Over 70,000 Canadians petition to expel US ambassador Hoekstra

More than 70,000 Canadians have signed an online petition demanding the expulsion of Pete Hoekstra, the United States ambassador to Canada, over what they characterize as repeated meddling in Canadian political affairs. The petition, which emerged from Calgary, accuses Hoekstra of amplifying Trump administration rhetoric about annexing Canada as a 51st American state and of engaging with provincial separatist movements—specifically noting meetings between US State Department officials and Albertans seeking independence from Canada.

Leanne Walker, the Calgary resident who launched the petition, said the scale of support caught her off guard. "It's beyond what I expected out of this," she told CBC News. "It tells me that it's not a fringe issue, and that a lot of Canadians are uncomfortable with how Hoekstra has been repeating Trump talking points about our sovereignty and Canada as a whole." The petition calls not only for Hoekstra's removal but also for a parliamentary committee investigation into what signers view as systematic US diplomatic interference in Canadian domestic politics.

Hoekstra's tenure in Ottawa has been marked by friction. A Republican and close Trump ally, he has vigorously defended the president's trade policies as necessary for American security and prosperity. Yet his public statements have proven combustible. He reposted Trump's comments about Canada becoming the 51st state and told reporters it would be "a great discussion to be had" between the two leaders. He invited one of the organizers of the 2022 Freedom Convoy to his official Fourth of July celebration. He has criticized what he calls "anti-American" political rhetoric in Canada and has repeatedly expressed frustration over provincial decisions to remove American alcohol from store shelves—a flashpoint in ongoing trade negotiations. A dispute also erupted between Hoekstra and Ontario's trade representative.

The petition has crossed the threshold required for parliamentary consideration. Under Canadian rules, any petition submitted by a resident and sponsored by a member of parliament must reach 500 valid signatures to be presented in the House of Commons and trigger a government response. This one surpassed that mark by Wednesday morning. Green Party leader Elizabeth May will table the petition in parliament later this year. Her office stated that "she has an obligation to sponsor petitions brought forward by citizens, regardless of whether she personally agrees with what the petition is asking for."

The timing is significant. Canada and the United States are locked in urgent trade negotiations with a hard deadline looming. New American tariffs—50 percent on roughly $20 billion to $28 billion in Canadian goods—are set to take effect next Wednesday. Trump announced these tariffs last month, citing what he characterized as unfair American treatment in trade. Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that Canada would consider retaliatory measures if the tariffs were imposed. Canadian media have reported that negotiators may reach an interim agreement within days, though the window is narrow and the stakes are high. The petition against Hoekstra arrives amid this high-pressure diplomacy, adding a layer of domestic political pressure to already fraught bilateral relations. The US embassy acknowledged awareness of the petition but declined to comment further.