Wanderings – Canadian schadenfreude

Last weekend, a small rally was held in Ogdensburg, New York. CBC News reported that about 200 people rallied in support of their Canadian neighbours, chanting the now-infamous term “elbows up.” Since the U.S. President began his tantrum-induced trade war six months ago, cross-border traffic between Canada and the U.S. has dropped considerably. Communities across northern New York State have seen a precipitous loss in business.

Canadians have chosen to protest Trump with their feet and their wallets. Leaders in border communities like Massena, New York, have held discussions with local Canadian civic leaders about the losses and cooperation. All the touchy-feely “we’re in this together” political vibes have been played. And while it is concerning that many small business-owners and employees are affected by these losses, there is also a sense of comeuppance. In Germany, there is even a name for this – schadenfreude.

Schadenfreude is defined as the pleasure that comes from someone else’s misfortune. Others would call that karma, or perhaps receiving their just deserts or comeuppance. In the case of those in northern New York State, there is definitely some deserved schadenfreude.

New York State is considered a “Democratic” state, meaning they support the left-leaning Democratic Party. While a majority did support Democrats, those were prominently voters in urban areas: New York City, Syracuse, Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester. Republicans did carry some parts of the state, including what is colloquially known as the “north country” or northern NY State. Like rural Ontario, there is a lot of support for right-leaning political parties in the North Country.

Since 2015, areas like Ogdensburg, Massena, and across the Adirondack Mountains have been represented in the U.S. Congress by Republican Elise Stefanik.

Stefanik has worked her way through the Congressional hierarchy to become a top political lieutenant of Trump. For a short time, she was recently considered for a post in his cabinet. Stefanik remains the fourth-highest-ranking Republican in Washington and in Trump’s inner circle, but she is not alone. Republicans hold many of the mayoral chairs in this region of NY, along with county and city legislatures. (Fun fact, New York State has political parties in municipal elections.) Those Republicans would not be elected if area residents did not vote for them.

This may sound petty – perhaps rightly so – but if American businesses and American residents along the border are hurting because of the actions of their president, whom many voted for – too bad. It is like buying a car and determining it is a lemon. So sorry, now you get to deal with the repairs. Schadenfreude.

A group of 200 Americans protesting Trump’s asinine policies is a great feature piece in the news. What isn’t great is seeing local Canadian municipal leaders connect and talk with their Northern New York counterparts. There is a Canadian border mayors group which has many local civic leaders involved – talking to their U.S. counterparts to keep the “lines of communication open.” That conversation should stop.

Those community leaders were nowhere to be seen when the original Free Trade Agreement and NAFTA saw Canadian industrial jobs migrate south. It was the same when the last industrial plants like Domtar shut down in the mid-2000s.

Just like your neighbour who is seen only when he wants to borrow your new lawn tool, Northern NY only wants communication now that they’re financially hurting. Northern NY voted for Trump and now is suffering due to his policies. That sounds like the textbook definition of schadenfreude.

This column was originally published in the July 9, 2025 print edition of The Morrisburg Leader.