Tod Maffin spoke to the Labour School of the Confederation of Canadian Unions in Ottawa in October 2025.
You’ve heard Canadians described a thousand ways, usually by people trying to sell us something. This talk starts… with a dog.
With a show that broke every TV rule, and somehow still explains what a lot of us are feeling right now, about identity, politics, and why it suddenly feels like the noise is getting louder, and more imported.
In this keynote, Tod explores:
• why courage often shows up after you start moving, not before
• the most Canadian territorial dispute imaginable (yes, it involves whisky)
• the kind of protest that doesn’t shout, but still rattles the most controlled rooms in the country
• why Canada has survived some genuinely brutal moments, not because we agreed, but because we stayed together anyway
There’s humour in it, and a very specific challenge near the end aimed straight at you: “Which one will you be?”
If you’ve been feeling like the culture wars are creeping north, or you’ve been wondering what Canadian identity even means anymore, this will land.
