's laid out in announcements over the last several weeks: to secure the border with military helicopters and surveillance, to impose mandatory life sentences on people convicted of trafficking more than 40 mg of fentanyl, and to boost defence spending and build a new Arctic military base by cutting foreign aid.
The crowd was on its feet, cheering and chanting, as Poilievre wrapped his speech with a promise to "end cancel culture and stop the war on our history."
"It will be the official policy of my government to reinstate Sir John A, his statues and his name, in our parks, public structures and our places of national importance," he said.
He added the Conservatives will return to a version of the Canadian passport that featured Terry Fox and the Fathers of Confederation, and make new citizens pledge their gratitude to the people who built the country.
"Our country is worth fighting for," he said.
Pat and Barry Copus, who drove about eight hours from Windsor, Ont., to take it all in said they were thrilled to hear the message of national pride.
"He seemed really committed to that nationalism, especially in the last part of the speech," said Barry, who immigrated from the United Kingdom in the 1970s.
Pat, who was in Ottawa three years ago for the "Freedom Convoy," said she was happy to see people proudly displaying the Maple Leaf again.
"We were Canadians then, we're Canadians now," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2025.
Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press