Hannah Mondiwa
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Megaphone Magazine
Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump stunned the global community by proposing an outrageous idea: that Canada be annexed and become part of the United States of America.
In a statement that quickly went viral, Trump claimed that Canada could avoid the then-25-per-cent tariffs on Canadian goods crossing the border if it agreed to become his country’s “cherished 51st state.”
“This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear,” Trump wrote on social media.
His comments — which included calling then-prime minister Justin Trudeau “governor” — rightly sparked indignation and ignited a fierce debate on Canadian sovereignty. For Canadians, Trump’s flippant views struck a nerve; many saw them as deeply offensive and a dismissal of Canadian autonomy, values and national identity.
In an interview on BBC Two’s Newsnight, Canada’s foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly responded: “This is not a joke anymore. There’s a reason why Canadians, when they go out on a hockey game, are booing the American national anthem… We’re insulted. We’re mad. We’re angry.”
Trump’s comments had political repercussions, too. They proved to be a catalyst in our most recent federal elections, galvanizing Canadians to vote for the candidate and party most likely to stand up to Trump. Ultimately, the Liberals’ Mark Carney came out ahead.
In a subsequent meeting in the Oval Office with Trump, Prime Minister Carney bluntly declared the president’s “51st state” suggestion a non-starter.
“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are not for sale. And Canada is not for sale, it will never be for sale,” Carney said plainly, adding that this position “is not going to change” when a persistent president responded, “never say never.”
With an uproar that only served to stoke collective patriotic pride, Canadians from coast to coast vowed to lift their “Elbows Up” and stand on guard for Canada. Sales of the red-and-white maple leaf surged, with the flag proudly displayed in windows, on balconies and flying from flagpoles across the nation and around the world.
A wave of nationalist consumerism, specifically the “Buy Canadian” movement, created a huge shift towards purchasing domestically produced products over the commonly consumed American ones, and Canadian travel to the U.S. plummeted. Canadians’ dislike and distrust of their historically closest ally and trading partner soared to unprecedented highs.
Over the last six months, Trump’s tariff demands have become an ever-shifting threat, but on this side of the border, one message has stayed steadfast and clear: Canadian values and culture are non-negotiable and worth defending.
Literary loyalty
Now that we’re in the midst of the summer “beach books” season, yet another opportunity to celebrate Canada’s diverse identity has arisen — through literature.
This nation is home to a vast array of literary talent from coast to coast. For Megaphone’s annual summer reading list, we spotlight writers from all 10 provinces and three territories to reflect the rich cultural diversity that defines our country. From the powerful poetry and prose of Dionne Brand, to the storytelling of Lawrence Hill, to the poetic voice of Anne Hébert, Canada has a proud literary heritage.
This summer, celebrate Canada by exploring its stories. Discover a new Canadian author or pick up a book by a writer from a province or territory you’ve never visited; you might fall in love with this country — and its people — even more.
ALBERTA
Bad Lands — Corinna Chong
In Bad Lands, Alberta-born, B.C.-based author Corinna Chong writes a powerful story set against the backdrop of Drumheller, Alberta, an area famous for its fossil-rich landscapes. The setting isn’t just scenic; it plays a central, symbolic role — mirroring the themes of buried secrets and excavation.
At the heart of the novel is Regina, a socially awkward and misunderstood loner who lives a simple, solitary life with her pet rabbit. Isolated both by choice and by the judgments of those around her, Regina is someone who exists on the fringes of society. As Chong shared in an interview with CBC Books: “She [Regina] has a hard time connecting with others. She is a very large person and therefore is very visible. And at the same time, in a sort of metaphorical social sense, she is invisible… seen as having very little power in society.”
Regina’s peace is disrupted when her estranged brother Ricky shows up unannounced on her doorstep with a six-year-old niece named Jez, whom she has never met. From their arrival, an unsettling undercurrent suggests there is something hidden beneath the surface, a mystery that gradually emerges, just like the fossils embedded in the land around them.
Bad Lands is an exploration of family with its obligations, silences and painful memories.
ONTARIO
Code Noir — Canisia Lubrin
The Code Noir (Black Code) was a set of 59 decrees issued by Louis XIV in 1685 to regulate the ownership and treatment of enslaved people in French colonies. In her bold and poetic debut work of fiction, Ontario-based poet and writer Canisia Lubrin draws on these colonial laws to explore the enduring legacy of slavery and colonization, while illuminating the strength and persistence of Black resistance.
This ambitious collection of short stories moves across time and geography, with locales ranging from the Caribbean to North America. The stories include historical, dystopian and contemporary themes, showing how the legacy of slavery continues to reverberate through generations and across borders. Interspersed throughout the stories are charcoal art pieces by artist Torkwase Dyson.
In an interview with CBC Books, Lubrin says about the original Black Code, “I wanted to disturb the presence of King Louis’ articles in the book. I did not want them to have the kind of legibility that would foreground their presence, their logic.
“They’re illogic. A lot of them make no sense. I did not want to have them be too legible and too “’logic forward’.”
The result is a moving work of postcolonial literature.
QUEBEC
May Our Joy Endure — Kevin Lambert
A satirical novel translated from the French by Donald Winkler about the housing crisis told through the lens of architecture, May Our Joy Endure is the latest book from Montreal-based author Kevin Lambert. At the heart of the story is Céline Wachowski, a well-known rich female architect-turned-celebrity who has her own Netflix show.
Celine spearheads a major development project in Montreal, the Webuy complex, and the backlash is severe. Celine is accused of gentrification and soon becomes a symbol for the power of the uber-rich who make decisions that affect us all.
In an interview, Lambert reflects: “What I share with the modernist tradition is an interest in inner lives. This is a book about architecture. But I also wanted to approach the inner life of my characters as an architecture in itself.”
Stylistically, the prose is intricate, full of long, Proustian sentences that invite readers to slow down and sink into the text.
NOVA SCOTIA
The Gift Child — Elaine McCluskey
The Gift Child is the latest novel from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia-based author Elaine McCluskey. Set in the fictional town of Pollock Passage, Nova Scotia, the story begins with the bizarre disappearance of 60-year-old Graham Swim. The last sighting of Graham is as strange as it is unforgettable: he was seen pedalling through town on his delivery bicycle with a giant tuna head in the basket. Then, just like that, he vanishes.
Harriett, Graham’s cousin, decides to investigate his strange disappearance, and through her attempts she is forced to face her own family history. Harriet has recently experienced a string of bad luck, including the end of a relationship, the death of her mother and losing her job as a photojournalist. As Harriett digs deeper into Graham’s strange disappearance, she finds herself confronting her own family’s past.
The gift of The Gift Child is we are asked to consider the importance of truth. Early on in the book, Harriett reflects: “How could any of us survive if there was only one truth? An absolute truth that does not allow for karma, mercy, or redemption? A truth that denies us a guardian angel?”
The theme of truth is one we think of throughout the book as Harriet tries to track down her cousin and search for answers.
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Beast — Richard Van Camp
Richard Van Camp is a Dogrib Tłı̨chǫ Dene writer from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. In his book Beast, we’re in the year 1986. The novel follows Lawson, a teenager in the fictional northern town of Fort Simmer, as he tries to grieve the loss of his mother and find solace in his favourite band.
Although adolescence is already difficult enough, Lawson must face unsettling and terrifying supernatural forces around him that might be trying to kill his loved ones.
The central storyline in this young adult Indigenous horror novel is about a peace treaty between the Dogrib and Chipewyan people — a treaty that keeps the community in peace. It’s a treaty that Lawson is reminded of often; he and his family are Dogrib and take their responsibility seriously, upholding the treaty by performing acts of service for the Crane family, who are Chipewyan.
Both families are Yahbati, warriors entrusted to preserving the peace.
But not everyone shares this commitment. The Cranes do not appreciate the attempts at maintaining peace, specifically Silver Crane, one of the family’s sons, who is determined to goad Lawson into a violent confrontation which will render the treaty null and void, and reignite the war between the Dogrib and Chipewyan.
As the story unfolds, desperate times call for desperate measures as Silver strikes a deal with a dangerous spirit called the Dead One and Lawson realizes he must take his role as Yahbati more seriously and defeat the destructive forces around him.
Additional Canadian titles worth reading:
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Any Other City — Hazel Jane Plante
A fictional memoir about trans femme musician Tracy St. Cyr, told in two parts.
SASKATCHEWAN
From Sweetgrass Bridge — Anthony Bidulka
Follow the mystery as a Saskatchewan Roughrider football star and the first Indigenous quarterback in the province go missing.
MANITOBA
A Grandmother Begins the Story — Michelle Porter
A multigenerational family saga following the lives of five Métis women explores themes such as trauma, resilience and identity.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Hollow Bamboo — William Ping
A fictional tale based loosely on the author’s true life chronicles the experiences of Chinese immigrants in Newfoundland.
NEW BRUNSWICK
Hi, It’s Me — Fawn Parker
A fictional book delves into grief following a terminal illness.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
The North Side of Happiness — Sharon Robson
A story about the human condition with beautiful Prince Edward Island as its backdrop.
YUKON
Traditional Stories from Arviat — Mark Kalluak
Enjoy a compilation of traditional Inuit stories and beliefs from the late Yukon community leader and Inuktitut specialist.
NUNAVUT
Let’s Move On — Paul Okalik
This book by the first premier of Nunavut is a good way to understand how the territory came to be.
Hannah Mondiwa is a travel and culture writer, journalist and Read-Mercer CBC fellowship recipient. Raised in Malawi and Scotland, she now lives in B,C.’s Lower Mainland. Her work explores themes of place, identity and connection.
