For months, Canadians have had their elbows up, showing their commitment to choosing local, supporting homegrown business, and reinforcing the value of national unity. This renewed sense of economic patriotism has shaped our consumer habits and helped redefine what it means to be resilient during times of change.

Arlene Dickinson, a businesswoman, investor, author, and television personality on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, is outspoken about her support of Canada during the current political climate. She joins this episode of REAL TIME to share what patriotism means to her, how it affects the economy, and how we can continue to strengthen Canada as a country and business partner.

Transcript

Arlene Dickinson: Do I think we can do it? Yes. Do I think it's going to be hard? Yes. Do I think we're going to have to sacrifice? Yes. Do I think it's going to be worth it? A thousand percent yes.

Shaun Majumder: Elbows up, Canada. Yes, I know. We've heard a lot of that in the last year, and for a good reason, right? We're feeling this new mojo. Canada has got a new pair of slacks, red corduroys. We've got our cowboy boots by day and Birkenstocks at night. We're feeling it right now, and I love that. There is a bit of a movement happening, and it feels good. Today on the show, I'm being joined by none other than powerhouse Arlene Dickinson. Yes, you may know her from Dragons' Den. You may know her from the business community.

She is an absolute powerhouse, and she is one of the most proudest Canadians I've ever met. I'm so honored. She's on today. She's going to be talking about what patriotism means to her, how it affects the economy, and how to stay nimble as a business person in this ever-changing market. I am so honored. We both share very similar values about how much we love our country and the way forward. Let's get started today. Please welcome Arlene Dickinson. I am so excited. Arlene, look what I did. Look what I got. I didn't get it. My wife got it. Let me see if you can see it. Look at this.

Arlene: Nice. I like it.

Shaun: Value Village. Sweet deal. Listen, I don't know about you, but currently it feels like Canada got some mojo that I've not felt in my personal life, having lived away for the last 20 years, but obviously staying closely connected to Canada. There just seems to be this new thing happening in Canada. Do you feel it too? I'm so excited about souvenir shops I went in. I spent two grand US when I came back to Canada. I don't know. I'm feeling this new mojo for Canada.

Arlene: Yes. I think Canadians are finally feeling a lot in the shadow of any other nation and feeling much more confident. Although I think there's also a lot of fear out there and a lot of concern, and a lot of uncertainty. With uncertainty comes a lot of trepidation. I do feel like there's a renewed patriotism, which I really appreciate and is much needed. Our country deserves patriotism.

Shaun: Well, it's weird because for years, no matter how proud a Canadian I was, when I was starting my career here in Canada, I couldn't ever quite put my finger on what it meant to be Canadian. There was always the living in the shadow of our big brother to the South, so it was always in relation to that. Even our money was in relation to that. Now it feels like it's almost like we've hit our teenage years and we're all of a sudden fiercely independent, and we don't want to talk about it. Like, "Just leave us alone. We're fine on our own." This feeling that's happening in Canada, which I think is a good start, because I think we ought to remind ourselves we're a young country, right?

Arlene: Yes. I always said that we came to Canada, we're immigrants to the country, came when I was three years old. Why did we come to Canada? We came to Canada because it was a place where you could have a lot of ambition and be rewarded for that ambition if you worked hard. It was a place that welcomed you to do everything you could do to be able to be successful. That promise of Canada when we immigrated many years ago is what I think about when I think about what I want to hold onto in Canada, which is not the flag and the anthem.

Sure, they're great symbols of patriotism. To me, it's more about what the promise of the country is. The promise of the country for me is that I can be successful here if I work hard. I can find a way to take care of myself and my family. I also, if I am struggling, know that I'm going to be taken care of by my country.

That social capital view, which is capitalism with a heart, a democracy that cares about its citizens, a small nation in terms of numbers of people, but a huge nation in terms of geography, yet we still have all of the infrastructure and the needs that we should require in terms of being able to live a good life. Now we're going to put more money into infrastructure, and we're going to put more money into defense, and we're going to think harder about making sure we can stand on our own two feet. We absolutely can.

Shaun: When we talk about patriotism, when I think about from where I've just left to where I am now, the interesting difference is it feels to me that Canada-- we're not identifying ourselves as what we are not, but there seems to be a value system. That's what I'm hearing you talk about. It's more about a value versus I'm wearing a mask, which is this is my identity. It's more about the internal value system of Canada that is not as easily put on a bumper sticker. Do you know what I mean?

Arlene: I do. We've had to learn how to collaborate and connect with regional differences that exist in our nation. We've had to learn how to collaborate and work together with linguistic challenges, like different languages, not just French, English, but many languages from all around the world. We've had to learn how to accept a global view because we are compromised of a global view. That acceptance of different cultures and different understandings, yet all grounded in the same belief of what the promise of the nation is, I think that's what Canada represents. That gets me excited because I do think you're right.

It's not a slogan, although slogans like "elbows up" really helped, I think, to get people really more committed to buying Canadian and thinking Canadian and being proud of being Canadian. It's more about just protecting the things that we all are in Canada because of. That's a very important aspect of why I think this nation needs to stand tall because I think people around the world look at us to go, "I want that safety, I want that freedom, I want that peace, I want that natural beauty, I want that opportunity." There's so much that Canada can offer, and it makes me very proud.

Shaun: When we think about that idea of standing tall, standing tall and owning, that takes some time to have that self-confidence. When I think about being a dad now, and I want my girls to feel confident, I want them to feel strong and honour who they are. For many years as a comedian, I mean, we've spent so much of our lives being self-deprecating, which is a great way to be. I think culturally, it shows that we are humble, but all of a sudden, it's changed a little. We don't say we're the greatest country on earth because for whatever reason. I do believe now the tide has turned a little. What does it mean to you when you talk about standing taller? What does that actually mean without it being kind of egotistical and braggadocious?

Arlene: When I think about standing tall or standing up for our nation, I think about what did I do today to make our country better? We all care about legacy. We all care about leaving behind more than we take. That can happen in conversations like this, where you're talking to people and you're being unafraid to share your pride and your love for your country, because sometimes that was always seen as a little bit, not hokey, but really, we don't talk about that here.

Now, I think, I sign off all of my posts on social media with a heart and the flag because I do love Canada. I'm going to say I love Canada. I'm not going to be afraid to talk about it. Standing up is not being afraid to create a job, not being afraid to help a neighbour, not being afraid to take pride in what we have versus continually looking for what's wrong with what we have, because there's always going to be things that are not great.

Shaun: Yes. I think in any relationship or any self-realization, it's okay to observe where we can improve on. I think what people get so focused on and be critical of is that's who we are, as opposed to, "Hey, look, this country, again, is a young country, relatively speaking, and we are coming into our own now." That does excite me, and that's why I moved back. That's why I came back here now, to raise a family in this beautiful, beautiful place. There's nowhere else I'd rather be. That's, to me, what standing tall is. What was your take on the whole "elbows up" movement? That's the last time I saw you. We were there. It felt great, to be honest, at the time. Elbows up as a slang, as a thing, as a slogan. What was your feeling of that?

Arlene: First of all, I love that for Canada that you're back, and I love that for you that you're back. I think it's great for our nation to have creators and talented actors and comedians like you who are prepared to go on world stages and be proud to wear our flag. I think about Mike Myers and wearing the flag on SNL. I think about the moments where you can really demonstrate your pride on a global stage need to happen more and more.

Having said that, elbows up for me, I took a lot of slack fro