Commentary
Canadian national identity and culture is in a state of precipitous decline. However, history teaches us that in the past nations have managed to reinvigorate themselves through sheer force of will, touching off periods of unparalleled cultural achievement.
The threats arrayed against Canada’s culture include a creeping sense of apathy in the general public. Recent polling shows that an increasing proportion of Canadians only feel an emotional connection to the country “as long as it provides a good standard of living.”
The rise of transactional patriotism threatens to loosen the bonds that tie us together as fellow citizens. If we are just rootless individuals with no common identity, why donate to charity, serve in the military, pitch in during an emergency, or come together for grand national events like Expo 67 or the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope?
The hardcore fringe of activists who wield disproportionate power over academic and cultural institutions could seek to take advantage of Canada’s apathy by further reshaping the country according to their whims. The last few years have offered a snapshot of what this would look like.
From 2020–2022, 13 statues of historical figures—including Sir John A. Macdonald, Captain James Cook, and Egerton Ryerson—were removed by city governments or toppled by unruly mobs. The frenzy of renaming streets and schools has led to discussions which would have once been unthinkable, such as the B.C. community of Powell River coming under pressure from activists to change its name due to controversies surrounding the 19th-century B.C. political figure Israel Wood Powell.
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Hostile ideological forces are waiting to fill the vacuum of a disappearing national identity with their own vision. This is a precarious position for a country to find itself in. However, the history books offer us examples of nations that have rekindled their identity and fostered cultural renewal.
Today, we take for granted that Russian novels hold a place of honour in the Western Canon, but their prominence is the result of a particular historical circumstance—Russia’s 19th-century cultural efflorescence. Once a cultural laggard, Russia burst onto the scene in a flash of brilliance in the 1800s and became a literary and artistic powerhouse in a comparatively short period of time.
In what is often referred to as the Golden Age of Russian Literature, the likes of Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky emerged to write masterworks read by students in university classes across the West to this day. Indeed, most of the Russian books the world enjoys today were written in Leo Tolstoy’s lifespan: 1828–1910.
This period saw Russians achieve excellence across disciplines. Tchaikovsky composed internationally renowned classical music still centrefold in the Western repertoire, including “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker.” The playwright Chekhov, a founding father of psychological realism and early modernism in theatre, produced plays of enduring renown such as “The Seagull” and “Uncle Vanya.”
This dramatic shift was the result of an intentional effort to foster a national cultural identity through the promotion of high culture. One of the key components was education. Aristocratic households used their wealth, and the newfound freedom they had acquired under Catherine the Great in the late 18th century, to hire tutors from France to instruct their children. Thus, young generations of Russians obtained access to the best of what Western civilization had to offer.
After World War II, Japan lay in smoke and ruins. Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been devastated, much of Tokyo was flattened by American firebombing, and more than two million Japanese died in the conflict. The odds did not bode well for its success.
The post-war Japanese government reacted to the shame of military defeat with a campaign to rebuild Japan as a nation of culture. Photographers made it their mission to capture national identity by recording images of daily life across the country—everything from cherry blossoms in pastoral countryside villages to the fashion styles in trendy urban neighbourhoods. Today, Tokyo is one of the world’s greatest centres of classic music, and the famous Yamaha corporation is the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments.
These examples show us that cultural renewal can take place even in inauspicious circumstances. However, it takes effort. If the Russian aristocratic families had not made the long-term investment of hiring French tutors, much achievement may have been lost. One of the reasons why Japan is a mecca for classical music to this day is the government’s intense focus on music education, with mandatory classes in elementary school and junior high.
A cultural renewal of this sort could take place in Canada—and there are encouraging signs.
For one, woke ideology is seeing a steep decline in popularity. One survey reveals that 78 percent of Canadians think that “political correctness has gone too far,” and 70 percent reject the notion that Canada is a racist country. This shows that many Canadians may be receptive to the idea of renewing our national identity.
Another positive sign is the push for the restoration of traditional education. In Ontario, the government has moved to restore “back to basics” schooling. Alberta is seeing a rapid growth of traditional charter schools like the Calgary Classical Academy, which promises to “deliver a classical liberal arts education, which aims to equip students with the virtues, knowledge, and habits befitting free citizens.”
If we foster this trend, we may be able to copy the explosive growth of classical education in the United States, where 264 new classical schools opened between 2019 and 2023.
The historical record shows that national renewal is possible. With sufficient effort from engaged citizens, we can initiate a much-needed course correction, reconnect with our identity as an offshoot of Western civilization in North America, and set off a period of cultural achievement that will make us proud to be Canadian.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
