… it’s the feet that matter!

(3 min)

Gordie Howe was a legend and “elbows up” is a catchy meme, but when it comes to fighting Captain Orange of Team USA, we need a show of strength that Canadians have not been very good at for a very long time. In fact, like many democracies, it’s our Achilles heel. And we’re going to discover in three weeks if Canadians have what it takes to go into the corner, slam a bully against the boards and take him down with the roughest, toughest, meanest elbows any coward has ever met.

Oh, we’re proud of our hockey toughness – hell, in 1955, Rocket Richard took a hockey stick to Hal Layco and the linesman, causing riots in the street – and we brag about our moose, beavers, maple syrup and neighbourly (Canadian spelling) demeanor. We’re a mosaic bunch of liberal-conservatives, “swingers” who shift left and right every ten years or so and “throw the incumbent bums out” whether they’re liberal or conservative. Because after a couple of terms they all fail us. But we’re riding a little higher on the slippery slope of politics than Americans and haven’t yet jumped off the rickety stagecoach of democracy by allowing a carpet-bagging, snake-oil salesman who’s peddling orange warpaint – with tariffs – to high-jack the country. We’re “nice” but we ain’t stupid.

“We were very impoverished because our history was denied to us. So you can imagine all the work that we have to do still.” – Alanis Obomsawin, Abenaki American-Canadian

We the white majority colonized this land from sea to shining sea (a genocidal history never to be reconciled), and identified ourselves as hail, hardy and keeping mostly to ourselves, tending to our knitting, trap lines and fur trading routes. And now, when necessary, we remind our good neighbours to the south that we won the Battle of Crysler’s Farm, ending the War of 1812; plus, never forget, “hockey is our game!”

It’s bigger than hockey

Right now, this month, the game isn’t hockey. It’s Canada’s federal election. It’s a call to arms. Our very own Paul Revere moment, “The orange menace is coming, the orange menace is coming ….” Canada needs a historic performance, something to surpass what’s been less than stellar for the past 60 years, something bigger than way back in 1958 – when most of us weren’t old enough to vote.

If ever we are to worry, it is now. If ever we are to be afraid, it is now. If ever we are to act, it is now.

If ever we are to show our strength to this snowflake in orange makeup, it is now. All of us, not just some of us! If ever the entire mosaic of Canadian diversity, differences, commonality, kinship, neighbourliness, kindness, beauty, strength and indomitable spirit is to stand up and show up, with elbows up, it is now!

One day will be our measure

“We are determined to defend our lands, and if it is His will, we wish to leave our bones upon them.”– Isaac Brock, Major-General, British Army, War of 1812

On April 28, 2025, Canadians go to the polls to elect a new Government and Prime Minister, and if ever there was a need for the Canadian resolve to be self-evident, it is on this day.

This one day will be the measure of 28 million Canadians of voting-age – a measure of their resolve, fortitude, patriotism, pride, gratitude, appreciation, commitment, integrity, fear, toughness … or their apathy, lethargy, ennui, ignorance, boredom, bullshit, and general don’t-give-a-damn attitude about their country (currently, such characters represent about 1/3 of the citizenry – shameful).

This is one of those national moments when you either care, or don’t. Either show up, or don’t. Put your beliefs where your mouth is, or don’t. Cast off your political straight jacket, or don’t. This is not business as usual, the politics of politics, left vs right, ideological sclerosis; this is a time to find out what citizenship, community, freedom, opportunity and peace mean to each and every Canadian.

This is a time to see how many Canadians understand what independence and sovereignty mean to them. Are we 28 million strong? Ready to fight? Prepared to sacrifice?

“Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace prepare for war.” – Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, Roman leader

If past is prologue: Federal election turnout

Over the past thirty years Canadian voter turnout has only been slightly better than the USA – unremarkable, undemocratic, unacceptable. It should be obvious to everyone that we don’t have a democracy when our leader is elected by about 1/3 of the electorate. That’s rule by minority. The problem is we’re so damn used to it, we accept it.

  • Sept 1867 – 73.1% (268, 387 people voted to elect a drunk, Sir John A. MacDonald)
  • Mar. 1958 – 79.4% (highest turnout in history elected John Diefenbaker)
  • Nov. 2000 – 61.2% (lowest turnout in over 100 years – 1898)
  • Oct. 2015 – 68.3% (highest turnout in previous 22 years – since 1993)
  • Sept. 2021 – 62.6% (continuing level of apathy for more than two decades)

If the insane, unpredictable, dangerous idiocy of a sociopath running loose in our backyard doesn’t frighten us into the highest voter turnout in history (80%+), then all the hockey braggadocio and elbow memes ain’t gonna cut it.

Time to change: Monday April 28th

If we want Americans to viscerally understand we are stronger, more committed and more capable than them, then we need a show of force.

This is the day to marshal all our troops (citizens) and march our butts to the ballot box in historic numbers. Plus, the 60% of us who usually show up have to drag another 20-30% of those we know don’t vote and get them to join the new Canadian militia ready to fight “Agent Orange.” Get their elbows up, feet moving and asses out to vote!

It will be a referendum on the strength, solidarity and sovereignty of “The True North strong and free.”

It will be a citizen uprising … or not.