with a clear thought: “Elbows up, Canada.” He recorded a voice memo, pitched the idea to friends, and by the end of the week, they had 30 volunteers, a logo, and a permit for Parliament Hill. Their first rally drew 1,500 people in freezing temperatures.
It wasn’t a protest in the traditional sense. There were no angry chants, no confrontations with police. Instead, there were hockey sticks checked at the door, maple leaf face paint, and a spontaneous shinny game on the lawn.
One woman brought her grandfather’s stick from the 1972 Summit Series. Another held a sign reading: “True North Strong and Peeved.” There was pride, humor, defiance—and above all, unity.
Mike Myers gave the phrase lift-off. In two separate SNL appearances, he tapped his elbow, wore shirts reading “Canada Is Not for Sale” and “Canadian Tire,” and reignited patriotism with a smirk. Then came the real punch: a campaign ad with new Prime Minister Mark Carney in which Myers asked, “Will there always be a Canada?” and Carney replied, “Elbows up.”
“Will there always be a Canada?” —Mike Myers
“Elbows up.” —PM Mark Carney
From there, the phrase vaulted into political discourse. Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, once careful to avoid jingoism, ended his farewell address by declaring, “We’re a country that will be diplomatic when we can—but fight when we must: Elbows up!” The crowd roared, chanting the phrase like it was part of the anthem.
British Columbia Premier David Eby explained it best: “‘Elbows up’ means the other team is trying to take advantage, and if they come at you, they’re going to feel it.”
It’s hard to overstate how quickly the movement has grown. Rallies in Toronto, Halifax, and Vancouver have drawn thousands. Social media feeds are flooded with elbow memes, hockey references, and slogans like “From Gordie’s Elbows to Our Resistance—Back Off, Eh!”
“You can’t threaten a country that turns geopolitical crises into dad jokes.” —Mayor Mark Sutcliffe
Even the aesthetics have taken hold: red-and-white shirts, retro skates, elbow pads, and of course, sticks. One viral TikTok clip showed a ten-year-old girl in a “Future 51st Governor” jersey—“51st” crossed out—scoring a beauty goal during a post-rally hockey game.
The protests feel Canadian in every way: polite, cheeky, and resilient. They’re not about aggression. They’re about self-respect.
The symbolism runs deep. “Elbows Up” isn’t just about trade or Trump. It’s about sovereignty. It’s about identity. It’s about a nation that too often sees itself through the lens of politeness and compromise, finally finding its edge.
At a rally, organizer Samantha McBeth pointed to the scaffolding on Parliament’s Peace Tower and said, “Canada’s a work in progress, like you can see right here. But that doesn’t mean we’re not proud to be Canadian.” That line echoed through social media for days—proof that people are hungry for both realism and resolve.
“Canada’s a work in progress… but that doesn’t mean we’re not proud to be Canadian.” —Samantha McBeth