King Charles declares Canada ‘true north … strong and free’

OTTAWA — King Charles III delivered a clear message Tuesday to anyone who doubts Canada’s sovereignty.

“The true north is indeed strong and free,” the king said in a speech to Canadians, borrowing a line from the country’s national anthem.

Prime Minister Mark Carney enlisted the king to deliver the Liberal government’s “message of sovereignty” in reply to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats.

The king did not refer to the president by name, sticking to his role of reading the throne speech on behalf of the government to open a new session of Parliament. The remarks repeatedly underscored Canada’s independence and outlined Carney’s priorities.

The speech, written by Canadian government officials, also emphasized that the U.S. and Canada are “sovereign nations” with a relationship “rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests.” The two nations are currently undergoing negotiations to secure a new trade and security deal.

“Many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the drastically changing world around them. Fundamental change is always unsettling. Yet this moment is also an incredible opportunity,” the king read. “An opportunity for renewal.”

Ahead of the speech, officials emphasized that the intended audience was not only Canadians, but also the Trump White House.

Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly floated the provocative notion of Canada becoming the 51st state — an ongoing taunt that stirred unease north of the border. At the same time, his unprovoked trade war inspired a surge of national pride.

Carney rode that uncertainty to top office last month, convincing Canadians his experience in global finance — and leadership at the helm of two G7 central banks — qualified him to lead Canada in a volatile moment.

Throughout the campaign, Carney amped up the stakes. “America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. … These are not idle threats,” he repeated again during his election night speech. “President Trump is trying to break us, so that America can own us.”

And in a recent Oval Office meeting, Carney advised Trump that Canada “is not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever.” And lately, he’s been promising to redefine the terms of the Canada-U.S. relationship, having declared the previous one “over.”

Now, as the House of Commons returns after a six-month hiatus, Carney’s opening speech establishes the road map for how he plans to “transform Canada’s economy” to lead the G7.

Ottawa pulled out the red carpet for the king’s 24-hour whirlwind visit — just the third time in Canadian history that a royal has opened Parliament. The speech brought out Canada’s A-list, with former Prime Ministers Kim Campbell, Stephen Harper, Jean Chrétien and Justin Trudeau seated in the Senate audience.

Outside on Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa, spectators scrambled to catch a glimpse of the king and queen’s carriage ride. “Canada is not for sale” hats mixed with red-and-white outfits, with the occasional union jack waving above the din.

When the carriage whisked past the crowd at a good clip, some onlookers giggled at the brevity of it all. Moments later, many appeared startled as a 21-gun salute formally marked the king’s arrival at the Senate building. Ottawa doesn’t break out pageantry to this extent all that often.

Despite the pomp, a new online survey by the Angus Reid Institute of 1,685 Canadian adults reveals that a whopping 83 percent of Canadians say they are “indifferent” or “don’t care” about the monarch’s visit — though a separate online survey of 3,400 Canadian adults shows the country warming to the king.

The Liberal government pledged in its speech to join ReArm Europe in a bid to invest in transatlantic security. Ottawa also plans to beef up Canada’s Arctic military footprint. The king called the North “an integral part of Canada, as this region faces new threats” — a nod to China and Russia, which the king didn’t name directly.

“The government will discharge its duty to protect Canadians and their sovereign rights, from wherever challenges may come at home or abroad,” the speech said.

The Liberal government is also advancing measures to strengthen its borders with more enforcement against fentanyl — a concern that was raised by Trump in phone calls with then-Prime Minister Trudeau. In March, the president used the drug as justification for slapping a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods and a 10 percent tariff on energy and potash imports from Canada. The Trump administration later limited these tariffs to goods that do not comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. (Canada’s steel and aluminum sectors are subject to separate tariffs.)

Fentanyl seizures by the United States Customs and Border Patrol at the Canada-U.S. border represent less than 0.1 percent of U.S. fentanyl seizures between 2022 and 2024, data shows.

Nick Taylor-Vaisey contributed to this report.

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