Canada’s media has collapsed, along with Canadians pride in their country and sense of identity. What can be done about it? Can Canada Survive?

A country’s will to defend itself depends on whether its citizens think it is worth protecting and defending – whether its national identity is strong, which is also forged through its media. And when a country’s media presence is weak, its identity falters. Indeed, it is through its books, newspapers, films, magazines, TV shows and social media that citizens come to know their history, each other, their common stories, and hopes for the future.

While in the last part of the 20th century, Canada’s media presence was strong, and Canadians were proud of their country. But by the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, its media had collapsed, along with Canadians pride in their country and shared sense of identity.

How did this happen? What can be done about it?

Our Speaker:

Richard Stursberg has spent his career exploring the relationship between media and national identity. He was the Executive Director of Telefilm Canada, the government’s film financing corporation, head of English services at the CBC, and Chairman of The Canadian Television Fund. His book on the CBC, The Tower of Babble, was named one of the best books of the year by the Globe and Mail. His next book, The Tangled Garden, documented the destruction of Canada’s media businesses, and what to do to save them. It was short-listed for the Donner prize for the best book on public policy written by a Canadian. His new book, Lament for a Literature: The Collapse of Canadian Book Publishing was released on 27 January 2026.

This Union Club lunch event is for CIC members only.  Registration information has been sent to our members.