I'm old enough to remember the now-almost-extinct Left/liberal strains of Canadian nationalism from the late 60s into the 70s that influenced me during my formative years: the Committee for an Independent Canada, the Waffle, the push to Canadianize our universities by restricting hiring via the American & Brit old boys' networks etc. There was also an influential Tory nationalist strain intermingled during those times (esp. George Grant).
What these influences had in common, in varying degrees, was a critical element, i.e. that Canadian independence was a Good Thing, but only if we used it to raise the bar on how we treated each other through improvements to social and environmental programs. Flag-waving on its own didn't cut it.
Something that I haven't seen adequately discussed is how these strains of Canadian nationalism co-existed (or not) with Quebec's rising sovereigntist movement during that era. I confess that I got to be rather impatient with the latter's self-absorption - did they really believe that they could carve out a linguistic and cultural island that would have any staying power in an American-dominated continent without Canadian federalism as an insulating buffer? For me, the last straw was Quebec's massive vote for Mulroney's free trade deal in the 1988 election - without that, he would have lost and we might have been spared the subsequent ~ 30 years of continental integration. (Although Turner's 1988 nationalist blip might not have had much staying power against the Liberal tendency to revert to continentalism.)
And one more thing, folks seem to be focussing on large corporations. There are thousands of small businesses, and craft businesses that we can purchase goods from as well.
In Grade 12 history, we learned that nationalism leads to imperialism, and hence to…world wars. This was the going interpretation of 20th-century history at the time. I don’t know if it still is, but it made an impression on me.
As someone raised on the West Coast, I have always found expressions of Canadian nationalism embarrassing and cringe-inducing. Once when I was in university, a political studies professor posited that the only place where a notion of a definable “Canadian identity” had or has currency is in Southwestern Ontario. Everywhere else, regional identity may be meaningful to varying degrees, but people don’t think much about Canadian-ness. In my experience, that holds true.
Most advertising and political messaging that appeals to nationalism seems meaningless and empty to me, vomit-inducingly sentimental yet devoid of content. A place where people can do anything and where citizens care for one another? Is this supposed to be unique among nations? Also, when were those things ever true about Canada? Hockey, Leonard Cohen, snow, and hoser slang? When were those things ever universally meaningful? Alternatively, if that list is meant to define a normative identity (in terms of things we are *supposed* to care about), it is a mighty strange one.
When I’ve tried to wrap my head around a nationalism that I could feel good about, I land on specifics: universal healthcare, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, maybe gun control laws. These are things I am very glad we have and that affect how life is lived by everyone in the country. I don’t personally think there are any inherent qualities or traits that are specific to Canadians or attach to Canadian identity: attempts to force that seem gross and jingoistic to me. I am proud to be Canadian but I guess I’m mostly proud of specific acts of legislation [shrug emoji]
That's funny about "Canadian identity" in SW Ontario.
Because I'm from SW Ontario, and I identify as Canadian, not Ontarian or anything else, and I've never really understood putting a regional identity above one's national identity.
Which is not to say that I don't enjoy and appreciate SW Ontario as being the best place in the world to live (IMHO!), just that it's mostly about what I like in weather and geography, not anything about my own identity.
And while I can appreciate that residents of Quebec, the Maritimes and Newfoundland have an older attachment to a regional identity, giving primacy to that over one's national identity, seems very provincial (no pun intended ...) to me.
I was also surprised to learn when meeting some folks from NC that they felt their identity as North Carolinians to be far more important than their identity as Americans.
And after having said all that, I also find overt expressions of nationalism to be cringe-inducing. I feel very fortunate and happy to be Canadian, but pride, as has been written, goeth before a fall ...
Growing up in Canada I often overlooked the “Leaf Washing” of different foreign & domestic-owned corporate brands. To say this is a new phenomenon to the moment isn’t exactly accurate. It took travelling and living in the US for a time for me to fully realize how entrenched Leaf Washing is in Canada. From the patriotic “I AM CANADIAN” ads run by Molson (now a subsidiary of InBev a foreign multinational), to McDonald’s tacking a leaf beneath their Golden Arches, to the obligation of a hot Tim’s at the rink. It seems to be that corporations of all kinds have been appealing to an innate desire for Canadians to cling to some form of “identity” (I’m still working out what the Canadian identity is) by slapping a leaf on it. It conjures memories of a Portlandia sketch “Put a bird on it” in all its ridiculous satire. There has always been an implicit desire for Canadians to stand out separate and distinct from the shadow of their prodigal big brother to the south, but in the same swipe also falling victim to emulating so much of the American culture they claim to want to be distinct from. I feel that for too long Canadians have allowed corporate interests to control the narrative of what Canadian values are or should be and this is in part due to our unintentionally claimed identity of being “Not America”
I for one am very glad of the surge in Canadian pride! It seemed we had all forgotten, being sucked in by American films, television shows etc. Not everyone may know that the CBC was established in 1936 because some wise citizens were aware that there was far too much American influence which was not good for our developing nation. And yes, we were told at one time that Nationalism was "bad" likely because of the two world wars. I have definitely changed my mind on that one. Citizens have got to re-learn how our system of government and laws have developed and how they work. The freedoms that we have. I am a child of Dutch immigrants who found a new home in this country in the 1950s, and were able to thrive because of it. I have also been able to thrive because of it. Yet still, many of us are sucked in to, and look on in horror at the present day American political narrative, which we can do absolutely nothing about. Since Trumps threats, I have done a 180. I am now subscribing to Canadian substack writers, and really re-learning for myself what democracy means.
Another example of a non-Canadian company touting its Canadian bonafides is McDonald's, which has the following statement on their website: "We believe in supporting Canadian farmers, sourcing quality ingredients like beef, potatoes, dairy and freshly cracked Canada Grade A eggs." (https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca/our-purpose-and-impact.html)
McDonald's came to mind because when I was in one of their locations recently, the pro-Canada messages on their walls stood out to me. However, I remember similar messages from the company over 20 years ago when they promoted their "Alberta beef" (which was right around the time of the Mad Cow scare), so perhaps it just stands out to me more now given Trump's attacks on us.
Speaking of promoting Alberta beef during the Mad Cow scare of 2003, I wonder if nationalist (or provincialist) messages coming from businesses are more prominent during *any* kinds of threats to "hometown" security, not just the current one with Trump. I imagine McDonald's has always had pro-Canada messages in Canadian markets, but I am curious to know if those messages were relatively toned-down when neither Trump nor Mad Cow were concerns. I am also curious to know if their pro-Alberta beef messages were more limited to Alberta markets, since they might not have been so relevant to non-Alberta consumers.
Nationalism is a form of tribalism, and I argue that any form of tribalism is inherently bad.
Cheering a team is one thing, but playing on/encouraging tribal tendencies with "We the North" and Leaf Nation leads to tribal thinking in other areas too. (Oooh, did I just commit a slippery slope fallacy?!) Trumpism has much in common with mob rule.
I would argue that the story of civilization and progress has been the story of turning from tribalism to individualism. Not that family or community should be deprecated with the individual the be-all and end-all to society, but we're losing the sense of individual responsibility that has been the counter balance to community responsibility as well as the engine of growth and progress.
Tribalism is the only way we get things done. For millions of years we have banded together, put aside our personal preferences, given the best we could offer to work together toward a goal.
When we do it, it’s good. When they do it, it’s bad.
A century of hyper individualism has stolen our future from us. It’s only when we get back to learning how to blend ourselves with others that we can get some form of a future back.
I agree, Glenn. United we stand, divided we fall. We cannot achieve big things without agreeing to work together on common goals. We have been suffering from too much division in this country, much of it due to political ideology, instead of focusing on what’s important for our nation and our people.
The hyper individualism “I’ve got mine, you can fend for yourself” of the past decades is why we are in this mess to begin with…this attitude leads people to believe they’re better/smarter/more deserving than their neighbors. Individual responsibility thrives when it exists within communities —strengthening bonds, building trust, and leading to better outcomes for everyone.
I have no problem with corporations telling people they are Canadian, especially at a time when buying Canadian appears to be a priority for many. It would appear to make good business sense. Are they 'cashing in on our patriotic surge'? Their sales results and customer research will answer that question.
Buying Canadian is good for our economy. It is also one way to fight against the US tariffs. I am also pleased to see the waning of travel to the US. We cannot support a nation that is threatening us.
Leaving Canadian Nationalism to blatant product and service promotion of products of interest to sports fans (e.g., during hockey games) doesn't strike me as a much more than a short term grab for viewer attention.
The larger question is moving Canadians to understand that support for all thing Canadian means insisting that governments buy Canadian products and services, which they currently avoid due to playing safe by going with the largest supplier, US or Cdn branch of a US or Multinational, and weaning Canadians of buying with lowest cost as their primary criteria.
It also means Canadians understanding the massive shift in demographics that is already playing out, and it's consequences for their children, and what that means for Canada in the near future (vs voting with their wallet).
On the radio, I've noticed Spence Diamonds leaning hard into it. "What are tariffs doing to the cost of engagement rings?" it asks, to which Spence says nothing because their diamonds are Canadian.
On the more egregious, a local Walmart was flying Canadian flags down (at least) one aisle.
Priors: I am a naturalized Canadian (immigrant), and I have been given great opportunities here. That informs my views.
Now, with that out of the way, I see three distinct narratives that may help shape what it means to be Canadian and to be a Canadian nationalist.
First is the idea of Canada as a diverse, multicultural, tolerant society that may be geographically located in North America, but fits comfortably somewhere between the UK, Ireland and France. An updated definition would include a recognition that Indigenous peoples and certain minorities were treated in very hurtful ways, and we have a duty of admitting the truth and building bridges to reconciliation.
Second is Canada as a Confederation. Provinces are nation-states with a distinctive history, multiple languages (including Indigenous), and politics. The Alberta NDP and the Federal NDP share three letters and not much more. The former BC Liberals were federal Progressive Conservatives.
Third is a definition by opposition, in the context of being next door to the United States. We are part of the Commonwealth. We have a King. We have our unique Canadian Health care. We use the metric system, we regulate gun control more tightly, and we do not have a Second Amendment. The judicial system is restrained and Canadians not sue as the first action when wronged.
In that context, between talks of annexation and the "the US does not need anything from Canada" the table was set for a swift, from the gut instinct to protect the things that make Canada, well, Canada. We are not them, and we are not as inconsequential as you think, US Administration. Cross-border tourism plummets, and sending profits to the US became anathema for the consumer. In a world with instant access to sales data, the pivot in marketing was equally swift.
I'm old enough to remember the now-almost-extinct Left/liberal strains of Canadian nationalism from the late 60s into the 70s that influenced me during my formative years: the Committee for an Independent Canada, the Waffle, the push to Canadianize our universities by restricting hiring via the American & Brit old boys' networks etc. There was also an influential Tory nationalist strain intermingled during those times (esp. George Grant).
What these influences had in common, in varying degrees, was a critical element, i.e. that Canadian independence was a Good Thing, but only if we used it to raise the bar on how we treated each other through improvements to social and environmental programs. Flag-waving on its own didn't cut it.
Something that I haven't seen adequately discussed is how these strains of Canadian nationalism co-existed (or not) with Quebec's rising sovereigntist movement during that era. I confess that I got to be rather impatient with the latter's self-absorption - did they really believe that they could carve out a linguistic and cultural island that would have any staying power in an American-dominated continent without Canadian federalism as an insulating buffer? For me, the last straw was Quebec's massive vote for Mulroney's free trade deal in the 1988 election - without that, he would have lost and we might have been spared the subsequent ~ 30 years of continental integration. (Although Turner's 1988 nationalist blip might not have had much staying power against the Liberal tendency to revert to continentalism.)
Good luck with your book project!
And one more thing, folks seem to be focussing on large corporations. There are thousands of small businesses, and craft businesses that we can purchase goods from as well.
In Grade 12 history, we learned that nationalism leads to imperialism, and hence to…world wars. This was the going interpretation of 20th-century history at the time. I don’t know if it still is, but it made an impression on me.
As someone raised on the West Coast, I have always found expressions of Canadian nationalism embarrassing and cringe-inducing. Once when I was in university, a political studies professor posited that the only place where a notion of a definable “Canadian identity” had or has currency is in Southwestern Ontario. Everywhere else, regional identity may be meaningful to varying degrees, but people don’t think much about Canadian-ness. In my experience, that holds true.
Most advertising and political messaging that appeals to nationalism seems meaningless and empty to me, vomit-inducingly sentimental yet devoid of content. A place where people can do anything and where citizens care for one another? Is this supposed to be unique among nations? Also, when were those things ever true about Canada? Hockey, Leonard Cohen, snow, and hoser slang? When were those things ever universally meaningful? Alternatively, if that list is meant to define a normative identity (in terms of things we are *supposed* to care about), it is a mighty strange one.
When I’ve tried to wrap my head around a nationalism that I could feel good about, I land on specifics: universal healthcare, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, maybe gun control laws. These are things I am very glad we have and that affect how life is lived by everyone in the country. I don’t personally think there are any inherent qualities or traits that are specific to Canadians or attach to Canadian identity: attempts to force that seem gross and jingoistic to me. I am proud to be Canadian but I guess I’m mostly proud of specific acts of legislation [shrug emoji]
That's funny about "Canadian identity" in SW Ontario.
Because I'm from SW Ontario, and I identify as Canadian, not Ontarian or anything else, and I've never really understood putting a regional identity above one's national identity.
Which is not to say that I don't enjoy and appreciate SW Ontario as being the best place in the world to live (IMHO!), just that it's mostly about what I like in weather and geography, not anything about my own identity.
And while I can appreciate that residents of Quebec, the Maritimes and Newfoundland have an older attachment to a regional identity, giving primacy to that over one's national identity, seems very provincial (no pun intended ...) to me.
I was also surprised to learn when meeting some folks from NC that they felt their identity as North Carolinians to be far more important than their identity as Americans.
And after having said all that, I also find overt expressions of nationalism to be cringe-inducing. I feel very fortunate and happy to be Canadian, but pride, as has been written, goeth before a fall ...
When I was a kid in the 50s, movie theaters began their showing by playing the national anthem, and everyone stood up until it was done.
When I was a rebellious teenager I took pride in being brave enough to stay seated. (trying to be cool?)
I'd just gone through elementary school where we had to stand at beginning of class and sing the national anthem.
First it was God Save The King, then God Save The Queen, and I left school before O Canada.
Growing up in Canada I often overlooked the “Leaf Washing” of different foreign & domestic-owned corporate brands. To say this is a new phenomenon to the moment isn’t exactly accurate. It took travelling and living in the US for a time for me to fully realize how entrenched Leaf Washing is in Canada. From the patriotic “I AM CANADIAN” ads run by Molson (now a subsidiary of InBev a foreign multinational), to McDonald’s tacking a leaf beneath their Golden Arches, to the obligation of a hot Tim’s at the rink. It seems to be that corporations of all kinds have been appealing to an innate desire for Canadians to cling to some form of “identity” (I’m still working out what the Canadian identity is) by slapping a leaf on it. It conjures memories of a Portlandia sketch “Put a bird on it” in all its ridiculous satire. There has always been an implicit desire for Canadians to stand out separate and distinct from the shadow of their prodigal big brother to the south, but in the same swipe also falling victim to emulating so much of the American culture they claim to want to be distinct from. I feel that for too long Canadians have allowed corporate interests to control the narrative of what Canadian values are or should be and this is in part due to our unintentionally claimed identity of being “Not America”
I for one am very glad of the surge in Canadian pride! It seemed we had all forgotten, being sucked in by American films, television shows etc. Not everyone may know that the CBC was established in 1936 because some wise citizens were aware that there was far too much American influence which was not good for our developing nation. And yes, we were told at one time that Nationalism was "bad" likely because of the two world wars. I have definitely changed my mind on that one. Citizens have got to re-learn how our system of government and laws have developed and how they work. The freedoms that we have. I am a child of Dutch immigrants who found a new home in this country in the 1950s, and were able to thrive because of it. I have also been able to thrive because of it. Yet still, many of us are sucked in to, and look on in horror at the present day American political narrative, which we can do absolutely nothing about. Since Trumps threats, I have done a 180. I am now subscribing to Canadian substack writers, and really re-learning for myself what democracy means.
Another example of a non-Canadian company touting its Canadian bonafides is McDonald's, which has the following statement on their website: "We believe in supporting Canadian farmers, sourcing quality ingredients like beef, potatoes, dairy and freshly cracked Canada Grade A eggs." (https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca/our-purpose-and-impact.html)
McDonald's came to mind because when I was in one of their locations recently, the pro-Canada messages on their walls stood out to me. However, I remember similar messages from the company over 20 years ago when they promoted their "Alberta beef" (which was right around the time of the Mad Cow scare), so perhaps it just stands out to me more now given Trump's attacks on us.
Speaking of promoting Alberta beef during the Mad Cow scare of 2003, I wonder if nationalist (or provincialist) messages coming from businesses are more prominent during *any* kinds of threats to "hometown" security, not just the current one with Trump. I imagine McDonald's has always had pro-Canada messages in Canadian markets, but I am curious to know if those messages were relatively toned-down when neither Trump nor Mad Cow were concerns. I am also curious to know if their pro-Alberta beef messages were more limited to Alberta markets, since they might not have been so relevant to non-Alberta consumers.
"Some argue nationalism is inherently bad ..."
Nationalism is a form of tribalism, and I argue that any form of tribalism is inherently bad.
Cheering a team is one thing, but playing on/encouraging tribal tendencies with "We the North" and Leaf Nation leads to tribal thinking in other areas too. (Oooh, did I just commit a slippery slope fallacy?!) Trumpism has much in common with mob rule.
I would argue that the story of civilization and progress has been the story of turning from tribalism to individualism. Not that family or community should be deprecated with the individual the be-all and end-all to society, but we're losing the sense of individual responsibility that has been the counter balance to community responsibility as well as the engine of growth and progress.
Tribalism is the only way we get things done. For millions of years we have banded together, put aside our personal preferences, given the best we could offer to work together toward a goal.
When we do it, it’s good. When they do it, it’s bad.
A century of hyper individualism has stolen our future from us. It’s only when we get back to learning how to blend ourselves with others that we can get some form of a future back.
I agree, Glenn. United we stand, divided we fall. We cannot achieve big things without agreeing to work together on common goals. We have been suffering from too much division in this country, much of it due to political ideology, instead of focusing on what’s important for our nation and our people.
The hyper individualism “I’ve got mine, you can fend for yourself” of the past decades is why we are in this mess to begin with…this attitude leads people to believe they’re better/smarter/more deserving than their neighbors. Individual responsibility thrives when it exists within communities —strengthening bonds, building trust, and leading to better outcomes for everyone.
And individualism is still the bedrock of America. Their citizens recoil in horror at the word "socialism".
I love this so much Kimberly, we have so much more in common than our leaders say we do.
I have no problem with corporations telling people they are Canadian, especially at a time when buying Canadian appears to be a priority for many. It would appear to make good business sense. Are they 'cashing in on our patriotic surge'? Their sales results and customer research will answer that question.
Buying Canadian is good for our economy. It is also one way to fight against the US tariffs. I am also pleased to see the waning of travel to the US. We cannot support a nation that is threatening us.
" does that make us less willing to recognize and address our serious and persistent shortcomings as a country?" - Canada bad-Nationalism bad
Corporate efforts to capitalise on Canadian Nationalism are always met with equal and opposing cynicism by many Canadians.
Leaving Canadian Nationalism to blatant product and service promotion of products of interest to sports fans (e.g., during hockey games) doesn't strike me as a much more than a short term grab for viewer attention.
The larger question is moving Canadians to understand that support for all thing Canadian means insisting that governments buy Canadian products and services, which they currently avoid due to playing safe by going with the largest supplier, US or Cdn branch of a US or Multinational, and weaning Canadians of buying with lowest cost as their primary criteria.
It also means Canadians understanding the massive shift in demographics that is already playing out, and it's consequences for their children, and what that means for Canada in the near future (vs voting with their wallet).
On the radio, I've noticed Spence Diamonds leaning hard into it. "What are tariffs doing to the cost of engagement rings?" it asks, to which Spence says nothing because their diamonds are Canadian.
On the more egregious, a local Walmart was flying Canadian flags down (at least) one aisle.
https://astro.ca/canadian-dictionary/?utm_medium=paid&utm_source=ig&utm_id=120225888077710338&utm_content=120225889131630338&utm_term=120225888077720338&utm_campaign=120225888077710338&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwKn7jRleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqyDfOATjIgGnYPbEc5Twkz9Ozn5lRTl4GGHh96Ma5dOkKuHsVQ5IrZ0T4WP4rMJTJS4-nHM_aem_YZTcarD1AngpHOi3pqIrKQ
Priors: I am a naturalized Canadian (immigrant), and I have been given great opportunities here. That informs my views.
Now, with that out of the way, I see three distinct narratives that may help shape what it means to be Canadian and to be a Canadian nationalist.
First is the idea of Canada as a diverse, multicultural, tolerant society that may be geographically located in North America, but fits comfortably somewhere between the UK, Ireland and France. An updated definition would include a recognition that Indigenous peoples and certain minorities were treated in very hurtful ways, and we have a duty of admitting the truth and building bridges to reconciliation.
Second is Canada as a Confederation. Provinces are nation-states with a distinctive history, multiple languages (including Indigenous), and politics. The Alberta NDP and the Federal NDP share three letters and not much more. The former BC Liberals were federal Progressive Conservatives.
Third is a definition by opposition, in the context of being next door to the United States. We are part of the Commonwealth. We have a King. We have our unique Canadian Health care. We use the metric system, we regulate gun control more tightly, and we do not have a Second Amendment. The judicial system is restrained and Canadians not sue as the first action when wronged.
In that context, between talks of annexation and the "the US does not need anything from Canada" the table was set for a swift, from the gut instinct to protect the things that make Canada, well, Canada. We are not them, and we are not as inconsequential as you think, US Administration. Cross-border tourism plummets, and sending profits to the US became anathema for the consumer. In a world with instant access to sales data, the pivot in marketing was equally swift.
Here is a billboard staring at me from across the street: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Qrpa5uGSLh4vCG2ovQpl81GWDpmGHZr/view?usp=sharing
There is a fine line between patriotism and nationalism. Patriotism is good? Nationalism is bad? I’m not sure I can really tell the difference.