Let’s Hear It for Being Average

It is often said that Canada came of age in World War One. A part of our identity as a young nation was forged by the men who fought together on the battlefields of Europe. Through the experience of war, sacrifice and ultimately victory, we came to more fully recognize ourselves as Canadians.

We have now been engaged in Afghanistan for twice as long as we were in World War One. There is little question that this experience too has marked us as a country. But how? While it is too soon to pass judgement on ourselves—and our current military mission in Afghanistan will last at least another two years—perhaps it is already possible to catch glimpses of who we will become.

Canada's Middle-Powerhood

In the years after the First World War, we began to be more aware of our particular place in the world, as a young, energetic country with vast natural resources, a burgeoning population and growing confidence. Inevitably, we compared...