bout de papier, Vol. 17, No. 4 (2000-2001) — Winter 2000/2001 // Hiver 2000/2001, p. 3
Having read the rather jingoistic article by Satya Das (The Kinder Gentler Nation, bout de papier Vol. 17,No.2) in which he presented his views on how Canada might be “branded” and “marketed” worldwide, I must offer one or two points of clarification.
Firstly, the Disney World Epcot Center is just part of the Wonderful World of Disney, and the “Canadian” pavilion is based on the distorted impressions of Canada held by Disney’s set designers.
We must remember that Disney Inc. built the Epcot Center in the early 1980s according to its preconceptions of the various countries, however skewed, and then it invited the featured countries to buy or lease, and maintain, the pavilions at their expense. Canada chose not to absorb the significant costs involved in operating this pre-fab fantasy land. Apart from responding to messages from irate citizens and arranging for Kodak to supply its (at the time) superb short film about Canada to Disney, the Government of Canada has tried to distance itself from this apparent aberration. It has been clear that Disney hoped to coerce Canada into footing the bill by making the exhibit so objectionable. They built it; we didn’t go.
There are other examples. In Japan alone, there is an Anne of Green Gables theme park and at least one Canada Land, either of which makes the Epcot Center look boorish. It is unrealistic to suggest that our government raze such privately-owned sites to ensure that they are rebuilt to reflect our collective image of Canada, whatever that is. Le Canada, c’est un pays divise parmi 30 millions de Canadiens.
Secondly, the notion that we in the Foreign Service lose our Canadian bearings while we are abroad is a curious one. I suggest that we become more attuned to things Canadian than when we are in Canada. After all, while abroad we are representing our country, something we don’t normally do in Canada. To do that properly we have to be informed, authoritative, confident and convincing. If anything, most of us become more aware of what it is to be Canadian, sometimes by discovering what we are not. We also have the relatively rare opportunity to see how others view our country and its people. It is easy to build on their positive impressions; it is difficult, sometimes impossible, to overcome what we consider to be misconceptions.
The obvious challenge to “branding Canada” is to develop the appropriate images for the various important audiences around the world and to build positively on them. To call for the establishment of “Canada Centres” in our top markets is absurd. They already exist; we call them Embassies or High Commissions.
View the original scanned pages →
Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 17, No. 4 (2000-2001) — Winter 2000/2001 // Hiver 2000/2001, p. 3. Read the rest of this issue →
