I'm having troubles with this article, and I'm trying to understand why.

After some thought, I think I have it. The article gives the suggestion that there has been no progress in fighting racism in Canada in the past 200 or so years.

Which then means, we Canadians today are really no better than those few Canadian slave owners you so mentioned.

Yes, we have racists in Canada. There's even a few in my social circles. However, there's a balance when I interact with them. You probably want me to berate them for their silly comments, smilar to evangelical Christians who have condemned them to hell. But this is more likely to alienate them to the point where I would not longer be of any influence in their lives. My approach is more subtle, just give a little tidbit for them to think about. Maybe in a few years, a less racist attitude will come forth. But maybe this approach is not good enough for you--and that makes me a racist!

As for Mr. Trudeau, he has spent the last three years walking a tightrope with an American president who would like strip Canada of its manufacturing jobs. Mr. Trudeau just can't speak his mind like you or I can. There are great consequences to his choice of words. Maybe you would have preferred that Mr. Trudeau just called Mr. Trump a racist, and watched factories move south in all our Canadian righteousness. The 21 seconds of silence sent a strong message to the decision makers around Mr. Trump, without directly offending Mr. Trump. It was one of Mr. Trudeau's finest moments.