Nothing so focuses the mind as the prospect of being hanged, the great American writer and humourist Mark Twain once said.

Over the past few weeks, the existential threat to Canada presented by Donald Trump has focussed the minds of many Canadians on realizing more fully the potential inherent in this great country.

We are finding that there are perfectly wonderful alternatives right here in Canada, not to mention elsewhere in the world, to the goods and services we have been in the habit of procuring in the U.S..

We are finally unleashing the power of trade within Canada by removing the trade barriers between the provinces and territories, an opportunity for greater self-reliance that has been neglected for decades in the face of profits to be won through trade with the U.S..

We are exploring the possibility of renewing old trade relationships and security alliances with other parts of the world in a strategy to minimize the harm we have seen can befall us from over-reliance on a relationship with a behemoth that Pierre Trudeau once likened to sleeping with an elephant.

Canadians may not be known for our ardent nationalism, but in the wake of Donald Trump’s tariff threats and expressed intentions to make us his 51st state, we are certainly tapping into a reawakened sense of self-confidence.

There is always a risk that such discussions can be appropriated for nationalist purposes to promote a sense of exceptionalism, superiority and the exclusion of people other than a favoured segment of society. This is not that. Here we are talking about the quintessentially Canadian tendency to live according to values of modesty, civility, decency, empathy and generosity that we know are fundamental to the ability of a pluralistic country such as ours to exist in peace.

We are rediscovering how our country stands in contra-distinction to the barrage of uncivil, unjust, unfair, unfriendly, illegal and anti-democratic behaviours that have been on display over recent weeks by the new U.S. administration, an unparalleled level of malice perpetrated not just against Canada but against many other countries of good will.

At the centre of our reawakened Canadianism is our Maple Leaf Flag. On this 60th anniversary of its creation, and at a time of considerable challenge to our country, it is a symbol around which we can all rally. In this spirit, we are pleased to share with you a copy should you wish to put it on your wall or in your window as a reminder to all who might see it of who we are and can become.