C. Canada in the Twenty-First Century

• Author: Patrick J. Monahan - Byron Shaw
• Pages: 529-529

Page 529

A century ago, Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier was bold enough to predict that the twentieth century would belong to Canada. Few would offer a similar prediction for Canada’s prospects in the twenty-first. The challenge today seems focused on maintaining our position amongst an increasingly competitive and globalized community of nations, as opposed to assuming a position of dominance or even clear leadership. Yet, one welcome and positive development is that the political agenda through the first decade of the twenty-first century has shifted away from the national unity questions that dominated through much of the 1980s and 1990s. Canadians in all parts of the country seem unwilling to continue living on a constitutional knife-edge, uncertain of whether they will be living in one country or two this time next year. The turbulent events that unfolded following September 11, 2001, followed by the financial crisis later in the decade, highlighted the benefits of political stability and the interdependence of a united Canada in the North American continent. This shift in political emphasis away from the constitution and in favour of broader economic, social, and political concerns suggests that Canadians will be in a better position to grapple...