As if summoned by a city-wide nerd alert, pundits, politicos, and others interested in weighty discussions of Canada’s ongoing identity crises gathered in Calgary’s downtown core last week. First at Pages bookstore in Kensington where Rudyard Griffiths, host of the Salon Speaker Series and founder of the Dominion Institute, launched his latest book “Who We Are: A Citizens Manifesto”, then a few days later at The Grand where Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was the guest of honour at a well attended cocktail fundraiser.
Late afternoon sun streamed through the upper-floor windows of a charming old book shop while Griffiths held court last week. A fair sized audience stood in a semi-circle around him, nibbling on fine cheeses and sipping local wine. After briefly introducing his thesis, the author invited questions. “How can we engage young voters?” asked one guest. “How role does new media play in democratic society?” asked another. “What does it mean to be Canadian in a globalized world?” En masse, they tilted forward, eager for a drop of certainty amid the ongoing Canadian identity-crises. And he delivered.
Succinct, poised and enthusiastic, Griffiths answered each question with a smile, leaving a happy crowd to mingle and discuss. Despite his somewhat contentious assessment of Canadian life -and what we need to make it better, such as mandatory voting, re-imagined media, and denying Quebec the rights of nationhood - there was little debate.
“There’s one nation - Canada,” he concluded, “We’re diluting this nation by thinking we can have multiple sub-nations that have all the benefits and power that we associate with the country writ large. I think that devalues Canadian citizenship.”
Guests included: Randy Pettipas and Lorraine Royer of Global Public Affairs, Cathy Cram of ConocoPhillips, Marcus Gurske of Play It By Ear Productions, author Judy Johnson, Frances Wright, founder of the Famous 5 Foundation, Ian Griffin, honourary chairman of Research Capital, and Shannon Palmer.
A grander affair took place on the other side of the river later that week. Michael Ignatieff hosted a few hundred of his closest friends for a cocktail fundraiser. He made pointed comments on Alberta’s energy capital and cultural cache, made fun of his own eyebrows, and basked in the rare melee of Western Liberal revelry. Between sampling delicate h’ors d’oeuvre and a variety of beverages, guests pondered the future of the opposition.
“Jesus Christ could run as a Liberal in Alberta and lose,” said one guest, laughing.
“This is the tipping point,” said another, “We’ve been waiting for a leader we could support, and now we have him.”
Guests included: Senator Joyce Fairbairn, Senator Grant Mitchell, John Cordeau Q.C. of Bennett Jones LLP, Christine Silverberg of Wolch Hursh deWit Silverberg & Watts LLP, Matthew Mitschke of Schofield Law Office, Howard Shikaze of RSM Richter Chartered Accountants, Daryl Fridhandler of Burnet Duckworth & Palmer LLP, George Gosbee of Alberta Investment Management Corporation, Dr. Nallai Nallainayagam of Mount Royal College, and George Hodgson, president of the Liberal Party of Canada-Alberta.
Published in National Post, April 18 2009
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