(Image Credit: The Associated Press)

By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: How long can we hold off the dictator?

Feb 5, 2026 | 6:00 AM

THAT’S THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM right now.

We are working hard to diversify. Hoping against hope that we can reduce our dependence on the U.S. and maintain our sovereignty in the face of all the threats, the tariffs and the disdain of a president seemingly gone mad with power.

It will not be an easy battle. Huge tariffs, threats of economic punishment, the loss of jobs as Trump turns up the heat. Prime Minister Mark Carney has, in my opinion, done a great job so far. But can he continue to pull rabbits out of a hat.

It’s a huge challenge. At some point, because of the intertwining of our two economies, we may have to make some agreement with the U.S., but we have to negotiate carefully. I’m not sure you can trust the Americans to live by any agreement they sign. We used to be able to agree with a handshake. Not anymore.

And how long will Canadians be able to sacrifice now to pave the way for a better future? We can never again put all our eggs in one basket. Whether we have the time to share the eggs around is the challenge we’re facing.

LOOPED IN

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: February 12, 2026

50m ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Are we any closer to understanding the human mind?

3h ago

Question of the Week

Do you believe major government cuts are necessary to bring the provincial deficit under control?

Feb 09, 2026

Do we have the will? We’ll know by the end of 2026, after the U.S. midterms, after a full year for our government to work some magic, for Canadians to learn if they can stand united as a country while dealing with challenging interprovincial issues.

2026 could well go down as one of the more significant turning points in our history. Which way we turn, of course, is the question. There are no easy answers.

——

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.