Canada and the US have fought in the past, with Canadians repulsing a US invasion that would have made their country a part of the US had it succeeded. But since then they have developed excellent trade, cultural, diplomatic and commercial relations.

However, as it celebrated its national day this year, Canada looked nervously at its American neighbor. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, New Democratic Party chief Jagmeet Singh and some others shunned the American Independence Day celebrations in Ottawa and several Canadians have begun boycotting American goods.

It may only be a storm in a teacup, given their close ties, but Canada and the US are unexpectedly embroiled in a mini-trade war. Rather, Canada, a country of some 37 million people, has been dragged into a trade conflict with its giant neighbor of some 325 million.

It began with President Donald Trump citing a security threat from Canada. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau protested that the two countries are close allies and that thousands of Canadians have died alongside Americans in the world wars and the Korean War, Trump cited the 1812 war.

That was fought between the British, who controlled what is now Canada, and the US. It ended in a stalemate though the Americans tried to push into Ontario but were beaten back and the British burned down the White House.

Now Canada and the US live like family rather than as just neighbors. Still, President Trump and his aides unleashed unprovoked attacks on Canada and on Trudeau personally which they later partly retracted. As a candidate Trump had wrongly accused Canada of taking undue advantage of the US in trade.

Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent on aluminum from Canada, Mexico and Europe. Canada retaliated with its own tariffs on US goods. Where this will end nobody knows. Canadian and American economists say such a trade war could wipe out thousands of jobs in the two countries and push Canada into a recession. Several Americans have spoken out against the new US policy.

The US apart, Canadians are also reflecting on their evolution from a colony and a racist country to a model of diversity, freedom, democracy and prosperity.

Canada was home to 600 diverse indigenous bands long before the British, French and other European settlers and immigrants came. They lived a harsh life in a brutal climate. They called the country Kanata, the Iroquoian word for village. The European settlers and the Canadian government were tough on the Aboriginals, taking away their land and children, imposing on them treaties that they did not understand and herding them into reserves. The federal government even adopted policies designed to produce a famine to drive people away from their traditional lands.

Later, Canada was to subject Asians to severe discrimination. It imposed a head tax on the Chinese, sought to keep Asians out and imposed a paltry quota on the numbers who could settle in Canada. When I was thinking in the early 1960s of moving to Canada, I wrote to several Canadian newspapers asking if they would consider hiring me. All responded that if they had a vacancy they would try me out. But one editor wrote that it would be tragic if I came to Canada and found no employment.

When I moved to Canada in 1965 the Ottawa Citizen hired me even though it had no vacancy. In the 1960s Canada did away with racist immigration laws and selected people on merit. Immigrants could bring their parents and children because Canada strongly favored family reunification. So while a ship full of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims was not allowed to enter Canada a century ago now there are four Sikhs and two Muslims in the federal cabinet. A ship consisting of Jewish refugees was also barred from Canada. Now Jews occupy influential positions in all walks of life.

The one people who still face hurdles in their homeland are the Indigenous people. They number some two million or roughly four percent of Canada’s population and nearly half live on reserves where they are better able to preserve their culture but are isolated from the mainstream and live in poverty. Youth make up 28 percent of the population and the Aboriginals also have a higher birth rate than other Canadians.

Prime Minister Trudeau has made it his personal mission to improve their lives through dignity, opportunity and equality. This is commendable, but it is a tough undertaking especially because half of the Aboriginals live on isolated reserves. Further, the federal government also has limited authority and provincial and city governments wield real power in their domains.

It is to the Liberal government’s credit that improving the lives of the Aboriginal people is a priority in its agenda. It might very well become Prime Minister Trudeau’s legacy and noblest endeavor.

Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a retired Canadian journalist, civil servant and refugee judge.