Rolling Stone – “The prime minister takes the mic and speaks in both English and French. “When you look at a community or a country, divisions within the country can lead to weakness, can lead to fights, can lead to arguments,” he says. “We have differences in Canada, different backgrounds, different stories, different religions, different languages.” He gives the kids his old schoolteacher look. “We figured out how to make this a source of strength, a source of creativity, a source of resilience for our communities.”

Trudeau heads back toward his three-car motorcade that stops at all red lights. In the hall, a couple of hundred kids hold signs that say “Hope” and “Respect.” They grab his sleeve and then skitter away wearing giant smiles. It would have been corny if it had not been so goddamned beautiful. This is Trudeau’s vision of what a country can be. His land races toward inclusion, while our nation builds walls and lusts for an era of vanilla homogeneity that ain’t coming back. At this moment, Justin Trudeau’s Canada looks like a beautiful place to ride out an American storm.”

Like him or not, Liberal or not, Justin Trudeau has caught lightning in a bottle on the world stage and is part of the reason the rest of the world has a love affair with Canada.

He’s a hopeful dreamer.  He’s overly accepting and sometimes I think he’s full of shit.  But, he’s an international bright light that has put Canada’s sterling reputation on speed.   It might be a gimmick.  He might be more PR than substance when it comes to policy and fulfilling his mandate but what matters right now is maintaining the perception that Canada is that shiny city on the hill and Trudeau has been an outstanding ambassador.

He’s managed to navigate a complicated political landscape south of the border with dignity and in the process won over Donald Trump which is fucking weird.  At the same time, he has maintained an inclusive stance in the face of Trump’s exclusive rhetoric.  He hasn’t slowed from his flag waving for Canada and all Canadians and in the process, delivering the message Canada doesn’t have to be anti American to be Canadian.

I didn’t vote for him.  I didn’t want a drama teacher and his yoga instructor wife to lead this country and found his positivity fucking irritating.   He seems to have made it his job to spread global goodwill and shine a bright light in today’s dark shittiness.

While Trump continues to divide, Trudeau is trying to staple it back together.   And I like it.  So seemingly does the rest of the world.

Fuckin’ Eh’.