On eve of Trump tariffs, Chester voters affirm friendship with Canada

| Mar 05, 2025 | Comments 3

Shawn Cunningham, standing, reads his resolution affirming Chester’s friendship with Canada. Screenshot from SAPA-TV.

By Cynthia Prairie
©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC

At the end of Monday night’s Town Meeting in Chester — and the evening before the Trump administration’s 25 percent tariffs were to take effect against Canadian and Mexican imports —  Chester resident Shawn Cunningham* rose to offer a resolution.

With mic in hand, he read aloud from a prepared statement: “As fellow people of the North and fellow lovers of the maples, the people of Chester affirm their friendship with, and their respect for our neighbors, the people of the nation of Canada.”

Before a discussion on the issue could even take place, a rousing applause came from the audience. Following the seconding of Cunningham’s motion, Chester voters unanimously approved the resolution in support of our neighbors to the north.

*Shawn Cunningham, who works for The Chester Telegraph, was acting in his capacity as a private citizen.

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Filed Under: Chester • Latest News

About the Author: Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor more than 40 years. Cynthia has worked at such publications as the Raleigh Times, the Baltimore News American, the Buffalo Courier Express, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Patuxent Publishing chain of community newspapers in Maryland, and has won numerous state awards for her reporting. As an editor, she has overseen her staffs to win many awards for indepth coverage. She and her family moved to Chester, Vermont in 2004.

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  1. Sean Whalen says:
    March 11, 2025 at 8:37 pm

    Ron, when we reassure our neighbors that we don’t hate them, maybe they won’t hate us back. Less hate benefits everyone, including nativists.

  2. Ron Patch says:
    March 7, 2025 at 6:20 pm

    So, what does this act of bravery do to benefit me?

  3. Lauren Ingersoll says:
    March 5, 2025 at 2:21 pm

    Huge shoutout to Shawn for standing up and making this statement! Thank you for reminding us all that we stand together in support of our northern neighbors in this critical time. Very proud to be a part of the Chester community that night.