LONDON, ONT. -- Sheila Robitaille walked out her front door wearing a Biden-Harris t-shirt.
"I'm so excited, and I'm finally feeling a bit of that American pride creeping back into my bones," says Robitaille, a school principal who has lived in Canada since 2007.
"Recently I've felt like I've had to apologize for being American."
Having Joe Biden in office could bode well for Canadians according to a London MP. Peter Fragiskatos says the two governments should be able to work well together.
"Manufacturing holds tremendous importance in our city and region, and we will have a president to work with who believes in NAFTA," says Fragiskatos, the MP for London North Centre.
"We don't have to worry about random steel and aluminum tariffs being applied. We will have a partner to work with at the international level on the pandemic, climate change and issues of international security."
Fragiskatos says he'll take a wait and see approach regarding the future of the Keystone Pipeline. He is thankful that Biden believes in science, and feels that could help slow the spread of COVID-19 and eventually lead to reopening the border.
"Political, health and economic stability in the US is only a good thing for its next door neighbour," says Matthew Lebo, a political science professor at Western University.
Lebo feels the President Elect will be positive for both the environment, and world health.
"I'm hearing optimistic projections that there will be a vaccine as early as January," says Lebo, from outside his office on campus.
"It will be rolled out to people vulnerable to it. To see COVID-19 calm down number of cases and hospitalizations in the US and have a vaccine will do a lot for people in southwestern Ontario."
And according to Robitaille, there is also hope for improved healthcare of Americans.
"My father is elderly and he's been concerned with healthcare which is abysmal in the US especially for elderly," says Robitaille.
"Obamacare started to give him some relief and my father said he wasn't sure he wanted to stay around for a second Trump term, knowing his life would be impacted."
Robitaille is also excited for the women in her family, and across the world who can now see Kamala Harris as Vice President.
Fragiskatos is also excited calling it an 'extraordinary outcome'.
"Vice President Elect Harris is a woman of colour so it's historic for that reason," says Fragiskatos.
"Also is great for Canadians as she is someone who lived in Canada for a while, but more than that young woman can see themselves in the VP Elect."
