Sad faces, validation as Quebecers come to terms with Donald Trump's win
CBC News | Posted: November 9, 2016 5:56 PM | Last Updated: November 9, 2016
Some say they knew Trump could pull it off all along, others surprised by the result
For about a week, graphic designer Maxime Rheault had a big, yellow smiley face hanging in his Quebec City studio's window.
It stayed a bright, smiling beacon until yesterday, when he switched it for one looking sideways, to convey uncertainty.
Today, the window features a sad face: a reaction to Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. election.
Rheault's mood, he said, is reflected in the graphic — sad, confused, surprised.
"Nobody could have predicted this," Rheault said.
"As Canadians, it's not our election, but we're so tied with the United States."
Validation and determination
Matt Carland saw the polls predicting a Hillary Clinton win. His liberal friends told him over and over again that Clinton would be president.
But Carland, an American who is doing his doctorate in neuropsychology at the Université de Montréal, said his belief Trump would win was steadfast.
Carland said he supports the broad strokes of Trump's platform, but both sides of the political aisle will need to co-operate in order for the president-elect to be successful.
"For anyone who is feeling particularly anxious, I would point out that there are a lot of checks and balances in the U.S. government. There's not going to be some rise of despotism that will sweep the nation."
A McGill University student, American Becky Jane Goldberg, said as voting day wore on Tuesday, her "enthusiasm slowly but surely turned to panic."
"A lot of last night was spent pacing," she said. "Very little sleep, and that's where I'm at."
She said she's worried the people who threatened to move away from the U.S. will do so, leaving those who she says will be most impacted by the Trump's policies to fend for themselves.
"I'm definitely going back. I've never felt more compelled to go back than I do right now," she said.
Impact on women
While she was shocked by the results, McGill law student Romita Sur said in a way, they weren't surprising because his rhetoric clearly resonated with some Americans.
But she said it was "discomforting" that someone who made comments like Trump's can be elected to a position of power.
"It definitely does raise the question [about] what it will be like for women entering politics and women who want to get involved," she said.
McGill history professor Shanon Fitzpatrick said the prospect of Trump making at least one Supreme Court appointment may mean Roe vs. Wade, the landmark decision that gave American women the constitutional right to abortions, is on its way to being repealed.
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Sur also raised the concern that Trump's election will have repercussions on minority groups.
"Is this going to impact communities of colour? Not just at the macro level, but will it trickle down to schools and other places where this breeds discrimination and bullying?" she asked.
'A catastrophe'
Muslims were among the minority groups Trump targeted directly, saying late last year that he wanted to see a ban on Muslims entering the U.S.
Abou Ihsane prays at the Islamic Centre of Quebec in Saint-Laurent. He said he was watching the results at the beginning but stopped when he realized Trump would win.
He suggested Trump's views on Muslims are outdated and wrong.
"He's a clown. The American people, the world now realize[s] that Muslims aren't the Muslims [depicted] in scary movies," he said.
"Muslims are nice people. They're human beings, and they have very good hearts."
Mehieddine Morad says neither he nor his family will be travelling to the U.S. any time soon.
"It's going to be a catastrophe if he's going to fulfil his promises," he said.