In the long and intertwined story of North American neighbors, a formal rupture has begun to take shape: more than 171,000 Canadians have signed a parliamentary petition calling for the expulsion of US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, citing conduct they believe violates the spirit and letter of diplomatic convention. The petition, authorized by Green Party leader Elizabeth May and submitted through Canada's official legislative process, arrives not as an isolated grievance but as a measurable expression of a trust that has quietly collapsed — from 83 percent of Canadians viewing the US as a reliable
Canadian petition to expel US ambassador surpasses 171,000 signatures
Canada should not expect the US to stand idle in response
Mark
Why would Canada pursue something that's non-binding? What's the actual point of a petition that Parliament doesn't have to act on?
Mimi
It's about creating a record. When 171,000 people sign something, it's not just a number—it's a statement that Parliament has to acknowledge. They have to respond within 45 days. It forces the issue into the official conversation.
Mark
But Hoekstra is still ambassador either way. The petition doesn't remove him.
Mimi
No, it doesn't. But it signals to Parliament that constituents care about this, and it gives members cover to raise the issue formally. It's a pressure valve and a permission structure at the same time.
Mark
What's the actual grievance here? Is it just the "51st state" comment, or is there something else?
Mimi
It's the pattern. The 51st state comment is offensive, sure, but it's the warning about consequences for Ontario's ads criticizing tariffs that really stung. Hoekstra essentially said: criticize us and face retaliation. That's not how diplomats typically talk.
Mark
And the separatist connection—is that real?
Mimi
Hoekstra denies it, and there's no evidence presented that the Trump administration is actively supporting Calgary separatists. But the fact that it's in the petition shows how much suspicion has built up. People are reading his actions through a lens of distrust.
Mark
The tariff numbers are striking. What's driving that?
Mimi
Trump's tariff strategy has hit Canada harder than most countries because of how integrated the economies are. When you're dependent on cross-border trade and suddenly face 50 percent tariffs, it's not abstract—it affects jobs, prices, everything. And when the US ambassador seems to be defending that as policy, it feels like there's no one in the room arguing for the relationship anymore.
The Pulse
- Over 171,000 Canadians have signed a petition demanding Ambassador Hoekstra's expulsion — a number that dwarfs the 500-signature threshold required to force a parliamentary response.
- Hoekstra's public defense of Trump's '51st state' rhetoric and his warning that Canada would face consequences for criticizing US tariffs have struck many Canadians as open interference in domestic affairs.
- The relationship has been battered on multiple fronts: 50 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, a canceled bridge ceremony, and Trump blaming Canadian wildfires for American air quality problems have each added to the fracture.
- Canadian trust in the US as a reliable partner has plummeted from 83 percent to 35 percent in just four years, with nearly two-thirds of Canadians now explicitly calling the US unreliable.
- The petition calls for Parliament to declare Hoekstra persona non grata, investigate potential violations of the Vienna Convention, and formally examine US diplomatic interference — though all demands remain non-binding.
- Whether Parliament treats this as a symbolic moment or a catalyst for formal diplomatic review may define the next chapter of one of the world's most consequential bilateral relationships.
In the long and intertwined story of North American neighbors, a formal rupture has begun to take shape: more than 171,000 Canadians have signed a parliamentary petition calling for the expulsion of US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, citing conduct they believe violates the spirit and letter of diplomatic convention. The petition, authorized by Green Party leader Elizabeth May and submitted through Canada's official legislative process, arrives not as an isolated grievance but as a measurable expression of a trust that has quietly collapsed — from 83 percent of Canadians viewing the US as a reliable partner in 2022 to just 35 percent in 2026. What is being asked of Parliament is procedurally non-binding, yet the weight of those signatures carries a meaning that transcends procedure: a people registering, in the most formal way available to them, that something essential in the relationship has been broken.
A petition calling for the expulsion of US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has gathered more than 171,000 signatures through Canada's official parliamentary process — a figure that far exceeds the 500 needed to compel a formal House of Commons response. Submitted by Calgary resident Leanne Walker and authorized by Green Party leader Elizabeth May, the petition accuses Hoekstra of a sustained pattern of public conduct damaging to the Canada-US relationship.
At the center of the complaint is Hoekstra's vocal defense of Trump's ambition to make Canada the 51st American state, a claim many Canadians have experienced as more than rhetorical provocation. The petition also points to Hoekstra's accusation that Canadian officials attempted to interfere in US elections — a charge leveled after the Ontario government ran advertisements criticizing American tariff policy. His warning that the US would not remain passive in response drew sharp attention. The petition further raises questions about Hoekstra's alleged connections to the founder of an app used by Calgary separatists, a link Hoekstra has denied.
The petition makes three formal demands: that Parliament declare Hoekstra persona non grata, that cross-border negotiations examine whether his conduct violates the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and that a parliamentary committee investigate what it frames as US interference in Canadian domestic affairs. None of these demands are binding, and it remains unclear how seriously Parliament will act on them.
The petition arrives against a backdrop of serious bilateral strain. Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian goods in July, prompting Canada to cancel a celebration for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Windsor and Detroit. Trump has also threatened further tariffs, blaming Canadian wildfires for degraded US air quality. A Pew Research survey from June captures the cumulative toll: Canadian confidence in the US as a reliable partner has fallen from 83 percent in 2022 to 35 percent in 2026, while the share calling the US explicitly unreliable has risen from 16 percent to 65 percent. The petition, whatever Parliament ultimately does with it, stands as a formal document of that collapse.
A petition circulating through Canada's official legislative process has collected more than 171,000 signatures calling for the expulsion of the United States ambassador, Pete Hoekstra. The number far exceeds the 500 signatures required to trigger a formal House of Commons discussion, and the sheer volume speaks to something deeper than procedural mechanics—it reflects a country increasingly at odds with the Trump administration's approach to its northern neighbor.
The petition, which went live on July 21, accuses Hoekstra of a pattern of public statements that have damaged diplomatic relations between the two countries. The ambassador has publicly defended Trump's stated ambition to make Canada the 51st American state, a rhetorical flourish that many Canadians have found offensive. Last year, Hoekstra went further, accusing Canadian officials of attempting to interfere in US elections. Those accusations came in response to advertisements funded by the Ontario government that criticized Trump's tariff policies—policies that have hit Canada particularly hard. Hoekstra's warning was blunt: Canada should not expect the US to stand idle in response to such criticism.
The petition also raises questions about Hoekstra's reported connections to the founder of an application used by separatists in Calgary to organize their movement. Hoekstra has denied any ties between the Trump administration and those separatists, but the allegation has found its way into the formal record.
Elizabeth May, the Green Party leader and its sole representative in the House of Commons, authorized the petition after it was submitted by Leanne Walker, a Calgary resident. The petition makes three specific demands. It calls on Parliament to formally declare Hoekstra persona non grata and request his removal. It pushes for cross-border negotiations about whether Hoekstra's conduct violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the 1961 international treaty that governs diplomatic conduct. And it asks that a parliamentary committee investigate what it frames as US diplomatic interference in Canadian domestic affairs.
Canada's petition system is open to any citizen who wants to raise an issue before Parliament. Participants must provide their province, postal code, and phone number. Petitions can remain open for up to 120 days, and once they reach 500 signatures, the House of Commons must formally respond within 45 days. The Hoekstra petition has far surpassed that threshold. However, petitions are non-binding, and it remains uncertain whether Parliament will act on it or how seriously members will treat the demands.
The petition is the latest visible expression of a broader deterioration in how Canadians view the United States. The relationship has frayed over trade disputes, tariff threats, and disagreements over cross-border infrastructure. In July, Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian goods, claiming discriminatory treatment in trade relations. Canada responded by canceling a celebration ceremony for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, Michigan. Trump had pushed for greater US involvement in the project, casting doubt on whether the bridge would open at all. Last month, Trump threatened additional tariffs, blaming Canadian wildfires for poor air quality in the United States.
The erosion of trust is measurable. A Pew Research survey conducted in June found that Canadian confidence in the US as a reliable partner has collapsed. In 2022, 83 percent of Canadians rated the US as reliable. By 2026, that figure had fallen to 35 percent. In the same period, the proportion of Canadians explicitly rating the US as "not reliable" jumped from 16 percent to 65 percent. These numbers suggest a fundamental shift in how Canadians perceive their closest neighbor and largest trading partner. The petition, with its 171,000 signatures, is one expression of that shift—a formal, documented objection to the direction of the relationship.
Notable Quotes
Canada should not expect that there will be no consequences or reaction from the US following the ads— Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, responding to Ontario government advertisements criticizing Trump's tariff policies
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