A Halifax man with dual Canadian and American citizenship celebrated the inauguration of Joe Biden as U.S. president by inviting his neighbours to join him outside his home to watch the ceremony.
Jim Gimian set up a television on his front porch and chairs, drinks and snacks on his lawn so neighbours and anyone who might pass by could join in on Wednesday – with appropriate social distancing and masks in place.
“We have a lot of neighbours who know we moved here in the '80s from the U.S., and so for the last four years, they're looking at us going 'what is going on there? Can you explain that?'” Gimian said as the TV commentators were wrapping up, with a glass of champagne in his hand and cheery sunshine making up for a cool breeze on Walnut Street.
“And frankly, we're embarrassed. So, having the occasion to reverse that energy, to share with everybody the dramatic shift in leadership, was something that kind of lifted a burden, made us feel a little bit better. And frankly, as a Canadian, I feel the same way. I feel a lot safer, a lot less anxiety about what's going on down there.”
Gimian said he and his wife Carolyn came here for their honeymoon in 1979 and completely fell in love with the place.
Originally from California, Gimian said there's “a long row to hoe and a lot of work to do,” after the tumultuous Donald Trump administration. He felt both Canadians and Americans can be happy about the energy that was lifted Wednesday day with Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris taking office.
He was coy when asked about his own political affiliations.
“Let's say that I have consistently voted in the United States elections since moving here, as well as voting in the Canadian elections as a Canadian, and that I have looked afresh at every opportunity and supported what I would consider progressive candidates in all the elections.”
Gimian said it was interesting to see people's reactions to the historic change, which brings the U.S. its first female vice-president in Harris. One who is a woman of colour, too.
“There were more than one occasion where I saw a tear well up in somebody's eyes because they just felt seen, or heard, or included, or relieved and uplifted,” Gimian said. “That was sort of cool.”
As for his own measure of Biden's speech after the new president swore the oath of office, Gimian said it was a nice change of pace.
“Frankly, I've never been more relieved to experience boredom,” he said. “His remarks were, I think, predictable, but I think that's the virtue he brings to the job now – predictability, normalcy, no big deal. And after four years of everybody living tweet to tweet, being panicked about what was going to happen, it's a tremendous relief, not only that he is not trying to be so flashy but also because he's talking about unity and serving everybody, and I think that's the single most important thing for us, is seeing someone who consistently says 'I don't care what your party is, I work for you.'
“And unless we have that kind of leaping over all this division kind of thing, you know, whether I'm an ex-pat or a Canadian, it's a significant thing for the whole world. Because we've got some serious bigger world problems if we don't start working together instead of being divisive.”
Barry Boyce, who described himself as a long-time friend of Gimian, is also a dual citizen who has lived in Canada since the late 1980s.
“We've done some work with a congressman in the U.S. – Tim Ryan – and … I feel that this is important for Canada because, you know, so much of what happens in the States affects us,” Boyce said on his friend's lawn.
“They've done such a terrible job with the virus, and viruses don't respect borders, so I think that change is really important.”
He is also relieved at the likelihood that extremist elements in American – and in Canada – will not be supported to the extent they have been in the past four years.
“I worked in Washington, D.C., for 10 years. I reported on Capitol Hill. I worked on Capitol Hill and in a lot of those buildings around there. I spent a lot of time there. So where there was this insurrection the other day, that touched very close to home. To desecrate the place like that was just awful.”
Leo Artalejo, another neighbour and friend who took in the Gimians' celebration, said with the U.S. being Canada's largest trading partner, it was great to mark the historic day because “what happens there does matter here.”
“It's good to see a whole bunch of adults come into power and hoping that we will see less of a chaotic circus south of the border,” Artalejo said.
Also a dual American and Canadian citizen, Artelejo said he hopes this marks the end of the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was also important to see the “remarkable moment” when Harris took on her role, he said.
“My kids are all born in the U.S., and so for me, it was important for my daughter to see Kamala Harris sworn in, because we've never seen a female president or vice-president in the history of the U.S.,” Artelejo said.
“I picked up my daughter at Gorsebrook (school) and drove her here to see the swearing in of Kamala Harris, and I think for me, one of the things that struck me was we've seen powerful women in Washington, D.C. Michelle Obama was a great example of that, but she was there on the merit of her husband. And so, what's unique, I think, about Kamala Harris is that she's … voted by the people and elected into office and I just think that's a remarkable moment. I think, in terms of my daughter, I want her to mark that moment.”
