Canadians aghast at array of ‘51st state’ merch for sale online

Some online sellers are trying to profit from Donald Trump's interest in making Canada what he calls the "51st state."

Some of the biggest and most popular online shopping sites are now offering thousands of items promoting the idea of Canada becoming the “51st state,” to the dismay of many British Columbians.

On eBay and Amazon, to Etsy and TeePublic.com, the branded merchandise ranges from basic text designs on t-shirts and hats, to professional-looking artwork on stickers and sweatshirts. Some appear to be generated by artificial intelligence, while others are slick-looking blends of the American and Canadian flags, or the stars-and-stripes motif overlaid on an outline of North America.

CTV News showed several of the designs to people in downtown Vancouver, with responses ranging from disbelief to disappointment and even disgust.

Some of the designs include comical combination of cliché Canadian motifs like moose and maple syrup, while others incorporate distinctive Donald Trump silhouettes or caricatures, referencing the U.S. president’s increasingly frequent comments about wanting to make Canada the “51st state.”

When CTV News asked Amazon whether the company would be reviewing and removing listings from third-party vendors that merchandized an increasingly tense geopolitical situation between our countries, the company replied that the offered products don’t breach their policies.

“It is also important to recognize that something may be disagreeable but may not violate our policies,” reads a post on their corporate website, titled “Amazon’s approach to controversial products and content.”

It specifies that, “our offensive and controversial products policies prohibit the sale of products that promote, incite, or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual, or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views, as well as listings that graphically portray violence or victims of violence.”

Neither Etsy nor eBay have yet to respond to our request for comment.

On all the sites, a search for “51st state” also produced results for products with slogans like “Canada is not for sale” and “Canada will never be the 51st state” among the thousands of listings. Etsy seems to have the most balance between pro- and anti-merger products.

Amazon, which is known for its consumer feedback, has numerous products with one-star reviews and comments left by disgusted Canucks who no longer find the idea to be a bad joke.

“Not only is this completely offensive,” reads one, “it invites one to be assaulted by angry Canadians.