A scene from 1999’s South Park movie has been on my mind. Parents have convened to discuss changes in their children, appearing after the kids snuck into an R-rated movie with Canadian actors. Suddenly their language has become more colourful and their behaviour more problematic. One mom announces that Canada is to blame — certainly not their parenting.
(The movie has been out for more than 25 years, so hopefully no spoilers.)
The PTA meeting breaks into song. “Don’t blame me for my son Stan. He saw the darn cartoon and now he’s run off to join the Klan,” one parent notes. “Blame Canada! Blame Canada! It seems like everything has gone wrong since Canada came along. Blame Canada. Blame Canada. They’re not even a real country anyway.”
The song captures the current mood of Canada-U.S. relations. And here at home, some Canadians are buying it. They want you to think things are so bad here that we’d be better off joining with Donald Trump’s United States. That we’d all be better off if we moved there.
We have one country, and we should take seriously the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen.
For people like me, Canada is and will continue to be the North Star. It is home. We don’t want to go anywhere else — and some of us have nowhere else to go. It’s everything. Giving up on one’s country shouldn’t be like throwing out a torn t-shirt. It’s citizenship consumerism.
(An aside: Canada is treaty land. As usual, we aren’t speaking enough about Indigenous communities on this. With Trump targeting the birthright citizenship of Indigenous people in the states, what would that mean for First Nations in Canada?)
This is not to make light of the threats that Canadians face, especially now with Trump’s announced tariffs. While the Liberal government is picking a new leader, Ontarians are muddling through a snap election in the height of winter. What we’re seeing south of the border adds to the chaos — and to that pit-in-the-stomach feeling that hasn’t left me since March 2020. Housing is still unaffordable, and Canadians can’t afford to live near the jobs they want. Three Ontario municipalities (Kingston, Mississauga, Toronto) have recently declared food insecurity to be an emergency — and groceries may get more expensive still. Hundreds of Ontarians are lining up for hours in the cold in the hopes that they will be able to get a family doctor. Now our closest ally is imposing punishing tariffs and seems intent on disrupting our sovereignty.
Insert the meme of a dog sitting calmly in a burning house with a cup of tea (bourbon?) and the thought bubble: “This is fine.”
Being patriotic and being proud of being a Canadian, doesn’t erase or discount the pain of the history of Canada. Canada isn’t a perfect country. But show me one. The U.S. is also facing a housing crisis and their health-care system is the stuff of nightmares. The future of Canada as an American state would not be paved with Target, the National Football League, and a stronger dollar.
According to public opinion polling, “for the first time in a quarter century, a clear majority of Canadians say there is too much immigration.” How can a nation of immigrants turn against immigration? Another recent poll suggests that “fewer people feel proud to be Canadian.” How can we redefine what it means to be Canadian?
Now is the time for us to have these conversations.
Early signs are it seems to be happening. Over the weekend, crowds at NBA and NHL games loudly booed the Star Spangled Banner and thunderously cheered for O Canada, singing along to every word. Trump’s tariffs may have reminded people about things we have to be proud of — and the things we could so easily lose.
I have a bias for Canada because it took me in as a refugee. I can say without a doubt that I am alive today because Canada welcomed my family here to make it home — because an Ontarian sponsored my family to come here. I have a family now because of Canada. I am forever indebted to this country and while I acknowledge the challenges, I want to play a role in the solutions. I’ve lived on three different continents and in six different countries and there is no feeling that will ever rival the safety I feel when I see the CN tower as the plane descends toward Pearson Airport.
Perhaps this is a moment for all of us to consider what we can do to make it a better country. And to cheer it on as we go.