(Funny coming from us given some of our designs we know)
Canada has perhaps the strangest relationship with national identity of any major country.
We define ourselves beside the world’s most powerful nation.
The United States is our largest neighbour, one of our most important trading partners, our military ally and a country with which millions of Canadians have personal connections.
American culture flows across the border constantly.
Canadians watch American television.
Listen to American music.
Follow American politics.
Work for American companies.
Visit American cities.
Buy American products.
Cheer for American sports teams.
There is nothing wrong with any of this.
The mistake comes when familiarity becomes assumption.
Canada and the United States are not the same country.
We have different histories.
Different political institutions.
Different legal traditions.
Different approaches to public services.
Different cultures.
Different national interests.
And sometimes those interests collide.
The economic disputes of the last two years have provided a powerful reminder.
Ipsos tracking during 2025 found a significant increase in Canadians deliberately choosing Canadian products as tensions with the United States increased. By early 2026, some of that initial enthusiasm had faded as consumers became more pragmatic, illustrating both the power and the difficulty of sustaining economic patriotism.
That evolution is understandable.
People have budgets.
Companies have integrated supply chains.
Canada cannot simply detach itself from the largest economy on Earth.
Nor should it.
But independence does not require isolation.
It requires options.
Canada should trade with the United States.
And Europe.
And Asia.
And Latin America.
And Africa.
And, most importantly, Canada should improve trade within Canada itself.
We should cooperate militarily with American allies while maintaining the independent capability to defend Canadian territory.
We should enjoy American entertainment while making Canadian entertainment.
We should welcome American investment while building Canadian companies capable of becoming global leaders.
We should remain good neighbours while understanding that neighbours own separate houses.
That final distinction matters.
For generations, Canadians could afford to treat sovereignty as largely symbolic because nobody seriously questioned whether Canada would continue existing as an independent state.
Recent political rhetoric and economic disputes have made Canadians think about the relationship differently.
That may ultimately be healthy.
Countries sometimes rediscover themselves when circumstances force them to answer a basic question:
What are we unwilling to give up?
For Canada, the answer should include our independence.
Our institutions.
Our territory.
Our culture.
Our ability to make decisions based on Canadian interests.
None of that requires disliking Americans.
Healthy nationalism is not measured by how much hostility you feel toward somebody else.
It is measured by how much responsibility you are willing to accept for your own country.
Canada should want a prosperous United States beside it.
A peaceful, democratic and successful neighbour is an extraordinary national advantage.
But Canada should want something else just as strongly.
A prosperous, independent and self-confident Canada.
Friends do not need to become copies of one another.
Neither do countries.
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