Victoria, Canada - British Columbia Premier David Eby unveiled new welcome signs for US border crossings in an attempt to push back against President Donald Trump's attacks on Canada.
"Welcome to British Columbia, Canada," the new signs read. "Strong, proud, and will NEVER be the 51st state. Sorry!"
Eby announced that they are set to be put up across the state's international boundaries, including parts of Canada's border with the US states of Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and Montana, in response to Washington's war with Ottawa.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to make Canada the US' 51st state, a move that would require the full-scale annexation of Washington's northern neighbor – its historically strongest and closest ally.
Most recently, the US president shared a disturbing new map of North and Central America showing nations including (but not limited to) Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and Greenland, under a giant American flag pattern.
Posts and comments like this, as well as Trump's pattern of renaming bodies of water – such as the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario – have contributed to a growing sentiment in Canada that the US is rapidly becoming an enemy country.
During a Tuesday press conference, Eby unveiled the new signs and pointed to the September 11, 2001, attacks, and Canada's consequent hospitality to stranded travelers, as a symbol of the two countries' historically friendly relationship.
"Now here we are 25 years later, as President Donald Trump has hurled insults, unfair tariffs and continues to threaten our independence as a country," he said.
Eby confirmed that British Columbia is set to uphold its ban on US alcohol in government-run liquor stores. He touted the measure as a way to "punch back" against the US' "unfair" trade war.
"While our kindness is one of our biggest strengths, you should never mistake it for weakness," he said.