The ‘We Are Canadian’ Video Is Serving Nationalism with a Twist

Posted on March 17, 2025 in Governance Debates

Source: — Authors:

TheTyee.ca – Analysis
13 Mar 2025.   Jared Wesley, The Tyee

The shift from individualism to a collective Canadian identity poses a challenge for the Conservative party.

Jeff Douglas stars in a viral video reprising a famous Molson Canadian beer ad from 2000, with an update for 2025: ‘We are Canadian,’ he shouts. Still via ‘We Are Canadian’ video.

It was just a beer ad.

But in 2000, Molson’s “I Am Canadian” campaign captured the national imagination. The now iconic spot features a passionate, plaid-clad speaker named Joe who proudly declared, “I am Canadian,” before launching into a spirited rebuttal of American stereotypes.

The ad wasn’t just about beer — it was about cultural identity. It reflected the self-assured, yet somewhat defensive, Canadian identity of the time: a country struggling to distinguish itself from its powerful southern neighbour while embracing its own unique quirks.

Fast-forward to 2025, amid a trade war with Trump’s America, and the famous slogan has evolved in a new independent ad.

It’s now “We Are Canadian.” And it’s generating a lot of buzz on social media.
See: https://youtu.be/1LzhCLzfJFg

WATCH: A new ‘We Are Canadian’ video featuring Jeff Douglas has received over 650,000 views on YouTube since it was posted in early March. Video via Average Joes on YouTube.

It’s a subtle but significant rhetorical shift, replacing the individualistic tone of “I Am Canadian” with a more collective “we” ethos.

This new framing promotes a Canada that sees itself as a community rather than a collection of individuals, emphasizing shared identity and responsibility.

In an era marked by polarization and division, the shift from “I” to “we” is telling.

It also presents a challenge for the Conservative Party of Canada, which has constructed its entire brand around an individualist ethos.

If recent polls are any indication, they may be struggling to adapt to the moment.

From collective to individualist conservatism

For the modern Canadian right, particularly the Conservative Party of Canada, or CPC, this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Since the 2003 merger that brought together the old Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance, the CPC has steadily moved away from the kind of collectivist conservatism that once had a strong presence in the country.

Gone are the Red Tories who believed in a conservatism rooted in community, nation building and collective responsibility. Leaders like Joe Clark, who famously declared that “Canada is a community of communities,” have been largely drummed out of the party, replaced by a more individualistic, free-market-driven conservatism imported from the Reform and Canadian Alliance traditions.

Don’t believe me? Try calling a CPC politician a “Tory” and watch their reaction.

The individualization of the conservative movement was most obvious in their ill-fated 2019 federal election slogan “It’s time for you to get ahead.”

Months later, Conservatives found themselves awash in conflicting, pandemic-era messaging like “We’re all in this together.”

The new “We Are Canadian” slogan might resonate with many voters who still see Canada as a country built on collective effort — on socialized health care, multiculturalism and government intervention for the common good.

But for the modern CPC, which leans heavily on the language of personal responsibility, rugged individualism and minimal government, this shift in national sentimentality could be a liability.

The party has tried tacking toward patriotism with its “Canada First” slogan.

The motto has drawn comparisons to Trump’s jingoism, however, and has some observers worried about ties to exclusionary movements (which also use the term).

Inside the shift from ‘I’ to ‘we’

The tension between individualism and collectivism has long been at the heart of Canadian political discourse more broadly and Canadian conservatism in particular.

Canada Is in a Fight for Its Life

The “I Am Canadian” ad of 2000 worked well in an era where individual identity was paramount. The turn of the century marked the ascendancy of neoliberalism as Canada’s national ethos. At the same time, the country was defining itself on the world stage, separate from the United States, and its citizens took pride in their distinctiveness.

But in 2025, the mood has shifted. Global crises, pandemics, economic uncertainty and political fragmentation have made collective identity more appealing. People are looking for common ground, for a sense of belonging in something larger than themselves.

Robert Putnam’s The Upswing speaks to this broader historical cycle. He traces how North America moved from an era of rugged individualism in the early 20th century to a more community-driven ethos in the mid-century, only to swing back toward individualism in recent decades.

His argument suggests that societies are now once again searching for collective solutions to their challenges, just as they did in the aftermath of the Great Depression and Second World War.

How to Get ‘Team Canada’ Back on Track

If “We Are Canadian” is a sign of the times, it may indicate a growing demand for policies and leadership that prioritize community over self-interest.

For the CPC, adapting to this shift will be crucial. The party’s base, particularly in Western Canada, still leans toward individualism and small government. But if “We Are Canadian” is any indication, the broader electorate may be moving in a different direction — one that values community over the individual.

The question is whether the modern conservative movement in Canada can reconcile these two forces or whether it will continue down the individualistic path that has defined its post-merger era.

The new viral video is no longer about selling beer. It’s a cultural barometer, revealing where Canada’s national identity is headed. And if “We Are Canadian” proves as resonant as its predecessor, politicians would be wise to take note.

Jared Wesley is a professor of political science at the University of Alberta.

https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2025/03/13/We-Are-Canadian-Video-Nationalism-Twist/?utm_source=weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=170325

 

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