The Canadianist Network

Canada and the United States are back in a full-blown trade war, and Canadians are already turning on each other over who’s to blame. Mark Carney must be held accountable for how his government handles the negotiations, and Pierre Poilievre has an important role to play in providing serious, constructive opposition. But before we decide that Canada somehow failed because there’s no deal, we need to remember how we got here.

From fentanyl and the border to tariffs, dairy, autos, “Governor,” the 51st state and now questions about who Canada can trade with, the American grievances keep changing. And hanging over all of it is the trade agreement Donald Trump demanded, negotiated, signed and celebrated during his first presidency.

Canada is responsible for how we respond. That doesn’t mean we’re responsible for starting this.

In this Canadianist commentary, Christopher M. Michaud rewinds the tape and asks a bigger question: What exactly would satisfy the United States, and how much can Canada afford to surrender for a deal that may not bring lasting stability?

Yesterday I found myself sitting on the beach in Wasaga, one of my happy places, and figured I’d turn on the camera and say hello.

Nothing formal. No script. Just me, the beach, and a few minutes to talk about everything that’s happening.

The Canadianist Radio Network is growing, The Book Hour launches Sunday night with Canadianism: A Calm Alternative for a Fractured Country, the live morning show is coming, and our first UCC Party Virtual Town Hall is on the way in September.

There’s a lot going on right now, and sitting there by Georgian Bay seemed like a pretty good place to talk about it.

A little update from Wasaga Beach.

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Register for The Virtual Town Hall

I’ve always thought there was still a place on radio for this.

An hour. A good book. No shouting, no scrolling, no panel of six people talking over each other.

This Sunday night at 8, The Canadianist Radio Network launches The Book Hour, a weekly hour devoted to books, ideas and long-form storytelling.

We’re starting with one of mine.

The first book is Canadianism: A Calm Alternative for a Fractured Country, which I’ll be reading in full over the course of the series.

It asks a question I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about: in a country made up of people from different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs and experiences, what actually holds us together?

Not politically. As Canadians.

Canadianism is my attempt to answer that question through belonging, responsibility, shared values and the idea that a diverse country still needs something at its centre that belongs to all of us.

Sunday, August 23 at 8 PM.

The Book Hour on The Canadianist Radio Network.

Sponsored by BringMe.ca.

Canada doesn’t need another political team shouting from the sidelines. It needs Canadians talking to each other again.

In this Leader’s Message, Christopher M. Michaud explains why the United Canadian Centrist Party is being built and extends an invitation to Canadians who feel politically homeless, unheard, or simply tired of being forced to choose between two political camps.

On September 16, we’re opening that conversation with our first Virtual Town Hall.

Come listen. Come disagree. Tell us what we’re missing. Bring your own ideas and help shape what this party becomes. You don’t have to agree with us on everything. That’s the point.

The Town Hall is open to Canadians who want a serious conversation about our country, where it’s heading, and what we can build together.

Register for the September 16 Virtual Town Hall using the link in the description.

Join us and be heard.

Register for this event

Christopher M. Michaud
Founder & Leader
The United Canadian Centrist Party

UCC Party 2029

A morning coffee, a stop at the Shell station, and a few thoughts about where the United Canadian Centrist Party is going.

In this episode, I briefly revisit our first two Foundational Provisions, Canadianism and Democracy Renewed, before getting into the third: The New Canadian Covenant.

I also talk about Jay, a young Canadian serving in the military as an engineer. He loves serving his country, but like a lot of Canadians I've met, he's becoming disillusioned about what the future here actually looks like.

One of the things I still do is rideshare, and it's turned out to be one of the best ways imaginable to talk to Canadians. You'd probably be surprised by just how many Canadians I've had sitting in the back of my car over the years. I give the actual number in the vlog, and talk a little about what those thousands of conversations have taught me.

I close with the books behind these ideas, how they fit together, and the bigger pitch for what we're building with the United Canadian Centrist Party.

This one's informal. Coffee, a gas station, and me talking into a camera. I like sharing some of the behind-the-scenes stuff as we're building this. Watch the channel for the produced videos, podcasts and more polished pieces too. Those are coming, but sometimes it's nice just to turn on the camera and talk.

Christopher M. Michaud
Founder & Leader, United Canadian Centrist Party
uccparty.ca

Quebec’s approaching provincial election offers one of the clearest demonstrations of what’s wrong with Canada’s voting system. In 2022, the Parti Québécois received more votes than the Quebec Liberals but elected only three members to the Liberals’ 21. More than half a million Conservative voters elected nobody.

Christopher M. Michaud examines how geography turns similar levels of public support into wildly different levels of political power, why voters in safe ridings become disengaged, and how the Michaud Method would preserve local representation while giving every Canadian a say in who governs the country.

Read the original column at TheCanadianist.news.

Learn more in Democracy Renewed, part of the Canada As We Are series, available in print, electronic and audiobook editions at ChristopherMichaud.ca.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is open, but questions remain about the agreement Canada made with the United States to get it operating. When opposition MPs tried to launch a committee review, Liberal MPs blocked it.

In this episode, I look at what Canada gave up, what we gained, and why a deal can be practical while still deserving parliamentary scrutiny. The bridge may prove to be a tremendous Canadian success, but if the agreement is as beneficial as the government says, it should be able to withstand a few questions.

Another day, another round of tariff headlines out of the United States.

The tariffs matter. The uncertainty they create is real. But they also remind us how much of Canada's political conversation begins somewhere else.

In today's vlog, I connect the latest trade news to two ideas I've been working on recently: Access and Allies, my latest column and companion podcast episode, and imported noise, a concept from my upcoming book Canadianism.

Sometimes the biggest story isn't the headline itself. It's the assumptions we've been making all along.

Christopher M. Michaud
Founder, United Canadian Centrist Party
uccparty.ca | Join Us And Be Heard.

The program you are about to hear is a work of speculative fiction.

Although the events depicted are fictional, the institutions, laws, treaties, capabilities, and public officials referenced throughout this presentation are real.

This simulation is based on publicly available information and explores one possible chain of events that could emerge if long-standing assumptions were to fail.

It is not a prediction.

It is not based on classified information.

It is intended solely as an examination of strategic risk.

Viewer discretion is advised.

This one's a little different.

I wanted to record this earlier today, but life had other plans. September is coming up fast, and between writing, planning a GTA book tour, organizing keynote talks, and building everything that's coming next, the days have been moving pretty quickly.

So I thought I'd turn on the camera and let you in on what I've been working on.

This isn't a polished podcast episode. It's a candid look behind the scenes at the books, the speaking tour, the United Canadian Centrist Party, and the ideas that are shaping everything I'm building. Over the next few months, I'll be bringing you along as these projects move from the drawing board into the real world.

There's a lot happening. This is where you'll see it first.

— Christopher M. Michaud
Founder, United Canadian Centrist Party
uccparty.ca | Join Us And Be Heard.