CTV, Global and others celebrate Canadians’ recovery from the trauma of realizing not everyone is a Liberal
In concert, news organizations adopt a Canada Day theme “reclaiming” the flag from supporters of “right-wing” causes
Last week, on Canada Day, I went to Spruce Meadows, watched the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) march/musical ride/parade/whatever, shopped, took in an international equestrian competition supplemented by Corgi races, stuck flags in my hat and enjoyed the company of my fellow citizens of all races, creeds and dispositions.
It was a beautiful day. Little did I know that, this year, July 1 was actually all about taking back the Maple Leaf from the undesirables among us.
CTV News.ca was the first to fill me in. Its National Digital Producer, Tammy Ibrahimpoor, penned a news report detailing how a resurgence in Canadian patriotism wasn’t just because of U.S. President Donald Trump. Ibrahimpoor found Bradley Miller, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, who listed a number of reasons (without, apparently, once mentioning former prime minister Justin Trudeau) why Canadians have slipped their bonds and are free to be patriotic again.
It further informed me that “mainstream” Canadians - still traumatized by the Freedom Convoy - are finally able to forgive the Maple Leaf for being used by people with whom they disagree. Just ask Matthew Hayday, chair of the history department at the University of Guelph.
As Ibrahimpoor reported:
“One of the clearest signs of this shift is the Maple Leaf flag. Once seen by some as a symbol co-opted by the Freedom Convoy movement, the flag is now being embraced by a broader group of Canadians.
“I do think that the current moment has meant that the Maple Leaf flag has been reclaimed for mainstream Canadians,” Hayday says. “Flying the flag is no longer raising the same sorts of suspicions that the person displaying it harbours sympathies for right-wing causes.”
But of course. What self-respecting “mainstream” Canadian would want to be associated with “right-wing causes?”
Global News also reported that the flag had been “co-opted by protests” - something I can’t recall being mentioned regarding demos favouring left wing causes - and was now being recuperated. Gary Mason of the Globe and Mail dependably weighed in with a column entitled “This Canada Day, we reclaimed our flag” and the Toronto Star featured a piece by Martin Reg Cohn entitled “On this Canada Day the Canadian flag is back.” The CBC, meanwhile, had scooped all the competition by reporting via Canadian Press back in February that people were finally recovering from having witnessed the flag being used by citizens whose worldview they did not share.
Coincidence? Are they all in the same chat group or did they each get the same email? Did no editor wonder what happened to the once popular “A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian” theme struck by Trudeau in his prime, along with something something diversity something strength. Like, weren’t the people in therapy due to witnessing a Maple Leaf on the back of a pickup bearing the once popular “F*#k Trudeau” phrase the same folks who were repeating those mantras as if they were Scripture a decade ago? How could a reporter not inquire of them or their sources regarding these apparent contradictions?
Enter Terry Glavin, who spoiled the party by pointing out that while Canadians are in fact more prideful this year than last, they still feel less good about the country than they did 10 years ago.
“This strikes me as more than just a bit of stretch: Patriotism at an all time high ahead of this year’s Canada Day,” Glavin wrote on his The Real Story Substack. “That’s CTV’s reading of this Angus Reid poll, which shows 67 percent of respondents said they were proud or very proud to be Canadian, up from 58 percent last December.”
Glavin goes on to reference surveys by Environics and Abacus Data to support the case that any bump in Canadians’ civic enthusiasm may have at least as much to do with Trudeau’s demise as it does the nation having recovered from Tamara Lich, truckers and bouncy castles populated by the spawn of the working class.
I’ll leave the last word on this to Chris Selley of National Post, who Tweeted:
“Honestly disturbing to see media making stories for the 26 Canadians who genuinely felt bad looking at the Canadian flag after the Ottawa convoy. This is not the path to solvency.”
Somewhere in my man cave, there is a replica of a replica of a Calgary Herald Extra edition front page from 1885 bringing people news of the Frog Lake Massacre. I also have a copy of the The Scotsman from 1822 featuring a yarn by Lord Byron and of London’s The Times from 1796 that carries US President George Washington’s farewell address.
This came to mind when I came across advertising by The Times and Sunday Times promoting its 240 years of history and that while “Times change. The Times remains.”
The Montreal Gazette, founded on June 3, 1778, is 247 years old and there are a lot of other proud titles in Canada. It’s sad that no one seems to see value in marketing them in the fashion embraced by The Times. Perhaps that’s because there’s no skin left on those bones.
Meanwhile, the latest Reuters report shows a distinct difference in attitudes towards media between French-speaking Canadians and their anglo counterparts. When it comes to trust, 45 per cent of Francophones have faith in media compared with 37 per cent of the English (still down 20 points from 2018’s peak).
The Canadian section of the Reuters report was written by Colette Brin, a distinguished academic who doubles as chairperson of the Canadian government’s Independent Advisory Board that vets applications from media seeking to qualify for the Journalism Labour Tax Credit.
Not surprisingly, she doesn’t use the word subsidy and, while noting the “media continue to benefit from public funding,” informs readers that in her home province, La Presse, “whose financial model places great importance on donations, reported a surplus of CAN$7.5m for 2024.”
No doubt taxpayers will be pleased that their contributions to Canadian media may have bought at least one of its executives a new BMW this year.
Last week, The Rewrite began restricting comments to paid subscribers. Others can still comment on the Notes I will post regarding content on The Rewrite.
(Peter Menzies is a commentator and consultant on media, Macdonald-Laurier Institute Senior Fellow, a past publisher of the Calgary Herald, a former vice chair of the CRTC and a National Newspaper Award winner.)
I stopped watching CBC, CTV and Global at least eight years ago because of biased reporting. Independent media and international media sources provide perspective and facts that better inform Canadians. Thanks for your work.
V Knight
Nova Scotia
I am confused. As accused colonizers and murderers of First Nations children, we were supposed to be ashamed of Canada and, by extension, its flag just a few years ago. Trump shows up and our past is forgiven. Is it OK to venerate Sir John A. again? The Liberals need to provide explicit updates on their ever-shifting stance on what it means to be a Canadian.
They want to reduce emissions, yet welcome millions of people from warmer, and hence lower CO2, countries.
They feel very deeply about our colonizing past, yet welcome million of new colonizers.