DR. JACK MINTZ
President’s Fellow at the School of Public Policy,
University of Calgary

There’s a parallel between medieval King Canute – who famously demonstrated the limits of royal authority – and today’s Canadian trade chief Stephen Carney. Carney can improve Canada’s trade and growth agenda by applying Canute’s lesson of measured ambition: embracing open markets and diversified supply chains while staying realistic about geopolitical constraints and domestic industry capacity. He can pursue three actionable steps:

1. Broaden export destinations beyond traditional partners.
2. Invest in domestic strategic sectors (clean‑tech, agri‑food, digital services) to reduce reliance on commodity cycles.
3. Embed a “humility‑first” policy framework that anticipates trade disruptions and aligns federal‑provincial coordination.

By shifting from a reactive to a proactive trade posture, Canada can foster sustainable growth in an increasingly volatile global environment.

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