Did You Know Canada Once Had a Plan to Invade Maine?

One of the things that seems a little strange to us civilians is the fact that most governments have a plan in case there is ever hostilities between us and our allies.

Yes, we've had plans to fight a war against England, France, Mexico, even Canada.

Is it just me, or does Canada feel like the cool, polite cousin we all wish we had? They have friendly people (almost too friendly), breathtaking landscapes, decent food, and some truly funny comedians. Oh yeah, they have Tim Hortons, too!

Despite how amazing and polite our neighbors to the north are, the Canadian government once had a plan to invade the United States.

Canada's Maine Invasion Plan

According to a 2018 article in Politico, Canada's Defence Scheme No. 1 involved a five-pronged invasion of the United States.

The first prong was an attack on our cities in the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle and Portland.  The second prong was an attack on the Upper Midwest.  Prongs three and four entailed attacks on our Great Lakes cities, like Detroit and Bufallo.

What about the fifth prong?

Yep, you guessed it, the fifth prong was an invasion of Maine.

The plan called for armies from the Maritimes to march into Maine.  Believed it or not, this would have likely led to battles being fought in the small border towns of Aroostook County.  Houlton, Monticello, and Madawaska, for example

Why Did Canada Have a Plan to Invade the United States?

The article explains that, at the conclusion of World War I, it was determined that the United States was now a world major power.  That caused concern for our neighbors to the north.

Wanting to make sure they were prepared if the worst were to happen, they tasked a man named Buster Brown with spying on the United States.  Brown reportedly put on a disquise, hopped in his Ford Model T (a fine, AMERICAN-made automobile), and scouted out the New York and Vermont border.

Following that trip, he drew up Defence Plan No. 1.

Did the United States Government Have a Canadian Invasion Plan?

Sure did!

Over concerns that the British might try to use Canada as a staging area for an invasion of the United States, the Department of Defense drew up plans for a preemptive invasion of Canada.

The American plan was called War Plan Red, and it was nearly a mirror of the Canadian plan.

You can read more about both plans HERE.

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Fortunately, neither of these plans were ever used.  For the most part, with the exception of a few disagreements over trade, we have remained good friends with our neighbors to the north.