Dame shame no more – Why Canada should revive merit-based titles: Matthew Downey for Inside Policy – MLI
Bold action is needed in promoting a unifying, nonpolitical system of celebrating Canadian achievement in a way that is visible and accountable both domestically and internationally.
If there is a lesson to be learned from the ongoing “51st state” debacle plaguing US–Canada relations, it is that Canada needs to strengthen its identity in its own right. As the country grapples with issues of national unity and reassesses the nature and effects of its integrated relationship with the United States, titular honours could promote a distinctly Canadian meritocratic vision on the world stage. In an increasingly chaotic international environment, with Canada’s leaders speaking more fervently about the need to advance a strong image abroad, the time is right to revisit the question of Canadian titles.
