Canadian Identity Into the New Millennium

Matthew A. West January 25, 2011

Identity is a word often used to refer to individuals and their self-perception. This is not its only use, however. A country has an identity. This identity is what the country is perceived to stand for, especially by its citizens. Since its inception, Canada has had a legacy of British attachment. This is not, however, the primary source of Canadas identity now. Canadas identity has been aected by changes in its culture, economy, societal structure, and government. In this essay, I will examine a few of the trends of the last 30 years, and their eect on Canadian identity today. Cultural trends in Canada have changed citizens perception of what it means to be a Canadian. For the last 50 years, consumerism and materialism have been trending upward in Canada. This trend helps to insure homogenity across the nation, since most commercial products are now available everywhere in the same form. Canadian young people have also cultivated a trend of rebellion against past cultural norms. Examples of this include body piercing, tattoos, and the latest "counter-culture" music trend. Canada has also shifted from a nation attractive to immigrants because of the agricultural possibilities to a nation attractive because of urban opportunities: as of 2006, 97.2% of immigrants who had landed in the last 5 years lived in cities. Canada has taken a dierent tact than Americas traditional approach in dealing with immigrants cultures. Canada has simply allowed immigrants to keep their individual cultures, with no eort to assimilate into a unique Canadian culture. The net eect of cultural changes in Canada has been to resplit the country. Canada used to be culturally divided by region. No longer is this the case; Canada is now divided by individuals choices as to what style they will embrace. Multiculturalism, youth culture subgroup fragmentation, and national consumerism make this possible. Now individuals do not identify with their own community, but with their kind across the nation. During the time around the turn of the millennium, many changes occurred in Canadas economy. One of these trends, globalization, was felt around the globe (go gure!). Globalization basically means the removal of trade barriers between countries. This means that each country is freed from self-suciency, and can concentrate on producing the items it produces best. Globalization means the loss of production jobs for Canadians, which are outsourced to countries with cheap labor. Another important change in the Canadian economy is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA created un1

restricted free trade between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Some Canadians felt that this agreement lessened Canadas sovereignty over its own economy. For these Canadians, NAFTA felt like a selling of their Canadian birthright. Another controversial economic decision was the cutting of social benets for Canadian citizens. This decision came as a shocking disappointment to Canadians, who had come to feel entitled to their benets. Though this decision was necessary to bring Canada out from under its immense debt, the public resented its intrusion into what they felt was their right to public welfare. French Canadian demands for recognition as a distinct society, conict over patriation of the constitution, and assertion of minority rights characterized the societal trends during the time around the new millennium. Quebec made several attempts to gain sovereignty during this time, a move which decreased the national unity signicantly. Also, the underhanded agreement for patriating the constitution by Trudeau and the other provincial premiers contributed to Quebecs disillusionment with the national union. During the millenial time period, minorities were increasingly recognized across Canada. The biggest gain for minority rights was in Aboriginal rights. Aboriginals gained the right to self-government and regained some of their land rights. Canadian identity did indeed change during the time before and after the millennium, and it continues to change. However, with Canadas policy of multiculturalism, there is very little distinctly Canadian national identity, especially for recent immigrants. In the millenial time period, Canadas record is one of fragmentation, division, and attempted separation. At times, that Canada would survive intact was doubtful. Canada now has one of the highest scores on the United Nations scale of human rights. One must ask, however, what does this scale measure? This scale primarily measures openness. Who better to demonstrate openness than a country with no distinct national identity? Canada has achieved almost perfect openness, but at the cost of a distinct culture.