Steady march toward greatness? Tracing the evolution of Canada’s international position
Abstract The Fathers of Confederation believed their creation would go on to one day stand at the front rank of international powers. Using cross-national economic data we can evaluate the extent to which such ambition was realized. This article finds that while Canada’s ascent up the global league tables has been rapid, so too has there been a ceiling as to just how high Canada can rise. Even more, with per-capita wealth now growing so rapidly in parts of the world previously consigned to penury, Canada’s international rank is likely to fall if only modestly so.