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
Former Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy didn’t hold back. “We’ve had over 150 years of thinking of our neighbor as big and powerful, but also not an adversary. Well, that has now changed,” he warned. “Mr. Trump has put himself in the ranks of the authoritarians.”
Twice, he was interrupted by chants of “Elbows up!”
It’s tempting to dismiss the movement as symbolic—just words and gestures. But in Canada, symbolism matters. Hockey has always been more than a sport here. It’s mythology. Gordie Howe’s elbow was never about violence for its own sake; it was about drawing a line. If you were coming for him, you’d better be ready to pay the price.
The same logic now applies to Canada as a whole.
“Do unto others before they do unto you.” —Gordie Howe
As the next round of U.S.–Canada negotiations looms and a snap election approaches, “Elbows Up” isn’t fading. It’s evolving—from protest to posture, from slogan to principle. It’s a way of saying: We’ll play fair. But we won’t be pushed.
In the end, this is about more than hockey. It’s about holding the line—politically, culturally, economically. And maybe the most Canadian thing about it is that it started not with a fist, but with an elbow.
Tough. Tactical. Unmistakable.