Latest news with #elbowsup
National Post
12-07-2025
- Politics
- National Post
'We never technically said we would elbow anybody': The imagined thoughts of Mark Carney's elbow
Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney's slogan during the April federal election was 'elbows up.' The hockey reference was intended as a pledge of defiance against tariffs and annexation threats from the United States. Article content Instead, Carney's U.S. strategy has consisted almost entirely of concessions and even deference. And on Thursday night, all it yielded was a new threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to slap blanket 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports. Article content Article content Article content Article content Monday Article content The slogan was 'elbows up.' Not 'we're going to hit you with our elbows.' Or, 'I'm intending to use my elbows defensively.' The promise was only that we would proverbially elevate our elbows for an unspecified period of time, and for no declared purpose. We never technically said we would elbow anybody. Article content Keeping all this in mind, I think you'll agree there has been no inconsistency in the strategy. The Government of Canada has pursued a course with the Trump administration that, at times, has involved the raising of elbows above their usual relaxed state, which would indeed be an 'elbows up' approach. Article content Tuesday Article content I would remind everyone that the National Hockey League officially considers elbowing a penalty, with the act warranting punishments as severe as game misconducts, fines and suspensions. Article content Article content As a government committed to the rules-based international order, we obviously would never condone a violent and inherently menacing act such as the bellicose use of an elbow. Article content Article content And, as stated, that was never the intention. If you check Mr. Carney's rhetoric on this account, I think you'll agree he was mentioning elbows mainly as a means to demonstrate the articulative quality of the human arm. Article content Elbows up, to my read, was only ever a friendly gesture of greeting in which the speaker is demonstrating the functionality of their joints as a symbol of their own flexibility. 'See how my arms bend, foreign state, they are the arms of someone who will peacefully bend to your own appeals.' Article content Wednesday Article content I feel uniquely qualified to assure the Canadian people that Mr. Carney has certainly made full use of his elbows in attempting to resolve the current impasse with the United States. Article content At the G7 summit in Kananaskis, I was employed to deliver a friendly nudge to U.S. President Donald Trump, along with the comment, 'Hey Donald, you like Mount Bogart over there? What if it was Mount Trump?' Article content After phone calls between Mr. Carney and the U.S. leader, he will often lay his elbows on a table to cradle his head for hours at a time — I assume to ponder a new genius tactic. Yes, this truly has been an elbows-heavy response to one of our greatest national crises. Article content Thursday Article content Despite everything, I think we can all agree that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre would have completely and utterly folded in the face of aggressive U.S. trade policy. Had he won in April, my least pessimistic estimate is that by now he would have surrendered at least two provinces and one great lake, and he would have appointed Rudy Giuliani as Governor General. Article content I need only point you to his public statements: No mention whatsoever of elbows, knees, digits or any other body part. Mr. Trump is a man who deals best in the tactile world. Any failure to open negotiations with at least one reference to the corporeal form is, frankly, akin to immediate surrender. Article content Friday Article content Last night's developments are certainly not what we'd hoped for, but it's all part of the process. We fully planned for this: We would unilaterally cede to perceived U.S. demands, the Americans would respond with another round of ruinous tariffs and vague grievances, and then we'd cede some more. This is called bilateral diplomacy; it's a messy process but it ultimately arrives at a place of mutual benefit. Article content
CBC
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
He made the decision on impulse, but it sparked a movement. Mike Myers on elbows up
Does Canada need more Mike Myers? 1 day ago Duration 17:31 Social Sharing For all in Canada who happened to be watching Saturday Night Live, that March night was an unforgettable moment. Mike Myers, the one-time SNLer who'd performed in the opening skit as a chainsaw-wielding Elon Musk, stood onstage with the rest of the cast at the end of the show as they all waved goodnight. Then he did it. As millions watched, the Toronto-born Myers opened his jacket to reveal a black T-shirt underneath bearing that red-and-white maple leaf flag and the phrase "CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE." He then flexed his arm in the air, pointed at it and mouthed the words "elbows up," an old-time hockey term meant to signify punishing one's opponent. It happened as U.S. President Donald Trump's antagonistic threats to annex Canada were reaching their apex. "It was just, 'Leave us alone,'" Myers told CBC News, explaining the shirt. "We love Americans. But we can love Americans and not want to be Americans, you know what I mean?" WATCH | Replay the SNL moment Myers put his elbows up: #TheMoment 'Elbows Up' became a rally cry against Trump 4 months ago Duration 1:23 In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, Canadian actor Mike Myers may have started a movement by pointing to his elbow and mouthing the words 'elbows up' during appearances on Saturday Night Live. The phrase has caught on and has become a rallying cry in the trade war. Myers, who holds multiple citizenships — Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. — has never been shy about his love of his birth country. Trump's rhetoric on Canada angered him enough that he looked around for a T-shirt, found one on Amazon and wore it to the show that night. The message was Myers's salute to everyone watching back home. Revealing it on live television was a spur-of-the-moment decision, he tells CBC News in his first on-camera interview about that night. He says he had no idea it would catch fire — let alone spark a wave of Canadian patriotism not seen in decades. 'It's not about me' The actor has popularized many phrases before, though more comedic in nature, through various characters on SNL, then later in Hollywood blockbusters such as Wayne's World and Austin Powers. But now he had suddenly — and inadvertently, but with a kind of patriotic fervour — created a forceful political slogan. "Elbows up" became an instant catchphrase throughout Canada, sprawled on T-shirts, ball caps, coffee cups, bumper stickers, even chocolate bars, underlining as much as anything else, an attitude. 'I just got more and more angry' 1 day ago Duration 0:41 Actor and comedian Mike Myers says he was thinking of Canadian hockey icon Gordie Howe when he decided to spontaneously reveal the pro-Canada slogan on his T-shirt and make the elbows-up motion on Saturday Night Live. To this day, Myers emphasizes it's that attitude that matters. "It's not about me," he insists. To him, it's more about Canada and Canadians — and the imperative to speak out, stand up and push back. And when Myers woke up the morning after that appearance on SNL, he was oblivious to any of the fallout from what he'd done. He got a phone call from one of his brothers who told him, in effect, 'You'll never believe what's happened." A pro-Canada message After that first moment on SNL, more would follow. A subsequent appearance brought another T-shirt, this one bearing the logo of Canadian Tire, which, says Myers, was meant to signal "Buy Canadian," at a time Trump was threatening tariffs on Canadian goods going into the U.S. Then came that ad for Mark Carney during the federal election campaign, with the prime minister and Myers acting as hockey dads watching a game rinkside and Myers wearing a jersey with "Never 51" emblazoned on his back. WATCH | How he learned the SNL clip went viral: 'It's blowing up' 1 day ago Duration 0:27 Mike Myers, who has both U.S. and Canadian citizenship, said he was surprised to find out from his brother that the clip of his public show of solidarity with Canada was being widely shared online. Political messaging may be a new path for Myers, but despite his having now lived in the U.S. for many years, with an American wife and American children, he has never shied from his roots nor his belief in all things Canadian. The U.S., he says, is simply where his livelihood — the entertainment industry — has taken him. He's long demonstrated that his heart has always remained north of the 49th. His 2016 book, Canada, is broadly described as a love letter to his home country. "[It's] a kind, truth-speaking nation," said Myers. "There's a sanity, a reasonableness; there's a grown-upness that is unique to this country." WATCH | On what growing up in Canada gave him: Mike Myers: 'I would be nothing without Canada' 1 day ago Duration 1:25 In conversation with The National, the actor and comedian told the CBC's Paul Hunter about the deep gratitude he has for what the country has given him. Indeed, he's adamant that his messaging on it now is neither anti-American nor even anti-Trump, but rather pro-Canada. "I like our vibe, I like who we are." It's also clear he's somewhat humbled by the explosion of the elbows up movement, downplaying attempts to give him too much credit for igniting such patriotism among his fellow Canadians. To those who've said "Canada needs more Mike Myers," he responds simply: "I'm nothing without Canada." Still, his made-in-Canada passion has rarely been as forceful as it is now, driven by Trump's continued talk of it becoming the 51st state. A more positive focus On his way home from the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., on June 17, Trump met with reporters and was again asked about Canada and his thoughts on it becoming the 51st state. "It's a much better deal for them," he said onboard Air Force 1 as it flew back to Washington. WATCH | Why he thinks Canada will never join the U.S. 'It's not gonna happen' 1 day ago Duration 0:48 Mike Myers says he thinks the majority of Canadians will reject the idea of becoming the 51st U.S. state and choose the Canadian approach to government, which, even if flawed, generally 'empowers the least empowered.' Myers begs to differ. And amid all the political division, he points to a positive which, for him, has become the focus. "I have to say, this generation of Canadians is so inspiring to me. They know what they have. They don't want to lose it."
CBC
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Elbows up: Mike Myers on the SNL clip that ignited a movement
Does Canada need more Mike Myers? 10 hours ago Duration 17:31 Social Sharing For all in Canada who happened to be watching Saturday Night Live, that March night was an unforgettable moment. Mike Myers, the one-time SNLer who'd performed in the opening skit as a chainsaw-wielding Elon Musk, stood onstage with the rest of the cast at the end of the show as they all waved goodnight. Then he did it. As millions watched, the Toronto-born Myers opened his jacket to reveal a black T-shirt underneath bearing that red-and-white maple leaf flag and the phrase "CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE." He then flexed his arm in the air, pointed at it and mouthed the words "elbows up," an old-time hockey term meant to signify punishing one's opponent. It happened as U.S. President Donald Trump's antagonistic threats to annex Canada were reaching their apex. "It was just, 'Leave us alone,'" Myers told CBC News, explaining the shirt. "We love Americans. But we can love Americans and not want to be Americans, you know what I mean?" WATCH | Replay the SNL moment Myers put his elbows up: #TheMoment 'Elbows Up' became a rally cry against Trump 4 months ago Duration 1:23 In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, Canadian actor Mike Myers may have started a movement by pointing to his elbow and mouthing the words 'elbows up' during appearances on Saturday Night Live. The phrase has caught on and has become a rallying cry in the trade war. Myers, who holds multiple citizenships — Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. — has never been shy about his love of his birth country. Trump's rhetoric on Canada angered him enough that he looked around for a T-shirt, found one on Amazon and wore it to the show that night. The message was Myers's salute to everyone watching back home. Revealing it on live television was a spur-of-the-moment decision, he tells CBC News in his first on-camera interview about that night. He says he had no idea it would catch fire — let alone spark a wave of Canadian patriotism not seen in decades. 'It's not about me' The actor has popularized many phrases before, though more comedic in nature, through various characters on SNL, then later in Hollywood blockbusters such as Wayne's World and Austin Powers. But now he had suddenly — and inadvertently, but with a kind of patriotic fervour — created a forceful political slogan. "Elbows up" became an instant catchphrase throughout Canada, sprawled on T-shirts, ball caps, coffee cups, bumper stickers, even chocolate bars, underlining as much as anything else, an attitude. 'I just got more and more angry' 9 hours ago Duration 0:41 Actor and comedian Mike Myers says he was thinking of Canadian hockey icon Gordie Howe when he decided to spontaneously reveal the pro-Canada slogan on his T-shirt and make the elbows-up motion on Saturday Night Live. To this day, Myers emphasizes it's that attitude that matters. "It's not about me," he insists. To him, it's more about Canada and Canadians — and the imperative to speak out, stand up and push back. And when Myers woke up the morning after that appearance on SNL, he was oblivious to any of the fallout from what he'd done. He got a phone call from one of his brothers who told him, in effect, 'You'll never believe what's happened." A pro-Canada message After that first moment on SNL, more would follow. A subsequent appearance brought another T-shirt, this one bearing the logo of Canadian Tire, which, says Myers, was meant to signal "Buy Canadian," at a time Trump was threatening tariffs on Canadian goods going into the U.S. Then came that ad for Mark Carney during the federal election campaign, with the prime minister and Myers acting as hockey dads watching a game rinkside and Myers wearing a jersey with "Never 51" emblazoned on his back. WATCH | How he learned the SNL clip went viral: 'It's blowing up' 9 hours ago Duration 0:27 Political messaging may be a new path for Myers, but despite his having now lived in the U.S. for many years, with an American wife and American children, he has never shied from his roots nor his belief in all things Canadian. The U.S., he says, is simply where his livelihood — the entertainment industry — has taken him. He's long demonstrated that his heart has always remained north of the 49th. His 2016 book, Canada, is broadly described as a love letter to his home country. "[It's] a kind, truth-speaking nation," said Myers. "There's a sanity, a reasonableness; there's a grown-upness that is unique to this country." WATCH | On what growing up in Canada gave him: Mike Myers: 'I would be nothing without Canada' 16 hours ago Duration 1:25 In conversation with The National, the actor and comedian told the CBC's Paul Hunter about the deep gratitude he has for what the country has given him. Indeed, he's adamant that his messaging on it now is neither anti-American nor even anti-Trump, but rather pro-Canada. "I like our vibe, I like who we are." It's also clear he's somewhat humbled by the explosion of the elbows up movement, downplaying attempts to give him too much credit for igniting such patriotism among his fellow Canadians. To those who've said "Canada needs more Mike Myers," he responds simply: "I'm nothing without Canada." Still, his made-in-Canada passion has rarely been as forceful as it is now, driven by Trump's continued talk of it becoming the 51st state. A more positive focus On his way home from the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., on June 17, Trump met with reporters and was again asked about Canada and his thoughts on it becoming the 51st state. "It's a much better deal for them," he said onboard Air Force 1 as it flew back to Washington. 'It's not gonna happen' 9 hours ago Duration 0:48 Mike Myers says he thinks the majority of Canadians will reject the idea of becoming the 51st U.S. state and choose the Canadian approach to government, which, even if flawed, generally 'empowers the least empowered.' Myers begs to differ. And amid all the political division, he points to a positive which, for him, has become the focus. "I have to say, this generation of Canadians is so inspiring to me. They know what they have. They don't want to lose it."
CBC
29-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Demand for 'elbows up' merchandise dips ahead of Canada Day, businesses say
Social Sharing When Rachael Coe decided to launch an "elbows up" merchandise line at her store in Yarmouth, N.S., in March, she said it was an immediate bestseller. Within a week, Coe said her Timeless Memories shop had already made 400 sales. By the end of the first month, she had sold 2,500 products ranging from T-shirts to hoodies to car decals. Demand for items bearing Canada's rallying cry against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats was so high that Coe launched a website to keep up with the surge. "It was a response from all over Canada," she said. "We reached every single province, then we started covering worldwide. Our 'elbows up' merch went everywhere." Many Canadian businesses hopped on the patriotic trend that also saw Ontario Premier Doug Ford wearing a "Canada Is Not For Sale" ball cap ahead of a January meeting with Canada's premiers and prime minister. WATCH | How Mike Myers helped 'elbows up' became a Canadian rallying cry: #TheMoment 'Elbows Up' became a rally cry against Trump 4 months ago Duration 1:23 In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, Canadian actor Mike Myers may have started a movement by pointing to his elbow and mouthing the words 'elbows up' during appearances on Saturday Night Live. The phrase has caught on and has become a rallying cry in the trade war. But Coe's sales started slowing down by May. And despite a slight boost ahead of Canada Day, she said the "elbows up" line is now selling at similar rates to the classic red-and-white merchandise she sells every year around this time. Although business owners say they are selling more Canada-themed products this year leading up to July 1, many have also noted a decline in "elbows up" merchandise sales. The hockey phrase — which originated with the legendary player Gordie Howe — became a national rallying cry in March after Canadian comedian Mike Myers mouthed the words on Saturday Night Live while wearing a "Canada Is Not For Sale" T-shirt. initially embraced as a grassroots movement at the height of cross-border trade tensions and Trump's musings about making Canada the 51st state, it has shifted to a more generic expression of Canadian pride amid continued tensions, retailers and experts say. Others note that the phrase "elbows up" has increasingly been used in a partisan context, contributing to the marketing shift. Stephanie Tomlin, Toronto-based owner of the online business Shop Love Collective, said she saw an explosion in "elbows up" merchandise sales in March, selling as many as 10 or 15 products per day. Similarly, her sales began to stagnate in May. WATCH | Windsor, Ont., woman making hundreds of 'Elbows Up' pins: This Windsor, Ont., woman is making hundreds of 'Elbows Up' pins 3 months ago Duration 1:36 Many Canadians are re-thinking their relationship with the United States as U.S. President Donald Trump levies tariffs and threatens to make Canada the 51st state. Windsorite Mary Gilbeault is making hundreds of 'Elbows Up' pins to share her national pride. She speaks with CBC Windsor Morning host Amy Dodge. Leading up to Canada Day, she said she's selling "quite a bit more" merchandise compared with previous years, but that's due to interest in Canada-themed products across the board. "I think the climate in Canada is a little bit more settled after the election and that — we feel like we will never be the 51st state," Tomlin said, adding that Canadian patriotism is becoming less combative as annexation talks have died down. Howard Ramos, a political sociologist at Western University in London, Ont., said "elbows up" became "more partisan than it used to be" when Prime Minister Mark Carney embraced the phrase in his election campaign ads in late March. "It's just added to how the expression is dying down as a pan-Canadian claim," he said. "Now you see on social media, especially from Conservative handles, the use of 'elbows up' in a sarcastic way to criticize Mark Carney or Liberal policies." Negative online comments about the "elbows up" movement have discouraged Coe from promoting her products on Facebook. But when she's interacting with customers in her Yarmouth shop, she said the phrase isn't as divisive. "It's not a political term, and it simply means that you're defending your country — and everyone should be defending our country, just like you would defend [against] a goal in hockey," she said. WATCH | Why Canadians are saying 'elbows up': Why Canadians are saying 'Elbows Up' 4 months ago Duration 1:18 It's become a rallying cry against U.S. tariffs. But in hockey-loving Canada, the phrase also evokes memories of one of the game's greatest players: Saskatchewan-born Gordie Howe. Known to many as Mr. Hockey, he also earned the nickname Mr. Elbows. Danielle McDonagh, owner of Vernon, B.C.-based Rowantree Clothing, said she stopped promoting her "elbows up" merchandise on a large scale when she noticed the phrase being interpreted as an "anti-Conservative" and "boomer" movement. For McDonagh, increased concern about the political climate in the United States has also chipped away at the lightheartedness of the "elbows up" movement. "I think some of the levity is gone for me," she said. While sales of her "elbows up" products have dropped by about 90 per cent since hitting 1,000 in the first month, she said she continues to promote the merchandise in small batches at local markets in Vernon. Business owners say their customers continue to prioritize supporting the Canadian economy, as they are routinely answering questions about where their products are manufactured. And the push to buy Canadian isn't just coming from this side of the border. Coe said many American tourists arriving by ferry from Maine visit her shop in search of Canadian merchandise. Tourists "want to support us just as much as Canadians want to support us," she said. McDonagh said her business sees similar interest from Americans.
CTV News
29-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Interest in ‘elbows up' merchandise waning ahead of Canada Day, businesses say
Stephanie Tomlin stands for a portrait in her workspace where she prints Canadian-themed apparel, in Toronto, Friday, June 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston When Rachael Coe decided to launch an 'elbows up' merchandise line at her store in Yarmouth, N.S., in March, she said it was an immediate bestseller. Within a week, Coe said her Timeless Memories shop had already made 400 sales. By the end of the first month, she had sold 2,500 products ranging from T-shirts to hoodies to car decals. Demand for items bearing Canada's rallying cry against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats was so high that Coe launched a website to keep up with the surge. 'It was a response from all over Canada,' she said. 'We reached every single province then we started covering worldwide. Our 'elbows up' merch went everywhere.' Many Canadian businesses hopped on the patriotic trend that also saw Ontario Premier Doug Ford wearing a 'Canada is not for sale' ball cap ahead of a January meeting with Canada's premiers and prime minister. But Coe's sales started slowing down by May. And despite a slight boost ahead of Canada Day, she said the 'elbows up' line is now selling at similar rates to the classic red-and-white merchandise she sells every year around this time. Although business owners say they are selling more Canada-themed products this year leading up to July 1, many have also noted a decline in 'elbows up' merchandise sales. The rallying cry, initially embraced as a grassroots movement at the height of cross-border trade tensions and Trump's musings about making Canada the 51st state, has shifted to a more generic expression of Canadian pride amid continued tensions, retailers and experts say. Others note that the phrase 'elbows up' has increasingly been used in a partisan context, contributing to the marketing shift. Stephanie Tomlin, Toronto-based owner of the online business Shop Love Collective, said she saw an explosion in 'elbows up' merchandise sales in March, selling as many as 10 or 15 products per day. Similarly, her sales began to stagnate in May. Leading up to Canada Day, she said she's selling 'quite a bit more' merchandise compared with previous years, but that's due to interest in Canada-themed products across the board. 'I think the climate in Canada is a little bit more settled after the election and that … we feel like we will never be the 51st state,' Tomlin said, adding that Canadian patriotism is becoming less combative as annexation talks have died down. Howard Ramos, a professor of sociology at Western University, said 'elbows up' became 'more partisan than it used to be' when Prime Minister Mark Carney embraced the phrase in his election campaign ads in late March. 'It's just added to how the expression is dying down as a pan-Canadian claim,' he said. 'Now you see on social media, especially from Conservative handles, the use of 'elbows up' in a sarcastic way to criticize Mark Carney or Liberal policies.' Negative online comments about the 'elbows up' movement have discouraged Coe from promoting her products on Facebook. But when she's interacting with customers in her Yarmouth shop, she said the phrase isn't as divisive. 'It's not a political term, and it simply means that you're defending your country, and everyone should be defending our country, just like you would defend (against) a goal in hockey,' Coe said. Danielle McDonagh, owner of Vernon, B.C.-based Rowantree Clothing, said she stopped promoting her 'elbows up' merchandise on a large scale when she noticed the phrase being interpreted as an 'anti-Conservative' and 'boomer' movement. For McDonagh, increased concern about the political climate in the United States has also chipped away at the lightheartedness of the 'elbows up' movement. 'I think some of the levity is gone for me,' she said. While sales of her 'elbows up' products have dropped by about 90 per cent since hitting 1,000 in the first month, she said she continues to promote the merchandise in small batches at local markets in Vernon. Business owners say their customers continue to prioritize supporting the Canadian economy, as they are routinely answering questions about where their products are manufactured. And the push to buy Canadian isn't just coming from this side of the border. Coe said many American tourists arriving by ferry from Maine visit her shop in search of Canadian merchandise. '(Tourists) want to support us just as much as Canadians want to support us,' Coe said. McDonagh said her business sees similar interest from Americans. 'I'm shipping a lot of Canada-centric merchandise to the States, which I just love,' McDonagh said. 'People chat with me on my site and say … we're supporting you." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. Natasha Baldin, The Canadian Press
