As Canadians marched to the ballot offices on October 19, 2015, Justin Trudeau took the political scene by storm, winning 184 seats in the Canadian Parliament, allowing the Liberal Party to secure the necessary lawmaking capital to form a majority government (the equivalent of controlling the White House, the Senate and the House in the United States). Bringing an end to a Conservative Government that had propelled Canada to relative obscurity on the world stage, Trudeau's administration, progressive in every sense of the word, was greeted with much enthusiasm. Possessing a youthful splendour that radiated in his boyish charm and down-to-earth charisma that transformed countless hearts into puddles of wax, it was only a matter of time before Americans of all stripes were falling head over heals for the Prime Minister Elect.

Engaging in the ever famous "bromance" with Barack Obama, Trudeau's transformation into an American Icon as big as his former White House counterpart was further aided by the U.S. Election. Donald Trump's pathological bombast and the controversy of Hillary Clinton's emails and her handling of Benghazi, left many American voters looking north for their solution. Seeing in Trudeau the very ideals they envisioned in a leader, and that defined the United States. Before an interview with Liz Planck of Vox in New York, several voters even got on their knees, begging the Canadian Prime Minister to consider running to be America's next commander-in-chief.

Now seven months into the Trump era, where the foul mouthed New Yorker of limited vocabulary and intellect has circled rhetoric and legislation encouraging intolerance of all forms, it seems the Canadian Prime Minister can do no wrong. Staffing his cabinet with individuals from all ethnicities, genders, religions and sexual orientations, Trudeau has worked diligently to introduce policy reforms to encourage diversity on a harmonious level around Canada. Opening the countries borders to Syrian Refugees. Marching in the LGBT parade. And seeking ways to reduce the wage gap between men and women while trying to increase access to opportunities for the latter. Furthermore, the son of the revered Pierre Elliott Trudeau has propelled Canada back into the arena of Foreign Policy. Engaging with prominent leaders such as Al Gore, Emanuel Macron and Angela Merkel in matters concerning Trade and promoting Climate Change initiatives.

Having recently appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, Trudeau's rappour in the hearts and minds of Americans shows know signs of slowing down. Nevertheless, while the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada has proven to be a juggernaut of social reform, which few Canadians will dispute, it is Canadians -- not Americans -- who are being governed by him. And it is Canadians who are far less enamoured of their Commander-in-Chief, much less his striking Reality TV worthy looks.

Although there is certainly a renewed sense of pride towards the Canadian identity beneath the banner of the Trudeau era, where the bulk of Canadian's frustrations lie is in their Prime Minister's failure to deliver on several of his key electoral platforms. In particular, his promise to introduce sweeping reform to the Canadian Electoral System. Seeking to turn Canada away from a single-member plurality -- a system that rewards a seat in particular district to the candidate that receives the most votes -- Trudeau committed to his voters that he would work to introduce an electoral blueprint based on ranking candidates by order of preference -- a methodology that is currently employed by governments at the federal level in Europe. However, back in February, Karina Gould, the newly appointed Minister of Democratic Institutions, announced that Trudeau would be abandoning such landmark reform, angering centrist, and right-of-centre voters who had flipped their ballots just for this proposal back in 2015. Whats more concerning than a government official failing to deliver on a wide sweeping promise is that Canadian voters are far less partisan than American voters. With more than 80% of Canadians that identity as moderates, Trudeau and his administration maybe in jeopardy of becoming victim to the very same swing vote that put him in power when the ballot offices reopen in 2019.

Another area where Justin Trudeau has felt the ire of voters is the economy. Thanks in large part to the struggles of Oil and Gas in Alberta, Canadians have been hard pressed to stay in the employment arena. And just like the Obama Administration that took over the Oval Office in the wake of the 2008 Recession, Trudeau's Liberal Government has been the scapegoat of frustrations that have come as a resulting of fewer people being able to take home a feasible pay check. Although a case can certainly be made against Trudeau since he has yet to introduce any legislation to stimulate employment or grow the job sector, the Prime Minister and his party are not entirely to blame.

Assuming office a month after his successful election, Trudeau inherited a market where the Canadian dollar had been experiencing steady depreciation for months courtesy of the OPEC Oil Glut. Circumstances made possible by a then Conservative Government under Stephen Harper, who put forth legislation to ensure Canada's dependence on Oil. Strangled of any employment diversity, Trudeau assumed office just in time to watch the bottom of a basket carrying all the eggs burst in his hands.

Nevertheless, be it American or Canadian, perspectives about political figures have always been mixed. And the United States is certainly no stranger to leaders who have boasted their fare share of accomplishments, and controversies. Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, John Adams, Lyndon Johnson, the list goes on. When one examines the legacy that remains very much in the making for Justin Trudeau, one can stare at the light that shines upon him, the shadow he casts, or perhaps, as we are all called to do when we look at a person, to gaze at both.