Culture war in Canada

The culture war (or culture wars) in Canadian usage is a metaphor used to describe the current polarization between the different values of Canadians. This can be framed to describe West versus East, rural versus urban or traditional values versus progressive secularism. "Culture war" is a relatively new phrase to enter Canadian political commentary. However it can still be used to describe historical events within Canada, such as the Rebellions of 1837, Western Alienation, Quebec separatism, and any Aboriginal conflicts in Canada. The term is more so relevant to current events such as the Caledonia conflict with Natives and the increasing amount of hostility between Conservative Canadians and Liberal Canadians.
Origins
The concept of a "culture war" has been in use in English since at least its adoption as a loan word to refer to the German Kulturkampf ("cultural struggle" or "struggle between cultures"; literally, "battle of cultures"), the campaign from 1871 to 1878 under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck of the German Empire against the influence of the Roman Catholic Church.
"Culture war" is a calque generalizing the idea of these kinds of struggle.
Historical context in Canada
While the culture wars had been brewing in the United States since the 1990s, starting with Pat Buchanan nearly securing the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. Canada was slow to adapt to the term, and it was hardly mentioned by Canadian commentators.
After 13 years of Liberal Party domination of Canadian politics, the voice of conservatism in Canada was virtually shut out during the 1990s. This was mostly because of the divided vote between the Reform Party and the Progressive Conservative Party. In 2006, Stephen Harper became the Conservative Prime Minister of Canada, the first in over a decade. The Unite the Right movement mobilized right-wing forces across Canada, bringing all factions of the conservative movement together.
Free speech and the Human Rights Commission
In 2007, a complaint was filed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission related to an article "The Future Belongs to Islam,"
written by Mark Steyn, published in Maclean's magazine. The complainants alleged that the article and Macleans refusal to provide space for a rebuttal violated their human rights. The complainants also claimed that the article was one of twenty-two (22) Maclean's articles, many written by Steyn, about Muslims.
Further complaints were filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission refused in April 2008 to proceed, saying it lacked jurisdiction to deal with magazine content. However, the Commission stated that it, "strongly condemns the Islamophobic portrayal of Muslims ... Media has a responsibility to engage in fair and unbiased journalism."
Critics of the Commission claimed that Maclean's and Steyn had been found guilty without a hearing. John Martin of The Province wrote, "There was no hearing, no evidence presented and no opportunity to offer a defence — just a pronouncement of wrongdoing."
The OHRC defended its right to comment by stating, "Like racial profiling and other types of discrimination, ascribing the behaviour of individuals to a group damages everyone in that group. We have always spoken out on such issues. Maclean's and its writers are free to express their opinions. The OHRC is mandated to express what it sees as unfair and harmful comment or conduct that may lead to discrimination."
Steyn subsequently criticized the Commission, commenting that "Even though they (the OHRC) don't have the guts to hear the case, they might as well find us guilty. Ingenious!"
Soon afterward, the head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission issued a public letter to the editor of Maclean's magazine. In it, Jennifer Lynch said, "Mr. Steyn would have us believe that words, however hateful, should be give . History has shown us that hateful words sometimes lead to hurtful actions that undermine freedom and have led to unspeakable crimes. That is why Canada and most other democracies have enacted legislation to place reasonable limits on the expression of hatred."
The National Post subsequently defended Steyn and sharply criticized Lynch, stating that Lynch has "no clear understanding of free speech or the value of protecting it" and that "No human right is more basic than freedom of expression, not even the "right" to live one's life free from offence by remarks about one's ethnicity, gender, culture or orientation."
The federal Canadian Human Rights Commission dismissed the Canadian Islamic Congress' complaint against Maclean's in June 2008. The CHRC's ruling said of the article that, "the writing is polemical, colourful and emphatic, and was obviously calculated to excite discussion and even offend certain readers, Muslim and non-Muslim alike." However, the Commission ruled that overall, "the views expressed in the Steyn article, when considered as a whole and in context, are not of an extreme nature, as defined by the Supreme Court."
2008-09 Coalition crisis
The 2008-09 Canadian parliamentary dispute was a political dispute in the 40th Canadian Parliament. It was triggered by the intention of opposition parties in the House of Commons to defeat, by a motion of non-confidence, the minority government formed by the Conservative Party six weeks after the 40th general election on October 14, 2008.
In the nine primarily English-speaking provinces, polls showed the idea of a coalition was unpopular in some areas of Canada, while popular in others. The strongest opposition to the coalition was in Alberta, (while the more stronger support was on the east coast of Canada) where fear was expressed at being politically marginalized by its eastern-based leaders. It is speculated that if the coalition did take power from the Conservatives, it would revive western alienation, with some suggestions on the formation of a western-based separation party to counter the Bloc Québécois. Anti-coalition rally organizers, however, emphasized that their opposition was to the Bloc's associations with the coalition, not Quebecers in general (despite the fact that the Bloc's would be a 'supporter' of coalition, not necessary a partner along with NDP or Liberal). On December 2, 2008, the day after the three opposition parties signed the accord, the Canadian dollar dropped slightly. There were some speculation that markets would react negatively to the potential instability of a coalition government that required the support of a separatist party.
An Ipsos-Reid poll suggested that if an election had been held on December 5, the Conservatives would have received 46% of the vote, enough to have easily formed a majority government. The poll also showed Liberal support had dropped to 23% from the 26.2% they received in the election, and New Democrat support fell to 13% from 18.2%. Also telling was that 56% of those polled said they would rather go to another election, rather than let the coalition govern.
Rallies that were both pro and anti-coalition were simultaneously held all across the country on December 6, 2008. Thousands marched in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton and dozens of other cities. Conservative blogger Stephen Taylor, and student activists Matthew O'Brien and A. Edward Woolley planned the anti-coalition rallies across the country in what was known as Rally for Canada or Canadians 4 Democracy
Culture war brewing
PC Party candidates Tim Hudak and Randy Hillier both declared their intentions to dismantle the Ontario Human Rights Commission if elected as Premier of Ontario.
In November 2009, Jason Kenney introduced the new Canadian citizenship guide, replacing the Liberal guide. The new guide placed a conservative slant on Canadian history, emphasizing its military history, inventions and heroes instead of the Liberal emphasis on the environment and tolerance. The new guide makes it explicitly clear that Canada does not tolerate "barbaric" cultural practices. As far back as 2006, then Conservative MP Garth Turner was criticizing what he saw as Canadians of convenience - citizens who took advantage of Canadian healthcare and commerce, but were unloyal to the nation and spent most of their time in foreign nations. This new citizenship was in many ways the manifestation of what the conservatives felt was "their Canada".
Among the quarrels of the Canadian Afghan detainee issue, Stephen Harper scheduled parliament to be prorogued from December 30, 2009 until March 3, 2010. This led to opposition members accusing the Prime Minister of trying to muzzle parliamentarians over the detainee issue.
Following the decision to prorogue, a second massive wave of protests swept across the country, using a similar message and method of logistics as the first wave of protests.
The anti-prorogation protests swept across the nation, using Facebook and Twitter as methods of promoting the event. Thousands of Canadians attended the rallies in just as many cities as the first wave.
During the prorogation of Parliament, Canada hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The theme of the Olympics was based on Aboriginal culture and Canadian culture. In response, socialist, environmentalist, and Aboriginal activists protested the Olympics.
In 2006, environmental protests at Eagleridge Bluffs in West Vancouver over the building of a new highway resulted in the arrest of over 20 people, and jail time for two local women, Betty Krawczyk and Harriet Nahanee.
According to critics, despite claims of the "greenest Olympics" ever, and statements about "sustainability", the 2010 Olympics would leave behind environmental damage.
On Saturday February 13, the first day of the actual Olympic sporting events, windows of The Hudson's Bay Company (The Bay), an Olympic sponsor, were smashed in downtown Vancouver by protestors.
Protesters had also vandalized branches of the Royal Bank of Canada, an Olympic sponsor, in Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria.
The documentary film Five Ring Circus outlined reasons behind the protests. and in Helen Jefferson Lenskyj's books Olympic Industry Resistance (2007) and Inside the Olympic Industry (2000). Including concerns about the expense to taxpayers, estimated in 2007 to be CAN$580 million. After the stock market crash of 2008, there have been increasing concerns that Games-related projects would not meet their economic targets. The Olympic Village development, for example, was originally intended to make a profit, but at least one critic estimates it will be millions in debt. Olympic organizers have not commented on this estimate. Also protested was the displacement of low-income residents and criminalization of the poor and homeless through policies designed to make the city appear cleaner.
Critics also anticipated an increase in human trafficking for the purpose of forced prostitution.
Culture war enters political stage
In April 2010, EKOS Pollster Frank Graves on column claims he gave the Liberals advice on how to defeat Stephen Harper by invoking a culture war. “I told them that they should invoke a culture war. Cosmopolitanism versus parochialism, secularism versus moralism, Obama versus Palin, tolerance versus racism and homophobia, democracy versus autocracy. If the cranky old men in Alberta don’t like it, too bad. Go south and vote for Palin.” Graves also gave similar advice for The Hill Times, asking for Michael Ignatieff to push Harper on abortion in order to invoke a culture war.
The article caused a political storm, as EKOS provides CBC News with statistics and polling research, meaning a government-funded institution has a Liberal Party bias. The President of the Conservative Party issued a complaint with CBC's Ombudsman, claiming Frank Graves has an anti-Conservative bias, and is accusing them of being homophobic and racist.
Graves attempted to apologize, but then went on record of saying he can "prove" the Conservative Party is a "haven" to racists and homophobes. His record of political donations shows that Graves gave the Liberals over $11,000 since 2001. Graves said "I do believe, and this gets more subtle, that there is a higher incidence of people who are less tolerant to homosexuals and more wary of other races, within the Conservative Party. I can demonstrate that empirically."
The Conservatives felt the apology was inadequate. Letters to Conservative Party members used the culture war fall-out as a means of collecting donations for April and May. Ignatieff's bid to save the gun registry, despite Liberal members voting to scrap was taken as the Liberal leader following Grave's advice.
Conservative activist Ezra Levant went further, saying it was apart of Ignatieff's plan to marginalize the West and rural communities. "Ignatieff is following the Graves Strategy: instead of trying to court groups of Canadians who disagree with him, he's demonizing them."
CBC's ombudsman eventually was forced into looking to see if CBC News was biased. Ultimately the news outlet found no evidence of inherent bias. Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party blogged on the culture war issue, blasting both the Liberals and the Conservatives as having cultures of entitlement. Elizabeth May went on to criticize heckling and rowdiness in parliament as inappropriate behavior.
In hindsight of the G8 and G20 summits to be happening in Canada in 2010, Harper announced that maternal health in developing nations will be the priority for the leaders to focus foreign aid on. However funding for abortion was suspiciously cut from the itinerary. Ignatieff fought this pledge, by comparing Harper to George W. Bush and demanding abortion be included in the project. Following this, Harper accused Ignatieff and the opposition of launching a culture war on the divisive abortion issue.
In May 2010, Marci McDonald came to spotlight for her book "The Armageddon Factor", which sets out to prove that Christian right-wing extremists are taking over Canada and are embarking on a quest to put Canada towards an all out culture war. The book blatantly accuses Stephen Harper of being controlled by Evangelicals and Christian fundamentalists. According to McDonald, “On one side are those who inhabit what is regarded as the mainstream - sophisticated, secular, and urban. … On the other is an increasingly self-sufficient conservative Christian cosmos, largely planted in Canada's suburbs and rural outposts, which believes the world is going to hell in a handbasket and is preparing for that divinely ordained eventuality.” She notes modern evangelicals' ethnic diversity, which allows them to remain “hidden” among us. Criticism of the book has noted that McDonald's account relies heavily on American journalists with third-party sources and over-simplified views of the Evangelical movement.
CBC News ran a short documentary on the Christian Right's rise in Canadian politics, interviewing Marci McDonald in the process.
G8/G20 Protests and Violence
The G20 and the G8 Summits are both seen as a battle-ground for both sides. The Summits were criticized for over-spending and for Stephen Harper having a pivotal role in their organization.
Ottawa firebombing
A Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) branch in Ottawa was firebombed just before the dawn of May 18. A video of the bank exploding was uploaded by the attackers, who were determined by the media to be leftist-anarchists, on YouTube along with a statement claiming their responsibility for the attack. The statement cited the group's reason for their attack on RBC was because they were sponsors of the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia which, the attackers claim, was held on "stolen indigenous land." The attackers also confirmed their presence during the G8 and G-20 summits. This caused the G8/G-20 Integrated Security Unit to increase their security measures. Three suspects were arrested a month later and charged with arson, possession of incendiary material, use of explosives, and mischief. The attacks were widely criticized by the media, politicians, and other protesting groups who felt that the attacks posed consequences.
Early demonstrations
An individual was arrested for vandalism on May 28, after being caught spray painting anti-G-20 slogans on windows and automated teller machines in Downtown Toronto. Two individuals were arrested in London, Ontario after publishing posters encouraging disruption of the G-20 summit and canvassing protests.
A small rally was conducted on June 17 in the Financial District by Oxfam Canada, urging Canada to end fossil fuel subsidization and take action on world poverty. The rally also spoofed the summit's high security cost.
An anti-poverty protest occured on June 21, causing a traffic congestions. The protesters, of about 100, marched from Allan Gardens on Sherbourne Street and continuing on Yonge Street, Dundas Street, and Isabella Street. Police officers on bicycles and military helicopters patrolled the protest; one arrest was made. Other protester concerns were the Arab-Israeli conflict, capitalism, and the G8 and G-20 summits. Protesters chanted, "We're queer, we're fabulous, we're against the G-20." The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation labelled the protests as "peaceful" overall.
The first sizeable G-20 protest, of about 1000 people, took place on June 24 with First Nations groups and supporters from across Canada demanding respect for treaty rights from the government. Demonstrations moved from to the Toronto Eaton Centre along University Avenue and Queen Street. Concerns of protesters were Canada's failure to sign the United Nations' Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the fact that no aboriginal chiefs were invited to the summits.
==Battleground issues in the Canadian "culture wars"==
*Abortion in Canada
*Age of consent
*Anarchism
*Animal Rights
*Family values
** Corporal punishment
*Feminism
*Gun Registry
*Same-sex marriage in Canada
*Identity politics
*Re-instating the Death Penalty
*Media Bias
*Moral absolutism vs. Moral relativism
*Monarchy in Canada
*Multiculturalism in Canada
*Permissive society
*Political correctness
*Race, Racism, and Xenophobia
*G20 and the G8 Summits in 2010
*Euthanasia in Canada
*Secularization
*Sexual revolution
*Quiet revolution
*Stem-cell research
*Native Land Disputes
*Quebec separatism
*Western Alienation
*Canadians of convenience

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