Editor's note: CityAge's founding idea is that the world's consequential decisions concentrate on about two per cent of the planet's surface — the cities and corridors we call the Urban Planet. The countries that shape that planet are the ones that show up as builders, not bystanders. Bob Pickard, who spent half his career watching Canada from the United States and Asia, asks the question we think matters most right now: is Canada ready to help build it? — Miro Cernetig, Publisher

By Bob Pickard

Having lived and worked overseas for almost half my career, in the United States and then Asia, I watched Canada punch below its weight for years. We have so many valuable assets but have been strangely diffident about projecting them.

Overseas, Canada's reputation has long been fuzzily favourable: beautiful country, nice people, stable democracy, good place to live. Much less of it has been attached to business, industry, resources, technology or economic prowess.

But suddenly there is now more salience for the Canadian brand. In the 2025 Anholt Nation Brands Index, the annual global measure of how countries are seen, Canada climbed to third place from sixth. More than a quarter of respondents worldwide said their view of Canada had improved in a single year. Simon Anholt, who created the index, called the shift "seismic stuff."

Read what drove this and the picture gets more complicated. Respondents praised things like quality of life, education, social programs and natural beauty. They also admired Canada's refusal to fold under American pressure. The country's reputation rose primarily because of our posture and our scenery, not because the world suddenly discovered our commercial capabilities (or world-beating multinational companies of which we have precious few).

Leadership communication is one of the places a country's reputation becomes visible, because national leaders personify a country for foreign audiences. Right now Canada's most visible representative is Mark Carney. He had an unusual level of international recognition and respect before he ever became Prime Minister. Nations spend fortunes trying to brand themselves a credible face abroad. Canada was basically handed one.

Canada's challenges are the source of unprecedented attention in the global news. We are confronting a hostile U.S. administration abroad concomitant with separatist pressures at home in Alberta and Quebec. The world is watching how the country responds.

That's why there has been an increase in foreign media coverage about Canada, and more journalists being based here. Our country has previously been perceived as a boring backwater, but now it's actually an interesting posting for foreign correspondents.

Country reputation cannot be manufactured independent of reality. Reality is the most convincing persuader there is, which means the next few months and years of tangible national achievement (or not) will help determine what the world thinks of this country no matter how we choose to describe and market ourselves.

There is plenty of work to do. Our business community can be clubby, complacent and short on dynamism. Our governments' policies have persistently failed to make the most of our advantages. Too many Canadians have taken economic prosperity and stable institutions for granted (and failed to live up to their responsibility as citizens in a democracy to follow public affairs in the news to make the most informed decisions).

None of these challenges is repaired by a fleeting news cycle just because a relatively popular Carney contrasts favourably with unpopular Trump in today's headlines.

The attention is here for Canada, but the spotlight will not last. So what do we want the nations of the world to make of us?

A strong and united country working towards a common purpose and confidently looking outward, able to stand on its own two feet as a beacon of liberal democracy?

OR

A weak and divided country looking inward, dominated by foreign influence and obsessed with peevish parochialism and consumed by endless regional grievances?

The uncomfortable truth is that both Canadas already exist. The question is which one prevails.

In a rational political culture, where facts matter and people cooperate around shared purposes, the better course would be obvious. Unfortunately, this is an age of demagoguery, disinformation and division, in which toxic resentment is cultivated on purpose and national cohesion is challenged by factional politics and regional chauvinism.

The world is forming its contemporary view of Canada right now, and nobody is going to hold the spotlight still while we sort ourselves out.

"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."

(Marcus Aurelius in Meditations, Book 5, Verse 20).

Opinion column published with permission of Bob Pickard, Principal at Signal Leadership Communication.