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by Tod Maffin
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Every year, governments and big companies wait for one piece of research as if it were gospel: the Anholt Nation Brands Index.
By survey standards, it’s massive. Forty thousand adults across twenty countries. It drives investment decisions. It shapes diplomacy. It tells you what the world really thinks.
And this year, the world had a lot to say.
The United States did something no country has ever done since this index started nineteen years ago. They fell out of the top ten. They did not slip. They collapsed.
And one country got almost all the benefit.
For context, U.S. used to live at number one. But after Trump was first elected in 2016, they dropped from first to sixth. For the next eight years, they fluttered between sixth and tenth.
But after Trump won again last year, the bottom gave out. They’re in 14th place now. You could practically hear the thunk.
T O D B I T
When the United States fell to 14th this year, it became the lowest ranking ever recorded for a country that had previously held the top spot.
And which country benefited?
According to the report, the chief beneficiary was Canada. We went from sixth to third. We replaced Italy. Nearly a third of the world says their view of Canada improved since last year.
People around the world said our stance against Trump makes them trust us more.
Remember, this isn’t a small study. This is 40,000 people representing almost 80% of global GDP. This is the world talking.
Japan and Germany kept the top two, as they always do. But Canada rocketing into third tells you the world is watching how we act. It tells you that whatever you may think of the Carney government, our new policy choices did not just land at home. They landed around the world. And at a time when we’ve got to make new trade deals, that’s good timing.
It also tells you that America’s damage is not a one-year hangover. It is generational.
In marketing surveys, once a brand falls this far, the climb back can take decades. The people who created THIS index say it’s basically the same for countries.
Countries that build their image on fear, on bluster, on picking fights with everyone in the room…. that kind of Aggressive nationalism carries an economic cost so big it can swallow a country from the inside.
This ranking is not a trophy, it is a mirror. It shows a country that held on to decency when others chose to let it slip through their fingers.
It shows people who keep believing in fairness, even when the world feels meaner and smaller.
And for a moment, the world looked up, saw that in us, and said it mattered.
— 30 —
Join the discussion about this issue now in my Discord.
Trivia
Which international agreement did Trump withdraw the U.S. from in 2017, affecting its global reputation on climate policy?
The Weekly Poll
Do you think Canada’s global reputation is improving?
Last Week:
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What You Missed This Week
There’s Still Good News Out There 💗
The little diaper bank that could: A Halifax woman who started a diaper bank out of her apartment three months ago, expecting to help a few families a week, has now assisted hundreds of parents and given out thousands of diapers.
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is launching what it says will be the world’s largest early-detection cancer research program, funded by a $50-million donation.
Big fridge energy: A Saint John man is walking around with a fridge strapped to his back to raise awareness about food insecurity, collecting $2,000+ so far for local programs through his “Uptown Fridge” campaign.
Canada is making it easier for more people to gain citizenship, as Bill C-3, aimed at fixing outdated rules that blocked some Canadians from passing on citizenship to children born or adopted abroad, has received royal assent.
Canada's next tallest building is reaching new heights: Toronto’s Pinnacle SkyTower just became the first building in the country to top 100 floors as it rises toward its final 106-storey, 352-metre height.
Toronto has opened its first City-run net-zero building, a new childcare centre that marks a major step toward the city’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040.
Trade Tea 🫖
Make spirits great again: Nova Scotia is selling American liquor pulled from the shelves in response to Trump’s trade war, with profits going to Feed Nova Scotia and other food banks this Christmas season.
New year, new country: A prestigious U.S. brewing school, the Siebel Institute of Technology, is relocating from Chicago to Montreal in 2026, due to Trump policies and operational costs.
The Canada Border Services Agency told Americans heading north for U.S. Thanksgiving to leave their guns at home, along with cannabis and any homemade turkey dishes, as part of a list of tips for smoother border crossings this weekend.
Wild Things 🦫
Gay sheep slay: A fashion designer debuted his collection “I Wool Survive,” featuring 36 frocks made entirely from wool sourced from Rainbow Wool, a German farm that rescues gay sheep, in collaboration with Grindr.
Owlberta moment: An endangered barn owl, a species not known to live in Alberta and with only about 650 left in Canada, recently made an “extremely rare” appearance in a Calgary park.
Toronto Zoo’s new Komodo dragon siblings officially have new names: the female is now Raya, meaning “greatness”, and the male is Komo, short for Komodo.
Canadian beekeepers are urging the government to ban all overseas bee imports to protect local hives from tropilaelaps mites, a parasite that can destroy a colony within two months.
The First Peoples 🪶
The Lheidli T'enneh First Nation has announced a ban on herbicides across its entire territory in north-central B.C., due to the negative impacts these chemicals have had on the environment and wildlife for which they are stewards.
Quebec will require elementary and secondary students to read at least two works by Indigenous authors starting in the 2026-27 school year, a move welcomed by writers as a boost for Indigenous literature.
The University of Victoria has launched a project to help Indigenous communities rebuild their legal systems.
Officials say the Federal Indigenous Art Collection has more than 100 artworks unaccounted for, including 91 pieces previously loaned to government offices.
The Sorry Files 🤦
They cracked the case: A moving truck carrying irreplaceable sets and backdrops for an Ontario-wide tour of The Nutcracker was stolen in Etobicoke but recovered the next day with help from the dance community.
Dozens of Vaughan townhome owners are on the hook for roughly $2 million in repairs, about $40,000 each, after a stormwater system beneath their new-build complex failed, with the developer disputing fault, insurance denying coverage, and no clear protections stepping in to help.
Calgary Flames fans are calling for team president Don Maloney to be fired after he dismissed the idea of a rebuild, despite the team sitting last in the NHL, sparking backlash and a push on social media to oust him.
Across Canada 📍
Brampton, Ont., has launched a fleet of electric, on-demand buses, letting resident request rides near their door for a standard fare.
The rusted Niagara Scow, perched above Ontario’s Horseshoe Falls since 1918, has shifted closer to the brink after decades of rust and river battering, bringing the century-old shipwreck nearer to its inevitable plunge.
Internet detectives have entered the chat: A photo taken from a mountaintop in the Cape Breton Highlands showing a shadowy landmass beyond St. Paul Island has sparked an online debate over whether Newfoundland can actually be seen from Nova Scotia.
Canada has collected more than $5.4B in cannabis tax revenue since recreational cannabis was legalized in 2018.
I write this newsletter because I care about this country, and I know you do too.
There’s no big media boss here. No hedge fund. Just one person with a keyboard, some facts, and a healthy dose of Canadian side-eye.
If that’s worth something to you, please consider chipping in if you can. 💚
Canada’s Market This Week
Royal Bank | |
TD Bank | |
Enbridge | |
ScotiaBank | |
Bank of Montreal | |
CP Rail | |
Shopify | |
Canadian Tire | |
Loblaws | |
Tim Hortons (RBI) | |
Dollarama | |
Rogers |