Our friendship with America is over. How do we stay alive?

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The Best of Maclean's
 

Is Canada Prepared to Go It Alone?

 

Happy Canada Day. If you’re feeling a little more patriotic than you normally do on this holiday weekend, you are probably not alone. As one of the essays in our July issue argues, Canada has always defined itself in opposition to America, and this year, in the wake of Trump’s bluster about the 51st state, that’s especially true. 

At Maclean’s, we’re celebrating the holiday by launching a new line of t-shirts, hoodies and baseball caps based on the success of our popular “True North Strong Free” tote bag. I’m also happy to report that the tote bag itself is available this week at a celebratory discount ($20 instead of the usual $25). So if you haven’t ordered one yet, now’s your chance. 

A Canada flag in front of parliament

In addition, we’re publishing a galvanizing essay about Canada’s future by the writer Stephen Marche, who today launches Gloves Off,an audio series about how Canada can survive in the new world order. He writes: “For decades, our politics has been focused on the goal of being good and decent. But that was a luxury we could afford in a previous era when America was a reliable friend. Ever since Trump’s inauguration, we must ask a new question: how do we maximize our own power?” 

Visit macleans.ca for more coverage of everything that matters in Canada, and subscribe to the magazine here.

—Emily Landau, executive editor, Maclean’s

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Editor’s Picks

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THE INTERVIEW

Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet Is On Team Canada (For Now)

Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois, is the familiar bespectacled face of the sovereignty movement in his home province. But since the spring, when the Bloc secured the balance of power in Parliament—and a dictator started salivating at our southern border—Blanchet, one of the country’s most reluctant members, has decided to call a Trump-induced truce. Here, his conversation with Maclean’s editor Katie Underwood.

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NOT FOR SALE 

Canada’s New Nationalism

On January 7, Donald Trump said publicly for the first time that he wanted to force Canada to become the 51st state. It took time for that to sink in for Canadians. When it did, Stephen Maher writes in this essay for Maclean’s, there was a national gut check. "Did we want to become Americans? The answer became clear soon enough, in the biggest wave of Canadian nationalism in living memory. Absolutely not. Never.”

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MACLEAN’S MERCH 

True North Strong Free 

The Maclean’s tote bag, proudly emblazoned with “True North Strong Free,” has been selling fast. This week only, enjoy a $5 discount—and explore our brand-new merch line, available only for two weeks.

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DOMESTIC DINING

The Winery Destination

First came the winery. Mel Pearl, a prolific second-generation Toronto condo and commercial developer, partnered with winemaker Francois Morissette in 2006 to plant 30 acres of grapevines in the southern Ontario village of Jordan. Morissette is a magnetic Quebecer who honed his skills in some of France’s fanciest wineries. His plan: create wines more exquisite and delicious than had ever been attempted in this country.

Next came the restaurant. Its mandate: seasonal, hyper-local, experimental, always evolving. The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette opened in 2017 and is now as famous as the winery, topping critic’s lists and earning a Michelin star. Perched on the second floor of one of the winery’s barns, it has sweeping views of the countryside, including cows, chickens and a farm that supplies much of what appears on the dinner menu.

For more on the country’s most exciting culinary destinations, check out this bucket list of homegrown restaurants, chefs and dishes to experience this summer.

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The cover of the Maclean's July 2025 issue, featuring the headline

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