The summer of 2023 is demonstrating that Canada may be too big and complex for its current political class.

Change is needed — and quickly. If homegrown change does not come, in some cases very rapidly, forces outside Canada will impose change and, as a result, effectively manage parts of Canada from a distance.

Ottawa already outsources national defence to the United States and our other NATO allies. Canada has for years systematically under-invested in its defence, to the point that the Canadian Armed Forces are not only under-equipped and undermanned but also viewed in much of official Ottawa and the provincial capitals as a civil defence outfit. There are few sovereign nations without armed forces. Iceland and Costa Rica are first to come to mind, but there is no such country with the population and size of Canada without an adequate military.

Canada has an abundance of natural resources. Yet when Europe came calling for assistance in the middle of an energy crisis caused by Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine, Canada and its provinces were unable to be useful. It was as if Canada and its provinces were living in a parallel world. If Canada does not want to be a military ally, it should at least be a civilian one, like Japan, who is able to muster substantial economic resources for its allies in need.

One area where new thinking is required — very quickly — is forest management. Simply put, the US will not tolerate another spring and summer like 2023, when the lives of one third of the US population were greatly affected because Canada, at all levels, grossly underinvests in the management of its forests. The US is demanding real action and Canada must deliver. When the US wants to tackle a problem, it is able to throw money, and a lot of it, to take ownership of the issue. If Canada wants to retain any control over the situation, it will have to think big and forego the half-hearted and quickly abandoned solutions it is so good at.

Speaking of thinking big, Canada needs to improve in terms of infrastructure. One example comes to mind: the establishment of a high-frequency train between the City of Québec and Windsor is under consideration. The train, which will be very expensive, is technologically and commercially 30 years out of date. The distance between Paris and Bordeaux, in comparison, is slightly longer than the distance between Montréal and Toronto. France’s high-speed trains cover the distance in a little over 2 hours and the trains run frequently. Speed is not an impediment to frequency. Yet, comparable infrastructure in Canada such as the proposed City of Québec-Windsor project will be nowhere near as fast and convenient, and unlikely to convince people out of their cars.

There are many other issues, including housing and health, that need action rather than good words.

The Earth’s population grows as many areas become less livable. The global population is expected to increase by another 2-3 billion, with much of that growth coming from the Global South. Canada is the custodian of 10 million square kilometres. If Canada does not improve, its administration of much of its territory will be challenged and ultimately dictated by others. We are a trading nation in love with our peaceful and high standard of living. Our trading partners can pressure us simply by restricting access to their markets — a measure at which the US can be particularly effective.