by BROCK WEIR

Certain days in this office run at a breakneck pace.

Deadlines have to be met, last-minute changes and details need to be accommodated.

Then, once those proverbial and literal Ts are crossed and Is are dotted, it's a matter of trying to suss out anything else that might need adjustment before the fine details are set in the pulp-and-paper equivalent of stone.

When the task is done, there's a feeling of relief but the pace of the day can often wreak havoc on the internal clock, sometimes making it a bit difficult to wind down in the evening and restore one's personal bandwidth.

One way I've found to beat these odds is to incorporate as much outdoor time as I can into the day. It can be as simple as cracking the window next to your desk, going for a walk in nature when you can steal a bit of time away, or, even going for an immersive experience with a makeshift outdoor “office.”

Depending on the space and materials you have, this can sometimes be a difficult task, but it can be done with a laptop and some determination.

I started last week with two work-from-home days getting sun, fresh air, and stuff done and was so looking forward to a third consecutive day of doing just that on Wednesday. But, when I woke up that morning, all I could see was a disconcerting orange glow pouring through my windows, a hue that appeared nothing short of apocalyptic before going outside to see the full panorama.

So much for that, I thought, as I brushed off a change of plan – a decidedly micro-inconvenience compared to those displaced or otherwise impacted by the fires in Northern Ontario – and considered next steps.

“Well, of course they're not going to like it,” I thought to myself as reports tracked the ominous clouds of smoke as State-bound.

It was inevitable.

The last time smoke of that magnitude wafted in the direction of the United States' Eastern Seaboard, we certainly got a lot of feedback from our neighbours to the south, little of it actually constructive, particularly suggestions from the top that we hit our forests with really heavy-duty, super-duper vacuum cleaners and larger-than-life Dustbusters to better manage forest floors. 

Of course, for an individual whose unpredictability is about as predictable as Toronto hockey fans getting the gut feeling that this season, every season, is the one that will finally bring “the Cup” home, the reaction from the White House was swift and pretty much as expected.

“President Donald Trump on Friday pledged to hold Canada responsible for costs associated with unhealthy air quality in the U.S. due to spreading smoke from the Canadian wildfires,” reported NBC News over the weekend. 

“‘The cost is incalculable!' the president wrote in a post on Truth Social. ‘This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.' 

“In his post, Trump added that he would call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ‘to find out what they are going to do about it.' 

“‘We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable,' Trump wrote.”

I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised by this type of reaction.

In a time where Trump has found support in his base waning as he tries to find a way out of what seems like a war with no exit ramp, not to mention ongoing affordability crises on both sides of the border, and on and on it goes, it's understandable he'd dip back into the “TARIFF” well in an attempt to demonstrate a bit more clout.

Of course, it means nothing that when wildfires ravage parts of the United States – the Palisades Fires in California last year, to pick just one example – we don't limit our contributions to mere expressions of sympathy, nor do we complain about its impact on travel plans. No, we send support – practical and moral.

It also means nothing that the current, beleaguered deal we have with the United States – CUSMA – was one Trump negotiated himself during his first administration.

It means nothing that Canada has had to make concessions to the United States over the Gordie Howe Bridge, no matter the fact we paid for it ourselves.

At the end of the day, it really means nothing as it seems any excuse will do to try and get Canada over a barrel and no matter what we do, the chorus will be the same whine: “Big, bad Canada is unfairly treating the country next door.”

“This is the latest in a series of unilateral U.S. trade actions that began with the U.S. imposing a series of tariffs in direct violation of CUSMA, the free trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney in a statement on Monday. “These include tariffs on the Canadian auto sector, in violation of CUSMA. Canada, as is its right, has merely matched those measures.

“More broadly, in response to these measures and threats to Canadian sovereignty, provinces, territories, and Canadians from coast to coast to coast have stood together, taking the necessary actions to support our economy and defend our workers, farmers, businesses, and families.

“Recognising that the U.S. has been transforming all of its trade relationships, including those covered under CUSMA, over the past 18 months, Canada has made a series of detailed and comprehensive proposals to resolve this dispute and to modernise CUSMA. We stand ready to intensify those discussions in the coming weeks.

“Canada believes in the benefits of free and fair trade, as evidenced by our new government signing more than 20 new economic and security partnerships. This trade dispute has raised costs for families, particularly in the U.S. Canada stands ready to engage intensively to address outstanding issues with the U.S. to the mutual benefit of our citizens. In all circumstances, Canada will work relentlessly and take any measures necessary to build our strength at home and to support Canadian workers, farmers, businesses, and families.”

As negotiations continue on new trade deals between our two countries, with the cast of characters currently at the helm, can we expect any talks to be carried out in good faith?

If it's a matter of getting Bourbon back on our shelves, supply management in our dairy industry will become another artificial speedbump on the road to resolution. If that gets settled after the U.S. Government milks it for all its worth, hindrances to a good trade deal will go well beyond products crossing the border, even to cornerstones of our democracy being rebranded as trade barriers.

And, if more smoke blows their way, we'll all be back at the drawing board.

My sympathies to our trade negotiators at this difficult time. If it's leaving us bystanders feeling threadbare and drained, one can only imagine how they feel – and, I suspect, it will take more than a walk in the woods to feel refreshed and restored.