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Small Alaska town sends the perfect 'love letter' to their closest Canadian neighbors

Everyone should read this.

Small Alaska town sends the perfect 'love letter' to their closest Canadian neighbors
Cecily Knobler
By Cecily KnoblerFeb 24, 2025
Cecily Knobler
Cecily Knobler is a contributing writer for GOOD and Upworthy. She resides in Los Angeles.
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In a world that can often feel so deeply divided, one Alaskan mayor reached out to his Canadian friends and neighbors to express his loyalty and appreciation for their invaluably important ties. And the feeling was mutual.

We can't ignore that fires have been stoked recently between the United States and Canada. Tensions are certainly higher than usual over threats of raised tariffs, looming trade wars, and all-around blustering. But let's zoom in a little to find the wonderfully hopeful partnership, and really, the friendship that still exists. There’s so much history between not only the nearby towns, but the two countries who have been longtime allies.

Haines, AlaskaHaines, Alaska | Andrei Taranchenko | Flickrwww.flickr.com

So, after the Haines Assembly agreed to construct a kind, old-fashioned letter, Tom Morphet, the mayor of Haines, Alaska, wrote it and sent it off to their neighbors in Haines Junction, Yukon, as well as to Whitehorse 100 miles to the east. The main crux of the note was to "reaffirm a relationship of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance." Much of the letter's contents were provided to various outlets, including CBC News in a piece entitled, "Can we still be friends: Alaska town sends love letter to neighbours in Yukon."

Though complex for many reasons, Canada and the United States (who share the longest border of any two nations on Earth) have always—mostly—had a deep and respectful alliance.

Canadians and Americans have also historically put each other at the top of their "favorite nations" lists. They simply (usually) like each other. Not to mention their support for one another economically (NAFTA certainly helped with that) and how they often back one another militarily.

gif of a person "squishing" a man on a bike using forced perspectiveGiphy

Mayor Morphet's letter continued, "We recognize that as northerners, we sometimes have as much in common with our Canadian neighbors as we do with our own countrymen in the southern latitudes."

The letter also expressed the U.S.'s gratitude toward its neighbor. "We are grateful for the many services and opportunities that our proximity to Canada affords us, including emergency hospital services, veterinary services, RCMP coverage, parks, shopping, and social events held in your city."

He gave CBC News a personal anecdote: "I've got good friends in Whitehorse and the Junction. Some places in the world, you know, Yanks aren't welcome, but we've always felt welcome going up to the Yukon. We'd just love that to continue."

Yukon River at WhitehorseFile:Yukon River at Whitehorse -b.jpg - Wikipediaen.m.wikipedia.org

The mayor of Whitehorse, Kirk Cameron, wrote back. Although he expressed concern over local business and the overall state of affairs, he cited the importance of how long the goodwill between the two communities has lasted. “We are not just business associates and colleagues; we are friends and family, bound by a common purpose and shared aspirations. We value these close ties and appreciate how they have enriched the lives of our residents."

alaskan mayorcanadacanadian friendscbc newsfriendshiphaines alaskahaines junction yukonkids in the hallkind letterlocal businessraised tariffsthe tragically hipunited stateswhitehorse

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