Ontario’s Doug Ford Stirs Patriotic Spirit Ahead of Crucial World Series Game

On Saturday, Canadians rallied behind the Toronto Blue Jays as they prepared for a decisive Major League Baseball game that could bring the country its first World Series title in over three decades — a moment unfolding amid a tense political and economic climate.

Many Canadians, frustrated and humiliated by their southern neighbor, have bristled under U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods and his repeated jabs at the country. For many, the World Series — being played outside the United States for the first time since the Jays’ 1993 championship — has become a symbol of national unity and pride.

No one seems more enthusiastic than Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

In an opinion piece for The Washington Post on Friday, Ford wrote, “Americans are underestimating the Jays. Like our team, Canada has proven it can stand tall on the world stage.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers tied the best-of-seven series 3–3 on Friday, setting up Saturday’s winner-takes-all finale.

From Norway House, Manitoba, fan David Swanson said with a laugh, “The best part is we’re about to teach the Americans — especially Trump — a lesson.”

Ford has taken a more aggressive stance than Prime Minister Mark Carney in responding to Trump’s trade actions, which have hit Ontario’s auto and steel industries hard.

He recently angered the former U.S. president with a television ad aired during last weekend’s World Series games, in which former president Ronald Reagan criticized protectionism.

“Canadians have come together in ways I’ve never seen before,” Ford wrote in his Post article. “Patriotism north of the border is growing — in big ways and small.”

Carney said Saturday that he had apologized to Trump for the ad. In retaliation, Trump reportedly paused U.S.-Canada trade talks and threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports. A poll by Angus Reid released Friday found that 57% of Canadians supported Ford’s ad, though 43% said it had weakened Canada’s position in negotiations.

Despite historically close ties, many Canadians feel betrayed — not just by Trump’s trade measures and insults, but even by Prince Harry, the son of Canada’s head of state, King Charles III, who was spotted wearing a Dodgers cap at a recent LA game.

A tongue-in-cheek headline in Toronto Life on Wednesday read: “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Commit Baseball Treason by Wearing Dodgers Cap.” The subhead added: “Take off that hat!”

Blue Jays Attract New Fans

The Blue Jays have long represented Canada as a whole, not just Toronto, with the maple leaf proudly displayed in their logo.

“Now even people who’ve never watched baseball are tuning in,” said Dan Hunt from Warren, Manitoba, sporting a Jays cap.

It’s not the first time the Jays have offered Canadians hope during tough times. The team’s back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993 came as Canada — especially Ontario — struggled through a recession. The night the team clinched the 1993 title, nearly one million people flooded the streets of Toronto in celebration.

This year’s game has become the most expensive sporting event in Canadian history, prompting Ford to skip attending in person due to ticket prices.

“I’ll be watching from my man cave,” Ford joked last week. “I’m not paying $1,500 for a ticket.”