There’s “no reason” Canada can’t put up a united front in the face of ongoing threats and aggressive rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, says former Prime Minister Stephen Harper — a sentiment echoed by his predecessor, Jean Chrétien. The two leaders took the stage Feb. 2 at Canada’s Centre for Geography and Exploration, the Ottawa headquarters of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, as part of an event marking the 20th anniversary of Harper’s first election victory. 

In a wide-ranging conversation moderated by RCGS CEO John Geiger, both Harper and Chrétien extolled the “tremendous country” we know as Canada and encouraged the current leadership to focus on what unites us, rather than dwelling on past mistakes. Chrétien spoke about the critical role Quebécois played in defeating invading American forces during the Revolutionary War that began in 1775. The country that emerged from those early years of colonization wasn’t perfect, he said, but there’s a reason that, when asked where they would go if they had to start a new life, most people globally say Canada. “Maybe we ought to look at what we built together, rather than what divides us … and be proud of what we came up with.” 

Harper agreed, noting that, during his time as prime minister, Canada commemorated the War of 1812, another conflict in which disparate groups joined forces to defend the burgeoning nation from invading Americans. “We’ve created this country through joint action, through joint defence, through joint economic building,” he said.

Though neither leader mentioned Trump by name, their remarks came on the heels of a tense January in which a top security advisor to the president asserted that Greenland should belong to the U.S., and Trump and current prime minister Mark Carney sparred over trade. 

The event took place almost a year to the day after a launch party for his book, Flags of Canada, at which Harper called on Canadians to rally around the maple leaf and said that he would “accept any level of [economic] damage to preserve the independence of the country.” 

He doubled down on that sentiment, but also said the challenges of the present moment come with opportunities. “There’s a lot we can do that we haven’t done to make ourselves more competitive, more wealthy and more connected to the world, and this is an opportunity for us to take advantage of these circumstances,” he said. “Let’s do some nation-building.” 

“Defend all of our land, seas and skies” 

Geiger noted that both Chrétien and Harper demonstrated a strong interest in the Arctic during their time in office, adding that given today’s fraught geopolitical context, Harper’s “use it or lose it” approach to Arctic defence was ahead of its time. 

Harper said that while he never expected the biggest threat to Canada’s Arctic sovereignty to come from its southern neighbour, Trump’s obsession with acquiring Greenland means it’s more critical than ever that Canada be able to surveil and defend “all of our land, seas and skies” — without the support of allies. “I think we’re entering an era where, with new technology, that’s actually quite doable for us.” 

Harper awarded RCGS Gold Medal

As part of the event, Harper was awarded the RCGS’ Gold Medal in recognition of his career in public service, notably the creation of new national parks during his government’s mandate and his steady leadership through the global financial crisis of 2008. Chrétien previously received the honour in 2022. 

The Society also announced the creation of a new fund, the True North Strong Fund, that will help the RCGS promote Canadian sovereignty, identity and unity.