Article content continued

Against this backdrop, Canadians are indicating we are not necessarily an endlessly accepting society. Sixty-eight per cent say visible minorities need to do more to “fit in” to mainstream Canadian society, 53 per cent believe our policies toward refugees and asylum seekers are “too generous” and one-in-four Canadians would like to see a Trump-style travel ban here.

We would do well to also remember the added dimensions that propelled a populist win south of the border: anti-élitism – the idea that power and moral virtue belong to the people, not just political or economic leaders; and anti-establishmentism, a rejection of journalists, academics, intellectuals and experts.

When we think about these other dimensions, Canadian opinion is revealing. Nearly half (47 per cent) say they don’t trust the government to act in the best interests of the people, while more than half (52 per cent) say most of the stories you see on the news can’t be trusted.

And while Canadians are turning away from traditional media, they’re turning toward social media. For example, 70 per cent are on Facebook several times a week. But we know that social media platforms, for all their benefits, also represent echo chambers. They are where populist views incubate, unchallenged, before bursting into the real world.

What does it all add up to?

Consider that fewer than half of millennials today say they are deeply attached to the country. Further, those saying their attachment to Canada depends not necessarily on patriotism or pride but on a good standard of living, have increased more than 50 per cent since 1991. If there is something holding us together, perhaps it is not the common set of values we assume; it’s a desire for economic wellbeing. I saw first-hand the political effect that diminished economic wellbeing had on the people of Ohio. Can we really say that can never happen here?