
By Jeffrey Reynolds and Michel Maisonneuve
Canada Day was somewhat different this year. There are wars raging in Europe and the Middle East, geopolitical fault lines emerging around the world, and turbulent leadership in western nations. We live an era of horrific violent conflict and subversive political warfare unfolding around the world and on our smartphones.
True, Canada sits in the geopolitical equivalent of Beverly Hills. But the comfortable illusion that Canada is shielded by oceans, alliances and politeness is long expired. At least, pollsters report a bit of a resurgence of Canadian patriotism.
We stand at another inflection point: choose to dither and decline or scale and soar. To soar is to have a bold vision for Canada — to be a great power in the world and contribute mightily to the upward march of civilization.
Great powers don’t just have large economies or powerful militaries. They shape world affairs. They protect their people, defend their values and project power. A great power is a nation capable of strategic action and sustained global influence across diplomatic, informational, military, economic, technological and cultural domains.
Canada has the bones of a great power. We are a pioneering people capable of doing incredible things together. We possess vast natural resources: critical minerals, freshwater, arable land and ethical energy. We are a founding member of NATO, the UN, the World Bank, and the OECD. We have an advanced economy, a highly educated population with two official languages, and a history of innovation in space, nuclear research, biomedical engineering and AI, among other things. Our geostrategic position — bordering the United States and with three oceanic frontiers — is the envy of the world. No country is better positioned to thrive in the 21st century.
But strength unused decays and power undeveloped fades. In our current condition, we are not a serious actor on the world stage. We are a resource-rich, idea-rich and values-rich virtue-signalling nation that has grown complacent. Over the past decade, we have grown soft: our adversaries know it and act with impunity against us.
Their combined strengths are not to be underestimated: China’s economy is the second largest in the world and commands a globally integrated manufacturing base. Its diplomatic strength throughout the Global South is unmatched. Its nuclear arsenal is growing as fast as its military power projection capability. Russia, though bloodied in Ukraine, remains a nuclear power and energy superstate and is producing military hardware exponentially faster than NATO nations. North Korea continues to expand its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons capability. And while the United States and Israel have diminished Iran’s capabilities over the past week, the mullahs still wield influence and maintain nuclear ambitions. Together, these adversaries are united not by shared values but by a shared adversary: the liberal West.
We are that West.
Our values — free markets, rule of law, individual liberty, democratic governance, advanced research and education, and human rights (FRIDAH) are not abstractions: they are targets. They must be defended with every element of national power — wherever, whenever, and however necessary.
Canada is vulnerable to political warfare via a lack of leadership, foreign interference, social media influencers and algorithms, corruption, elite capture, organized crime, lax police/immigration enforcement, and myopic government policy. A demoralized and underfunded military with shifting government support signals to citizens that Canada is not worth defending. U.S. President Donald Trump has driven the Canada-U.S. relationship to its lowest point in 200 years. Why? Because he understands something our political class does not: Canada has been unwilling to defend itself or advance its interests beyond the minimum required.
The road to greatness
We must flip the script of Canada and toss out the “post-national state” and “cultural mosaic” rhetoric epitomized by past governments. That mindset has had a surfactant effect on Canada, weakening our bonds to each other over the past decade. Greatness is only achievable when we are strong and united, and when we believe in our non-hyphenated uniqueness.
It is crucial that all Canadians be able to live, work, raise families and enjoy a good life throughout a Canada anchored in shared principles of liberty, community and meaningful enterprise. We must develop a confident national psyche with a strong sense of history, national purpose, territorial integrity, and shared destiny, taught in every school, celebrated in every region, and championed across every aspect of Canadian life — combined with an ironclad willingness to defend all of it.
In short, Canada must become the best version of itself: a Great Power Nation possessing the requisite mix of hard and soft power for the confident advancement of our national interest and the defence of western values.
Let’s start here:
First, rebuild our military. It’s one thing to make a big spending announcement, it’s another to spend the money wisely. Follow up the promises by the Carney government with actions. Make the Canadian Armed Forces a career young Canadians dream of. Grow the regular and reserve forces. Create cyber and space capabilities that rival any in NATO. Modernize procurement for innovation and rapid acquisition. Invest in Arctic sovereignty and power projection. And get a strategic deterrent capability that makes adversaries think twice about doing anything to us. Think: B-21 Raider with RCAF livery.
Second, purge foreign interference. Let’s have a full public inquiry on foreign interference at all levels of government — with teeth this time. Legislate lifetime bans on foreign funding in politics. Introduce criminal penalties for acting as an unregistered foreign agent. We must have institutions and leaders who advance our national interest, not that of an adversary.
Third, renew our institutions. The Charter must be defended and, eventually, finished. Media must be independent. Universities must be free from ideological capture. Restore merit, freedom of speech and equal citizenship and opportunity as guiding lights.
Fourth, develop national strategy that binds us together. Define our values and what is a Canadian. Drop inter-provincial barriers — unleash the free movement of goods, services, people and ideas across the country. Invest in northern infrastructure, energy corridors and advanced research. Reform immigration toward high-value integration into our society. Build space, quantum, AI and nuclear innovation hubs. Unleash natural resources and get them to tidewater.
Finally, promote leaders who understand the assignment. Nation building is tough, and it’s not taught in our schools. This includes an honest assessment of our history that emphasizes Canada’s triumphs, not just its failures. Nation-building is a rejection of provincial self-interest and a commitment to the national interest. We must have principled leaders who embrace — at the cellular level — that Canada is awesome, that its development must be nurtured prudently, and that mediocrity is not our inheritance.
Canada’s future is a choice
Canada’s path to greatness will be difficult, but building our nation has never been easy. We are the descendants of pioneers, rebels, builders and warriors. We carved a nation out of ice and wilderness that spans a continent. Our future is bright — but only if we commit to making it so.
Let this be the moment when we commit ourselves to becoming the great power we are destined to be. We owe it to each other, to our children, and to our allies.
Special to National Post
Jeffrey Reynolds is a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. Michel Maisonneuve is a retired Lieutenant-General, senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and the author of “In Defence of Canada: Reflections of a Patriot” (2024).












