Canada–U.S. tensions mask a deeper ideological divide within both nations. Despite growing polarization, shared Anglo-American traditions persist across borders, suggesting unity can be rebuilt through grassroots institutions, cultural renewal, and renewed commitment to common values and cooperation.
Reflecting on William Gairdner’s The Trouble with Canada, Senior Fellow Bill Borroks argues his warnings about bureaucratic power, media dependence, and weakening democratic accountability now look prescient, as Canada drifts toward elite control and diminished civic responsibility.
In a new essay in C2C Journal, Frontier Senior Fellow Collin May examines the growing pressure on free expression in Canada. Through a series of recent cases, he argues that “cancel culture” has moved beyond social media outrage and into institutions such as universities, professional bodies and public agencies. The result, he suggests, is a climate where dissenting views can carry professional or reputational risks. The article raises broader questions about how a free society protects open debate while navigating contentious social and political issues.
David Leis warns that Canada is drifting from merit toward identity politics. He argues DEI policies in universities and institutions replace equal opportunity with outcome targets, risk deepening social division, and erode the shared rules that once anchored Canadian fairness.
Historian Gerry Bowler questions democracy’s durability, arguing that Canadians tolerate soft despotism as civic apathy, weak party engagement, compliant media and speech-curbing bills erode accountability, leaving a hollow system that few citizens bother to defend.
Senior Fellow Collin May argues the Caylan Ford trial raises unresolved questions about the 2019 scandal that ended her candidacy. Because elected officials may have politically benefited, the public deserves full transparency about who knew what and when, he says.
“Canada has created different classes of citizens” says law professor Bruce Pardy. He explains why Canada’s laws don’t treat everyone the same. He says we’re moving toward a system where your identity matters more than your individual rights.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies have reshaped universities, corporations, governments, and public institutions across Canada. But are these initiatives strengthening society or creating new divisions and unintended consequences?
Senior fellow Pierre Gilbert argues that the federal government’s new “Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program,” announced by the Public Safety Minister is politically motivated and ineffective in improving public safety. It claims the term “assault-style” is misleading, notes that most gun crime involves smuggled weapons rather than legally owned firearms, and criticizes the program as costly, potentially exceeding $6 billion.
Separatist movements in Alberta and Quebec are rising but could they actually help Canada rethink its policies and unite the country?
Senior Fellow Collin May warns that when intellectuals like Heidegger and Foucault flirt with revolution, they often end up romanticizing tyranny. From Nazi Germany to revolutionary Iran, their legacies remind us how easily brilliance can blind.
Marco Navarro-Genie argues that Sweden confronted rising disorder by tightening immigration, citizenship, and enforcement policies to restore social cohesion, backed by broad political consensus. Canada faces comparable strains—crime, opioids, housing, and overstretched services—but remains politically paralyzed, prioritizing symbolism over reform and weakening the internal cohesion needed for real sovereignty.
William Brooks contrasts gratitude with resentment as two competing forces shaping society. Gratitude uplifts and unites; resentment divides and corrodes. In an age of grievance, thanksgiving is more than tradition; it’s resistance.