You catch more flies with maple syrup?

The American president appears to have launched a campaign to convince Americans that Canadians are “nasty.” In the face of Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty, many of us have been getting in touch with our inner nasty. And that’s OK.

But perhaps this is the moment to lean into our brand: hopelessly polite and nice. The kinds of people you just wouldn’t want to bomb.

It’s time to open the Strategic Niceness Reserve and unleash it on the Americans!

The government of Canada and all the provinces should get together and hire the best ad agency in the country to blanket the Americans with propaganda disguised as tourism ads. And for those Americans inspired by the ads to cross the border, a welcome package: a vial of maple syrup, a breezy history of Canada and some maple leaf swag.

The US wrote the playbook for positive foreign influence. While they’re ripping their version up, let’s emulate it. A Fulbright-esque program to bring the smartest American university students to Canada for a year, with a trip to Ottawa to learn about the country thrown in. Subsidize Ryan Reynolds or Eugene Levy to record a travel series as they go across Canada chatting with the lovely salt-of-the-earth folks you just wouldn’t want to invade. Mandate the CBC to infiltrate the US podcast sphere with the Voice of Canada. Weaponize Celine Dion!

Surely it’s worth a try.