As Captain Kirk, William Shatner鈥檚 mission was to explore strange new worlds. He is proposing Canada does the same.
In an appearance on Fox News, Shatner said Prime Minister Mark Carney should counter U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 quest to make Canada the 51st state by instead proposing the U.S. becomes Canada鈥檚 11th province.
鈥淒o a real estate deal! Make a counter offer,鈥 Shatner told host Jesse Watters on Tuesday. 鈥淗ere you have a friendly group of people saying, 鈥楥ome on over. It鈥檚 cleaner, there鈥檚 plenty of power, there鈥檚 some lovely people who want to work with you. Be our 11th province.鈥 But no.鈥
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.: should have asked to make America Canada's 11th province.
鈥 Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters)
Shatner, 94, was born and raised in Montreal and studied at McGill University. He starred as Captain Kirk in the original “Star Trek” series.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 so serious about what is an unserious offer,鈥 Shatner told Watters. 鈥淐anada鈥檚 been around for 150 years, more, and they鈥檝e had a noble service. Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Dieppe. Tens of thousands of Canadian soldiers have died in the fight for freedom and making the world playable for all of us. You can鈥檛 denigrate that. You can鈥檛 deny that.鈥
Asked whether Trump鈥檚 persistence would change Canadians鈥 minds, Shatner said: 鈥淎t a certain point, persistence becomes insulting.鈥
Carney met with Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday, a high-stakes showdown and the pair鈥檚 first meeting since Carney won a minority government in last month鈥檚 federal election. Carney said he privately told Trump to stop his 51st state rhetoric, and publicly, Carney said Canada 鈥渨on鈥檛 be for sale, ever.鈥
鈥淣ever say never,鈥 Trump responded.
Mark Colley is a Toronto-based general assignment reporter for
the Star. Reach him via email: mcolley@thestar.ca
