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There is no longer any room for doubt. Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency is a seismic shift for the entire world. 

However, the liberal international order that Trump threatens and that benefited Canada so greatly for so long has been unraveling for more than two decades.  

As a result, Canadian policies and mindsets rooted in the late 20th century are hopelessly outdated. The time for complacency is over. Canada must wake up, adapt and steel itself for the harsh realities of today. 

In short, we need a royal commission on securing Canada’s future. 

The world in which Canada operates has fundamentally changed in the last 20 years. It began with the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  

Afterward, security trumped trade in the U.S. New and enhanced security measures led to a “thicker” border. More rules, regulations, paperwork and scrutiny caused delays and increased costs. Canada-U.S. trade suffered as a result. 

This shift further illustrated the risks of Canada’s deep economic dependence on its southern neighbour, but our reaction was to work even more closely with the U.S. to keep the border open to trade. 

Since then, the escalating climate crisis, the rapid digital transformation, the global financial crisis, China’s economic and political rise, Russia’s authoritarian resurgence and U.S. fears of hegemonic decline have only intensified America’s focus on national security as a defining feature of its economic relations, pushing other countries to do he same. 

The policies and governance mechanisms that underpin Canada’s society, economy and security were not designed for the current illiberal international landscape.  

After the Second World War, Canada sought greater integration with the U.S. – a trend that was cemented by the free trade decisions of the 1980s and 1990s. At the same time, Canada also joined the U.S. in promoting an open, rules-based, multilateral global order.  

Canadians assumed, with good reason, that the U.S. would continue to respect and support such a system because it benefited from it economically and militarily. Globalization, democratization and unipolarity following the end of the Cold War formed the basis of the “peace dividend.” 

Canada thrived within a system we took for granted, failing to question whether its foundations could shift. Even as the world changed around us, complacency set in – as if global upheavals and U.S. policy shifts were distant concerns. This mindset weakened our influence, eroded our global role and stifled productivity growth long before the current crisis exposed the true cost of our inaction. 

No previous crisis has so starkly exposed Canada’s existential challenges as the Trump 2.0 shock. Trump’s return has shattered our illusions, forcing Canadians to confront the world as it truly is. From newspaper editorials to the national anthem echoing in hockey arenas, a new awareness has taken hold. Canadians now recognize that our country faces its greatest challenge in decades. 

In the past few months, Canadians have shown unwavering resolve in the face of Trump’s unprovoked threats to our independence. We have made it clear that Canada is worth fighting for. Elbows up. 

Every crisis calls for two types of action: containing the imminent threat and addressing its root causes.  

Canadian governments have handled short-term crises relatively well. Just look at the success of the Team Canada response during Trump 1.0. 

But crisis management is not enough. We must rally Canadians in an all-hands-on-deck effort to forge a bold new socioeconomic model – one that doesn’t just help us survive turbulent times but positions us to emerge stronger than ever.  

This requires new thinking. To build the future, we must first imagine it.  

A royal commission on securing Canada’s future 

Historically, royal commissions have been the cornerstone of how Canada confronts its most important challenges. Contrary to popular belief, most of them do not simply produce reports that collect dust. Rather, they shape the very framework through which Canadians and their political leaders grasp the complexities of their country and the world, guiding their responses. 

These commissions deliver coherent, actionable solutions rooted in policy, values and governance while fully accounting for Canada’s diverse, multicultural, multilingual and multinational makeup of regional economies within an intricate federal structure. They are vital in steering the country toward meaningful, informed action.  

Royal commissions are how we develop multi-pronged, nation-building initiatives of the kind that Canadians have strongly endorsed through their actions over the past several months. 

The Royal Commission on Dominion-Provincial Relations (1937-40) played a key role in developing the Canadian social and economic model for the aftermath of the Great Depression and the Second World War. 

More than four decades later, the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada (1982-85), also known as the Macdonald Commission, served as the intellectual underpinning for the trade liberalization era that has now come to an end.  

While the deterioration of Canada’s relationship with the U.S. may have prompted our call for a royal commission, its purpose is profoundly constructive, not defensive. 

Our ambition is nothing less than the realization of Canada’s promise for both present and future generations – a nation that offers its citizens and residents peace and prosperity, grounded in co-operation and a steadfast commitment to human rights and democracy. A nation that also exemplifies the remarkable achievements that people can accomplish when they respect one another and work together toward a common good. 

We need a genuine effort to create a national policy that aligns with the realities of the 21st century, while acknowledging the failures of the past. Over the past two decades, governments have stumbled through numerous and often interconnected crises, offering a fragmented series of disjointed responses that have failed to address our transformed circumstances. 

Creating a new model for securing Canada’s future means transformative change in two dimensions.  

First, a royal commission needs to envision a new policy architecture that aligns all major sectors in way that protects us effectively from geopolitical and climate-related threats.  

Second, it must forge bold proposals to overhaul our governance architecture, ensuring effective and legitimate co-ordination and collaboration among all stakeholders.  

Our Constitution envisioned a federal system built on the illusion that powers could be clearly separated through a dual list in sections 91 and 92 of the Constitution Act 1867, formerly the British North America Act. In reality, however, most of our policies involve shared responsibilities, requiring ongoing co-ordination.  

Yet, our intergovernmental relations have remained notoriously weak.  

Planning for the future requires buy-in from all Canadians to bring the country’s world-class expertise to bear on our multidimensional challenges. Federal, provincial-territorial and municipal governments, Indigenous nations, cultural communities, businesses, workers, consumers and civil society organizations need to be heard.  

We are all in this together and every one of us deserves a say in shaping Canada’s future. What we need now is a unified, multi-partisan, all-hands-on-deck effort to craft a bold plan – and, more importantly, to take immediate action on it. 

A royal commission on securing Canada’s future is not optional. It is essential. If we Canadians fail to chart our own course, others will do it for us. If we do nothing, we risk drifting into the very U.S. annexation that so many hockey fans have vocally rejected in arenas across the country.  

The moment to act is now. The future is within our reach, but only if we take decisive action. 

A list of people who have signed this open letter and contact information can be found here.