(Newswire.net — December 16, 2015) — There is no doubt that Canadian national pride is on the rise. From the endless amounts of maple leaf encrusted garments one sees while out and about to the international standings in music, livability and quality of life, Canada has established itself as a world leader with a diverse population.
In 2009, Reader’s Digest published the findings from an IPSOS Reid poll that gauged nationwide patriotism. “The poll of 1,100 people shows that Canadians’ sense of national pride is becoming ‘an in-your-face swagger’,” wrote theOur Canada editor at Reader’s Digest. In addition, 80 percent of Canadians believe we should put even more effort into displaying our national pride.
It’s no surprise that Canadians were feeling particularly patriotic in 2009. After all, we were still basking in our excellent showing at the Whistler 2008 Olympics. Canada’s new long lasting pride has also boosted our international reputation in recent years. Earlier this year, Canada was crowned the most admirable country in the world with the best reputation.
“We all love Canada because of several things,”the Reputation Institute’s Fernando Prado told CTV News at the time. “Canada offers something good in many different categories evaluated in the survey.” Prado went on to offer praise for Canada’s “effective government,” “absence of corruption,” “friendly and welcoming people”, and social support system.
Canadian talent has given us a lot to celebrate as well. Earlier this fall, Toronto’s own Drake became the first Canadian artist in history to have the most simultaneous Hot 100 Hits, a record previously held by the Beatles – that’s an impressive feat. However, in late November, Ontario native, Justin Bieber, surpassed both the Beatles and Drake’s record, with an incredible17 songs, all currently on the Top 100 chart, proving that when it comes to music, our maple leaf obsessed country is second to none.
When it comes to national symbols that induce pride, 59 percent of respondents reported believing the maple leaf was an encompassing emblem. “It looks like there’s an interesting consensus across regions, across age, across any demographic that the maple leaf remains the one symbol that all Canadians can agree on,”said Jeremy Diamond national director for the Historica-Dominion Institute, a survey company. Their survey also found that one in five would strongly consider tattooing a maple leaf somewhere on their body, personifying the old Maple Leaf Forever song.
Some of Canada’s most well-known and profitable companies incorporate the maple leaf and other icons of Canadiana in their products, packaging and marketing strategies. Roots Canada has become synonymous with Canadian quality and is a world renowned brand that boosts hundreds of thousands of sales annually. Incorporating the industrious beaver as part of their original logo helped set the company apart and make it immediately recognizable. Coincidentally, the beaver received10 percent of votes in the national icon survey.
Another company that has been at home in Canada for more than four decades is Apotex. The generic pharmaceutical manufacturer is one of the world’s leading suppliers of generic drugs and is Canada’s largest Canadian owned and operated pharmaceutical manufacturer. To showcase the company’s Canadian pride and Apotex’s commitment to the country, Apotex recently released a national advertising campaign with a new website highlighting their contributions to Canada’s generic drug landscape and what being Truly Canadian really means. The key message is that 88% of Apotex products are made right here in Canada.
Tim Horton’s happens to be another uniquely Canadian company that has become synonymous with the country’s national identity. So much so that the Timbit, the coffee chain’s donut hole creation, was identified as “one of the most quintessentially Canadian foods”in the National Pride survey. Tim Horton’s has quickly become a staple in Canadian lingo and a source of comfort pride. Established to offer affordable food for the whole family the franchise is located in every province and territory.
As the world’s second largest country and home of 20 percent of the fresh water on earth, Canada is beginning to recognize the important role we play in the world, and that in turn is increasing our national pride.