Opinion: What a family vacation taught me about Canada's strength under fire

Montreal Gazette

5 days ago

This year, our family holidays took us to places my children had never visited before. We live in Alberta and set out to explore Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City.
My youngest was especially eager to see the sites of battles from the War of 1812, particularly around Niagara, where American forces were halted. Meanwhile, my high-school-aged daughter was interested in visiting the universities in those cities.
By chance, we joined a campus tour, and most of the prospective students were American. Some parents shared that they were encouraging their children to study in Canada due to growing concerns back home.
I became a Canadian citizen through marriage just three years ago, and I'm constantly learning something new about my adopted country. This trip prompted me to reflect more deeply on Canada's past, its current challenges, and its future.
While biking around Ottawa, we came across the locks of the Rideau Canal, where recreational boats moved gracefully between different water levels. I assumed most Canadian children learn about this in primary school, but I had never heard of the canal before. I was fascinated to learn how and why the 202-kilometre waterway was built.
After the War of 1812, the British feared another American invasion and recognized that relying on the St. Lawrence River, running along the U.S. border, was too risky for transportation. The Rideau Canal was constructed as a secure inland route linking Lake Ontario to the Ottawa River, completed in 1832. Nearly 1,000 workers died during its construction, mostly from disease.
Another aspect that left a strong impression on me was learning about the history of French Canadians, as recounted by a tour guide in Quebec City. She described the deep grievances that many Québécois still hold toward English Canada. The stories included examples of political, cultural, and economic repression following the British conquest. Let's just say that the complaints from some in my home province about being mistreated by the federal government seem minor by comparison.
I enjoyed the surroundings of the iconic Château Frontenac. Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) after Confederation, the Château was designed as a luxury hotel and was part of a broader strategy to promote tourism and national unity. At the time, English-speaking Canada was heavily focused on westward expansion, aiming to connect the country from coast to coast and secure British Columbia's place in Confederation amid fears of an American invasion. However, many in Quebec were skeptical of the project, raising geographical, cultural, and economic concerns.
To gain support in the province, the CPR made strategic decisions, one of which involved extending the railway to Quebec City and constructing the opulent Château, which opened in 1893. The hotel became both a symbol of the railway's ambition and a political gesture to more closely integrate Quebec into the new Canada. It may have even provided a job for our guide, though she didn't mention this during the tour.
The Rideau Canal and the Château Frontenac are more than just beautiful landmarks. They remind us of a time when bold decisions were made to secure Canada's future. These projects can still inspire us today to modernize our national innovation system — from infrastructure and regulation to how the public and private sectors, along with society, collaborate. We need to take a clear-eyed look at the real risks we face and act accordingly.
Accelerating progress was no easy feat for early Canadians; nonetheless, they managed to set priorities and get things done. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but since the completion of the Rideau Canal and Château Frontenac, Canada has not faced a direct attack from the United States. Today, there are no muskets or cannons, but we are in a serious struggle to defend our economy and sovereignty.
The challenges are different, but the need for bold, co-ordinated action is just as urgent.