I read with great interest the commentary by Philip Resnick entitled: “Should Canada become a republic?” (The Chronicle Herald, March 11, 2023). Dr. Resnick makes several compelling arguments as to why we Canadians should reconsider having a British monarch as our head of state. Clearly, at this stage in our history, the question is well worth asking.

With over 155 years under our belt as a nation, surely Canada is mature enough to have its own, independent head of state.  Anecdotally, I recently observed a young girl examining a $20 Canadian bill exclaim to her mom, “I didn’t know that Canada belongs to England.” Unknowingly, she had made an astute observation that warrants our collective attention. 

The time has come to seriously consider breaking free of a monarchy that, in Resnick’s words, “is steeped in aristocratic and feudal privilege”. The time has come for Canada to look beyond its myopic colonial history and embrace our own and distinct multicultural identity. The time has come to abandon the often-stated argument that the required constitutional restructuring would be too foreboding. Most significant developments in history  have taken resolve, time, and ingenuity. The time has come to lean in as proud Canadians.