LETTER: ​ Canada at a crossroads — time to wake up and unite ​

To the editor:

What a strange and disheartening time it is to be Canadian.

Politicians proclaim that we’ve come together like never before, but the reality on the ground tells a different story—one of deepening division, economic peril, and a future that feels increasingly out of reach. If we don’t confront the truth, Canada risks sliding into a shadow of its former self, a nation broken not by external forces alone but by our own complacency and failure to demand better.

The most glaring truth staring us in the face is that Canada is in decline, and the dream we once knew—the Canada many of us grew up in—has been stolen by years of reckless leadership.

The Liberal government, after a decade in power, has left us in worse shape than perhaps ever before, ushering in a nightmare of debt, inflation, and a cost-of-living crisis that threatens to leave the next generation with nothing. If they win another term, Canada as we know it may be done for. We cannot afford more of the same—empty slogans, divisive tactics, and policies that serve globalist agendas over the needs of everyday Canadians.

The carbon tax, which might as well be called a Liberal piggy bank tax, is just one example of how our struggles are exploited under the guise of virtue. And don’t even get me started on Mark Carney! A self-described elitist, whose globalist credentials and track record as a failed-banker, climate zealot, and now an unelected PM without a seat in parliament, make him a dangerous choice to lead us even further down the path of ruin. Ask the UK.

But the blame doesn’t stop at our borders.

Our relationship with our largest trading partners is crumbling, and not without reason. The tariffs imposed by the United States are bad—really bad—hurting honest people on both sides of the border and threatening alliances built over a literal century.

Yet, instead of seeking solutions, our leaders resort to childish gestures, like booing the American national anthem or throwing around insults, as if that will fix anything. Just more inflammatory responses and more needless retaliatory rhetoric. And let's call this what it is, either a lack of willpower with our elected representatives, or a deliberate finger to the USA. The problem was simple to stop, at least at first. Stop letting fentanyl move South across the border. That's really all they asked.

And we failed. Not to mention, why do we have a problem with fentanyl in Canada in the first place? Ask yourself. That is for another post, another day, I suppose. Google "Sam Cooper" if you're looking for more information on this..

This brings us to a deeper, more insidious problem: we’re being played.

Division is the tool of those in power, keeping us angry at each other instead of united against the real threats to our future. Whether it’s the war in Gaza or the Ukraine, or Trump’s tariffs, or identity politics, these issues are weaponized to fuel ideological battles while the root causes of our struggles—skyrocketing taxes, a faltering economy, and a government beholden to global elites—are ignored.

Yet, amidst this chaos, there is hope—if we choose to seize it. Canada needs leadership that prioritizes repair over rhetoric, solutions over slogans. Pierre Poilievre shows promise, backed by the legacy of Stephen Harper, who balanced our budget and strengthened our economy. He’s the only person who could win that might have the best interests of Canada at heart, though remains to be seen if he’ll actually deliver on his promises.

We need to boom our economy, build homes, fund our military, stop the crime, end the drug crisis that is crippling our cities and killing our most vunerable, and lastly, climb out of debt. The solution is NOT to double down on policies that have failed us. But let’s also not be naive—politicians are politicians, and promises are cheap. If Poilievre doesn’t follow through, Canada is in BIG trouble. That’s why voting matters, even if it’s just a protest vote to influence policy. I can’t not vote, even if I’m feeling disenfranchised and tempted to go purple again, at least in the local sense. Abstaining only hands more power to the corrupt system we’re trying to change. If you stay home on election day, you have no right to make a peep for the next four years following the election.

The path forward lies in unity, not division. We must stop being afraid to speak the truth, even if it means admitting we were wrong or changing our minds. Rationality and maturity—considering both sides, filtering out lies, and embracing independent thought—are the way we better our country.

This is the Canada I love, the Canada I want back—a nation where people come together, despite their differences, to fight for a shared future. We’ve seen glimpses of this spirit in our politicians’ united front against the tariffs, and it’s a reminder of what’s possible when we set aside political handcuffs and see the world as it truly is, not as black and white. And we know what happens when Canadians band together—just look at the Canadian trucker rallies. They are an important reminder that the people have the power in this country, not the other way around. At least; until they start freezing private bank accounts and trampling peaceful protesters with police horses. It’s time to start exercising our right to a voice; if we are to remain having one. Voter turnout was so low in Ontario for the provincial election, that it makes me sick to my stomach. Do you not care? We cannot be complacent like that again when it comes time for the next federal election.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Our children face a future where AI may replace their jobs, where homeownership is a distant dream, and where the prosperity we once took for granted is a fading memory. If we don’t stand up now, put our differences aside, and demand better, we risk becoming a shadow of the nation we once were. When is enough, enough? The answer is now. And it starts with getting informed—Canada could not be in this position if we just understood the problems and held our government to account. Other countries do it regularly; why are we so complacent? Get off your ass and do something, or your complaints will fall on deaf ears.

Canada is at a Crossroads Let’s wake up, unite, and take back the Canada we know and love—before it’s too late. And let’s do it with our eyes wide open, trusting no one but ourselves to hold those in power accountable.

These are my opinions on what is going on in Canada and a possible path forward, *if* we can collectively pull our heads out of the sand. This is no time to be emulating ostriches, in my humble opinion. If this message resonates with you, then the time to act is now-- Get up and make a difference.

James Papp

Mattawa