Having a strong loyalty and attachment to one’s country is something to be proud of, and by definition this is nationalism. It is a form of ideology that started in the 19th century with the advent of the nation state. Countries looked for means to build the common identity of the people to build cohesion and unity.
Not unlike other nations, Canada looked for similar means to build its own sense of solidarity as a new dominion, after the four original colonies united and would later expand. Such efforts were made to help extend the distinction between Canada and the United States, though leaders liked Sir Wilfred Laurier feared that would not happen. We did not have a foundational story that created a sense of cohesive pride.
Early efforts, like the building of the railroads and the founding of the North West Mounted Police, would have practical elements, but they were hardly the symbols to rally around.
It would not be until the 20th century that we would have events like Vimy Ridge where we began to distinguish ourselves as a nation, but the end of the Second World War would no longer see nationalism through a positive lens because of its divisive history and the horrors associated to it.
Still, as Canada grew as a nation, the need to unite us was still there, and no more so than in the 1960s with the Quiet Revolution and the start of the Quebec Separatist Movement.
In reaction to this, Canada created its new flag, along with strong central policies to demonstrate the value of being a part of this country. It began to tell a story of Canada’s strengths within the world, and the role that we would play, such as peacekeeping. It highlighted the importance that immigration had played in Canada’s history, showing how we were a multicultural society and that diversity was our strength.
And, of course, the repatriation of our Constitution, along with our new Charter, would show how our liberal democratic institutions were at the centre of what it meant to be a Canadian. Whether this was a new form of nationalism or not, one cannot say, but it had the same desired effects.
A shift in the international landscape, with the end of the Cold War, would see a shift in those policies. The government would continue to highlight our importance in the world, extolling our virtues through peacekeeping and other military missions, but was this enough?
Economically, Canada was once again decentralizing, and the provinces were growing in importance to Canadians. And the last decade has seen the increase in populism, all which seems to be leading toward a more divisive Canada, eroding the importance of those liberal democratic institutions we once valued.
Are we seeing a new form of nationalism based in fear? Have we gone from pride to prejudice?
John Kennair is an international consultant and doctor of laws who lives in St. Albert.
