Agree with the observations in the post and very glad (as another "returnee") to have found this sStack. Like Aocm, I like the "think globally, act locally" phraseology, but increasingly am concerned that a fuzzy global awareness drives an isolated local action. We are entwined in interdependent systems and ill-equipped to grasp the resulting complexity—indeed, it is in the interest of some to ensure complexity presents as too complicated to engage. That disengagement is empowering for those who are not typically motivated by the values we Canadians like to think we share. As Canadian Returnee has noted, we are subject to an onslaught of influences from a culture seemingly close, yet ideological and historically quite far, from our own. (There's nothing like an annual stay in an Arizona compound surrounded by other Canadians choosing that vacation destination to lead a Canuck to think they understand the USA. They don't.) Complexity simply IS. Do we nurture our capacity to engage? Do we understand that our combined human, social & governance capacities form our collective intellectual capital, unique in its fabric? Which cultures, near or far, might be more closely aligned with our values, our aspirations for ourselves and the world? It's not a rhetorical question...
My hope is that Canadians recognize that Mark Carney is a man of integrity who has the economic expertise to lead Canada against the terrible Trump dictator and his sycophants that have overtaken my country and threaten the entire world order with his chaotic tariffs and threats of aggression. Trump is in complete control of our Congress as Republicans have the majority in both the House and the Senate, and the Supreme Court has given him "immunity" to essentially be above the law. I am terrified and hope that Canada will stand strong against the Trump agenda. Most Americans hold Canada with affection and high regard and despise Trump's aggressive imperialist agenda. It's only been a few months and Trump has triggered trade wars with our former trusted allies. He has sent innocent men who happen to be immigrants to what is a cruel concentration camp in El Salvador without due process mandated in our laws. This is tragic and despicable with no remedy in sight. Continue to speak out now to hold onto your most basic human values.
Excellent overview of today's challenges. We live in an era of chaos mainly economic, driven by the current US president but also by a growing populist mindset and growing impacts of climate change.
You have clearly described both the talent and maturity required to lead Canada to a robust economic future and stronger national unity - and the two are linked. The alternative being a petulant sloganeer without a clue about economics. The more he offers by way of tax cuts and other incentives (big pay cheques) I worry about what he's not saying ... what his planned cuts are? Healthcare? Education? He's already mentioned defunding the CBC - does he also have Canada Post in mind? He's only speaking to one side of the spreadsheet. This is worrisome.
We do need to sort out the mess from the Trudeau era but the CPC don't appear to have clear solutions while the NDP doesn't seem to be relevant in this election for various reasons. Carney seems to have some ideas and hopefully some of them can be passed and implemented as intended
It certainly appears to be the case PP is a lapdog to Trump, a buddy of Vance and the CPC is trying to ride the Trudeau past while everyone else moved on to Carney. Whatever his real or perceived shortcomings, they pale in comparison to PP; The CPC know they are beaten.
We need someone who understands the financial markets inside out, and someone who has traveled in the world of the rich, and knows bullshit when he sees it
The thoughts presented here reflect what I think completely. I don’t have the background information that is presented in this article, but it is what I believe to be true.
So proud of the way Mark has handled this U.S. situation. As much as I hate what has happened over the last 70 days, it has made Canadians realize their true value—and their ability to recognize Canada’s greatness.
Canada has so many incredible strengths that we often take for granted and fail to capitalize on because we’ve been too risk-averse and overly dependent on others to lead. We have an abundance of resources (oil, gas, minerals, etc.), better healthcare, a stronger financial structure, respect for education, effective gun control, and extremely smart people.
Our weakness lies in being too cautious and always deferring to others—particularly the U.S.—when our leadership is often better suited to take the helm.
Diversifying, investing in small businesses, entrepreneurship, technology, and increasing trade within Canada and with nations beyond the U.S. is, in my opinion (having lived in the U.S. for over 30 years), the right strategy.
The trade war and the disrespect shown by the U.S. leadership have sparked a drive and assertiveness that Canada has always needed to move toward becoming a true “superpower” nation. It’s about time.
I just hope we don’t make the same mistakes: failing to invest in our people and businesses, neglecting to improve what we already have, and not privatizing everything to the point of mass corruption. We must avoid outsourcing our braintrust to other countries through large corporations that secure major contracts and then ship the work overseas. That practice has gutted the U.S. middle class—and it’s one of the main reasons for their decline.
Another observation over the last 25+ yrs in Ontario is the real estate prices. Too much foreign investment - have recently been in the market as a buyer, right after COVID( selecting a property on Monday and having it bidded up by 17 buyers with $1M over the original asking price) - insane : No bank will support such a purchase - Cash offers? For most Canadians this is not sustainable. And of course Realtors encourage this as they get paid on the higher prices. Another issue is the poor planning around real estate: Having been a realtor in my life - its very difficult to do a market analysis when you have such in consistent communities : houses mixed with strip mall, with cemeteries, etc...developers just throwing up properties anywhere without thought or planning - like throwing spaghetti on a wall to see what sticks as far as pricing is concerned. This can easily can be fixed…. I hope this is on Mark's list of improvements on our way to SuperPower Status ..
I think he played it safe with tough talk to trump and calling another election for a mandate. No one else was going toe to toe with trump in the same way. So….. the proof is yet to be seen. Let’s hope he values his country & democracy. 🇨🇦❤️
The culture of complacency needs to end. The stereotypical Canadian mindset of not having any sense of urgency until it's too late needs to stop. Being overly dependent on one or two countries is also a problem. Voting in a Carney government won't solve most issues but it will buy time from a maple maga problem
Thanks for this thoughtful essay. Sometimes it feels like we live in a time where people fear intelligence. We choose entertainment over reality. We choose class clowns over competent and capable leaders. We choose the simplicity of sameness over the challenge of change. In this election, at a time when there is a real threat to our sovereignty and democracy, we must choose the party led by the person who understands the complexities and realities that face us. We need a leader who can navigate the new world disorder. We need a leader who’s not limited to three word rhymes and sandbox discourse. I’ve never voted Liberal before, but I am certainly voting Liberal now.
If it were not for Trudeau's resignation and Trump's antics, we would likely have a government led by Pierre Poilievre this year. The general mood has changed with Trudeau finally getting out of the way and the stupidity coming from Donald Trump and his collaborators. People who were once open to giving the CPC a chance after nearly a decade of actual or perceived mismanagement under the Trudeau government are open to giving the retooled Liberals another chance under a Carney government.
The CPC have not been able to pivot to this new reality, and their campaign seems to lack substance on how to deal with Trump or to turn the country around. Having messaging around how much Justin Trudeau sucks has its limits. It is even sadder that the NDP has failed to capitalize on any of this, to the point where unions are backing either the CPC or the Liberals in this election.
Brilliant essay. I hope the polls hold and Canadians elect Carney. If you’ve not watched it, I’d recommend sitting through the entirety of the Singapore PM’s recent speech on tariffs that he gave to his parliament. It further validated for me the immense benefit our country would realize in electing a frank, intelligent, and highly capable leader. We should demand nothing less at this moment. Or ever. Carney is the only choice. Link below:
People still need to go out and vote or vote early for anything to change. Despite Pierre’s issues, enough of the CPC candidates in my city are pretty friendly and talk about quality of life issues that resonate with locals.
Thanks for your feedback. Carney does have issues with his conflicts of interest and allegedly maintaining positions in his investments despite putting them into a blind trust. The issue with Peter Yuen as Paul Chiang’s replacement in Markham-Unionville is another problem.
I suggest looking at the Bureau for more detailed reports on those problems. They have the means to get the news out as early as possible. That being said, the CPC does not appear to have made a pivot in time given their years-long platform revolving around Trudeau’s shortcomings stalled when Justin resigned and the country was plagued with Trump’s antics.
I’m a bit worried that I’m in a bubble. Personally, one of my favourite sayings is “think globally, act locally.” I’m a critical thinker seeking out facts, an engaged consumer of news, aware of the world outside my community and the continent. I am having a difficult time with Canadians who believe what the CPC is trying to sell.
Canada is generally above average in literacy & numeracy skills, so who are the unengaged who do believe the lies? It’s outrageous.
I don't understand how any rational person wants Poilievre to win over Mark Carney. I am so worried about the ensuing destruction of Canada if that happens. PP is dangerous.
Our riding turned CPC a couple of elections ago so I was worried abt candidate selection, turns out we have a quality LPC candidate. The seat projection is probable incumbent, hopefully the debate will sway enough folks.
The more of this propaganda I read, the more I thoroughly believe that Canada must split-up. The polarization is incurable.
Agree with the observations in the post and very glad (as another "returnee") to have found this sStack. Like Aocm, I like the "think globally, act locally" phraseology, but increasingly am concerned that a fuzzy global awareness drives an isolated local action. We are entwined in interdependent systems and ill-equipped to grasp the resulting complexity—indeed, it is in the interest of some to ensure complexity presents as too complicated to engage. That disengagement is empowering for those who are not typically motivated by the values we Canadians like to think we share. As Canadian Returnee has noted, we are subject to an onslaught of influences from a culture seemingly close, yet ideological and historically quite far, from our own. (There's nothing like an annual stay in an Arizona compound surrounded by other Canadians choosing that vacation destination to lead a Canuck to think they understand the USA. They don't.) Complexity simply IS. Do we nurture our capacity to engage? Do we understand that our combined human, social & governance capacities form our collective intellectual capital, unique in its fabric? Which cultures, near or far, might be more closely aligned with our values, our aspirations for ourselves and the world? It's not a rhetorical question...
My hope is that Canadians recognize that Mark Carney is a man of integrity who has the economic expertise to lead Canada against the terrible Trump dictator and his sycophants that have overtaken my country and threaten the entire world order with his chaotic tariffs and threats of aggression. Trump is in complete control of our Congress as Republicans have the majority in both the House and the Senate, and the Supreme Court has given him "immunity" to essentially be above the law. I am terrified and hope that Canada will stand strong against the Trump agenda. Most Americans hold Canada with affection and high regard and despise Trump's aggressive imperialist agenda. It's only been a few months and Trump has triggered trade wars with our former trusted allies. He has sent innocent men who happen to be immigrants to what is a cruel concentration camp in El Salvador without due process mandated in our laws. This is tragic and despicable with no remedy in sight. Continue to speak out now to hold onto your most basic human values.
Thanks for your support. Please fight against the SAFE ACT or else you may not be able to vote - https://theamericanrefugee.substack.com/p/the-save-act
Excellent overview of today's challenges. We live in an era of chaos mainly economic, driven by the current US president but also by a growing populist mindset and growing impacts of climate change.
You have clearly described both the talent and maturity required to lead Canada to a robust economic future and stronger national unity - and the two are linked. The alternative being a petulant sloganeer without a clue about economics. The more he offers by way of tax cuts and other incentives (big pay cheques) I worry about what he's not saying ... what his planned cuts are? Healthcare? Education? He's already mentioned defunding the CBC - does he also have Canada Post in mind? He's only speaking to one side of the spreadsheet. This is worrisome.
We do need to sort out the mess from the Trudeau era but the CPC don't appear to have clear solutions while the NDP doesn't seem to be relevant in this election for various reasons. Carney seems to have some ideas and hopefully some of them can be passed and implemented as intended
It certainly appears to be the case PP is a lapdog to Trump, a buddy of Vance and the CPC is trying to ride the Trudeau past while everyone else moved on to Carney. Whatever his real or perceived shortcomings, they pale in comparison to PP; The CPC know they are beaten.
They don't seem to have a platform. Even if they did Carney seems to be better at appropriating their talking points
Carney is definitely not wrong about present day ‘Murica….
It seems worse than the George W. Bush era
We need someone who understands the financial markets inside out, and someone who has traveled in the world of the rich, and knows bullshit when he sees it
Carney knows how the rich act because he is one of them despite starting out from a modest background
Yes he is i am not debating that, just because he is rich does not make him a bad person.
Yes give him a chance. Wait and see. Then call him and the government to account
I’m so jealous they have Carney when we’re stuck with Trump.
See what happens. People still need to vote and make sure it happens
We have to vote in the masses!
The thoughts presented here reflect what I think completely. I don’t have the background information that is presented in this article, but it is what I believe to be true.
This should be a guest editorial in the Globe and Mail! Mark Carney has my vote.
Thanks and you're too kind
So proud of the way Mark has handled this U.S. situation. As much as I hate what has happened over the last 70 days, it has made Canadians realize their true value—and their ability to recognize Canada’s greatness.
Canada has so many incredible strengths that we often take for granted and fail to capitalize on because we’ve been too risk-averse and overly dependent on others to lead. We have an abundance of resources (oil, gas, minerals, etc.), better healthcare, a stronger financial structure, respect for education, effective gun control, and extremely smart people.
Our weakness lies in being too cautious and always deferring to others—particularly the U.S.—when our leadership is often better suited to take the helm.
Diversifying, investing in small businesses, entrepreneurship, technology, and increasing trade within Canada and with nations beyond the U.S. is, in my opinion (having lived in the U.S. for over 30 years), the right strategy.
The trade war and the disrespect shown by the U.S. leadership have sparked a drive and assertiveness that Canada has always needed to move toward becoming a true “superpower” nation. It’s about time.
I just hope we don’t make the same mistakes: failing to invest in our people and businesses, neglecting to improve what we already have, and not privatizing everything to the point of mass corruption. We must avoid outsourcing our braintrust to other countries through large corporations that secure major contracts and then ship the work overseas. That practice has gutted the U.S. middle class—and it’s one of the main reasons for their decline.
Another observation over the last 25+ yrs in Ontario is the real estate prices. Too much foreign investment - have recently been in the market as a buyer, right after COVID( selecting a property on Monday and having it bidded up by 17 buyers with $1M over the original asking price) - insane : No bank will support such a purchase - Cash offers? For most Canadians this is not sustainable. And of course Realtors encourage this as they get paid on the higher prices. Another issue is the poor planning around real estate: Having been a realtor in my life - its very difficult to do a market analysis when you have such in consistent communities : houses mixed with strip mall, with cemeteries, etc...developers just throwing up properties anywhere without thought or planning - like throwing spaghetti on a wall to see what sticks as far as pricing is concerned. This can easily can be fixed…. I hope this is on Mark's list of improvements on our way to SuperPower Status ..
Yet Ontario kept Ford around. Will see what the new Federal government will try to do in conjunction with the provinces
I think he played it safe with tough talk to trump and calling another election for a mandate. No one else was going toe to toe with trump in the same way. So….. the proof is yet to be seen. Let’s hope he values his country & democracy. 🇨🇦❤️
Doug Ford only values power. Carney needs to be held to account if he has a government. No one wants another Trudeau rethread
The culture of complacency needs to end. The stereotypical Canadian mindset of not having any sense of urgency until it's too late needs to stop. Being overly dependent on one or two countries is also a problem. Voting in a Carney government won't solve most issues but it will buy time from a maple maga problem
Thanks for this thoughtful essay. Sometimes it feels like we live in a time where people fear intelligence. We choose entertainment over reality. We choose class clowns over competent and capable leaders. We choose the simplicity of sameness over the challenge of change. In this election, at a time when there is a real threat to our sovereignty and democracy, we must choose the party led by the person who understands the complexities and realities that face us. We need a leader who can navigate the new world disorder. We need a leader who’s not limited to three word rhymes and sandbox discourse. I’ve never voted Liberal before, but I am certainly voting Liberal now.
If it were not for Trudeau's resignation and Trump's antics, we would likely have a government led by Pierre Poilievre this year. The general mood has changed with Trudeau finally getting out of the way and the stupidity coming from Donald Trump and his collaborators. People who were once open to giving the CPC a chance after nearly a decade of actual or perceived mismanagement under the Trudeau government are open to giving the retooled Liberals another chance under a Carney government.
The CPC have not been able to pivot to this new reality, and their campaign seems to lack substance on how to deal with Trump or to turn the country around. Having messaging around how much Justin Trudeau sucks has its limits. It is even sadder that the NDP has failed to capitalize on any of this, to the point where unions are backing either the CPC or the Liberals in this election.
Brilliant essay. I hope the polls hold and Canadians elect Carney. If you’ve not watched it, I’d recommend sitting through the entirety of the Singapore PM’s recent speech on tariffs that he gave to his parliament. It further validated for me the immense benefit our country would realize in electing a frank, intelligent, and highly capable leader. We should demand nothing less at this moment. Or ever. Carney is the only choice. Link below:
https://youtu.be/c5GMKzJVQJM?si=m3NsQMys3kgENcvI
People still need to go out and vote or vote early for anything to change. Despite Pierre’s issues, enough of the CPC candidates in my city are pretty friendly and talk about quality of life issues that resonate with locals.
One sided and clearly biased. A better piece would have discussed Carney’s shortcomings and weaknesses.
Thanks for your feedback. Carney does have issues with his conflicts of interest and allegedly maintaining positions in his investments despite putting them into a blind trust. The issue with Peter Yuen as Paul Chiang’s replacement in Markham-Unionville is another problem.
I suggest looking at the Bureau for more detailed reports on those problems. They have the means to get the news out as early as possible. That being said, the CPC does not appear to have made a pivot in time given their years-long platform revolving around Trudeau’s shortcomings stalled when Justin resigned and the country was plagued with Trump’s antics.
I’m a bit worried that I’m in a bubble. Personally, one of my favourite sayings is “think globally, act locally.” I’m a critical thinker seeking out facts, an engaged consumer of news, aware of the world outside my community and the continent. I am having a difficult time with Canadians who believe what the CPC is trying to sell.
Canada is generally above average in literacy & numeracy skills, so who are the unengaged who do believe the lies? It’s outrageous.
I don't understand how any rational person wants Poilievre to win over Mark Carney. I am so worried about the ensuing destruction of Canada if that happens. PP is dangerous.
Because they feel Carney is Trudeau 2.0 and believe it's more of the same from the Liberals
Canada has more in common with the USA than they realize despite popular stereotypes. Maybe that will change but not right away
Excellent description of the capabilities of Mark Carney and what he can do for Canada!
Hopefully he can deliver on some of those proposed reforms he discussed so far
Each of the proposed reforms are great and would make Canada not only more resilient but also be beneficial for every Canadian!
Hopefully they'll be implemented with some form of coordination with the provinces because we're a confederation after all
As he has been continuously talking to the provinces and first nations, I believe he will continue to do so.
Let's hope something actually comes out of it
Candidate meet-ups and debates this week! Make sure your Candidate KNOWS you want Mark Carney’s proposals enacted! Vote for Canada and Canadians 🇨🇦
My candidate is the incumbent and can't be bothered to meet. She's the Liberal MP
Our riding turned CPC a couple of elections ago so I was worried abt candidate selection, turns out we have a quality LPC candidate. The seat projection is probable incumbent, hopefully the debate will sway enough folks.
In any case vote