OTTAWA (Dispatches) - A growing number of Canadians do not want a foreign monarch to represent them despite deep historical ties to Britain.
Britain colonized Canada beginning in the late 1500s, and the country formally remained part of the British empire until 1982. Now it is a member of the Commonwealth of former empire countries that have the British monarch as head of state.
Dozens of Canadian city names, like London and Windsor, reflect the enduring ties. But according to an Angus Reid Institute poll from April, 51% of Canadians do not want the monarchy to continue as its ceremonial figurehead, up from 45% in January 2020. Only 26% of respondents said it should and 24% were unsure.
Further, according to a Leger poll published on Tuesday, some 77% of Canadians said they feel no attachment to the British monarchy.
“Canada is the only G7 country whose head of state is another country’s citizen,” said Flavio Volpe, president of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.
“I prefer someone from Windsor than from the House of Windsor” to be head of state, said Volpe, referring to the Canadian city across the river from Detroit.
“We should have serious conversations as a country about whether we can find a Canadian to fill a ceremonial post.”
The death of Queen Elizabeth last week triggered a huge outpouring of affection in Canada, but most find their relationship with a foreign sovereign awkward. A ceremony was held in Ottawa on Saturday to proclaim the accession of Britain’s King Charles.
“The monarchy is outdated and has no relevance in our government. I think it’s time we just stood on our own,” said John Nielsen, 61, a contractor in Ottawa.
Those from Quebec, the mostly French-speaking province, feel even less kinship with Britain, with 71% in the Angus Reid poll saying they no longer see a need for monarchy, and 87% saying they feel no attachment to the royal family in the Leger poll.
A fifth of Canada’s population are newcomers with little connection to Britain, and indigenous peoples tend to harbor little fondness for the colonial power. In one example of their feelings, indigenous activists pulled down a statue of the queen on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature in 2021.
“The massive constitutional effort of removing the Crown would inevitably invite many other suggestions for constitutional change. Canada went down this road in the 1980s and 1990s and the country nearly collapsed from all the competing demands,” said Jonathan Malloy, professor of political science at Ottawa’s Carleton University.
At least seven provincial legislatures representing more than 50% of the population, plus parliament, must approve constitutional amendments.