Every now and then, there’s a viral social media post about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that positions his country as the sunny chaser to the world’s bitter news. In the times when the world is falling prey to everything that can go wrong, the Maple Leaf nation is viewed as the progressive wonderland of welcoming cultures and polite manners.

Plot twist – thing’s are not all that rosy. For starters, the country is right where former president Stephen Harper had left it, on healthcare, arms supply and many other fronts. Here’s more to support the argument.

Large supply of arms

Canada is a leading arms supplier to the war-prone Middle East, second largest if latest figures from HIS Jane’s are to be believed. It ranks sixth overall; and according to analysts, Canada has never ranked so highly, certainly in the past 15 years.

Indigenous communities

In the spring of 2016, Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario declared a state of emergency after 11 young people tried to end their lives by suicide. But this was not the first such situation among indigenous peoples in Canada as they have double the suicide rates than the national average.

Cutting healthcare

While healthcare cuts have been a topic of debate in the neighbouring American states, Canada is witnessing its own crisis. As a result of the cuts, Canada’s healthcare is gradually going from public to private hands, something the citizens don’t quite approve of.

Carbon emissions

Environment Canada had announced that Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions will exceed the established federal target by at least 30 per cent by 2030. Although Canada is responsible for only about 1.6 of global GHG emissions, it is one of the highest per capita emitters.

Blackface comedy still a thing

In the past decade, several Canadian artists have been accused of being racists and culturally insensitive for this brand of humour. Up until the early 2000s, white comedians sometimes used makeup to represent a black person, most often as a parody of an actual person. And unfortunately, it still exists in the French Quebec.

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