Vancouver New Liberals — Deep Dive #1: Canadian Identity

​NOTE: Venue has not been confirmed and is subject to change

​Tensions with the United States have caused many of us to rally around the flag, buy Canadian, and cheer for hockey teams we formerly despised. But when we are asked us to make sacrifices for other Canadians — whether it's auto workers in Ontario, oil workers in Alberta, or forestry workers in British Columbia — it requires us to have an enduring sense of duty to and reciprocity with people we've never met before.

​Canada has a famously non-conformist cultural spirit, with former Prime Ministers Jean Chrétien and Justin Trudeau having described our country as "post-national". We pride ourselves in our diversity and multiculturalism — often contrasting the Canadian "mosaic" to the American "melting pot" — but what does it really mean to be a Canadian? What truly makes us different from other peoples? And does being Canadian necessarily exclude being something else?

​How many Vancouverites identify more with the people of Halifax versus with the people of Seattle? Are there other dimensions of life that have proven to be more significant markers of identity and belonging than nationality?

​These are difficult and sensitive questions, but I believe the best answers will arise when Canadians come together to candidly discuss them. So let's do just that: let's come together to learn how real Canadians see themselves, their compatriots, and their country.