An interview with @canada.gov.ca
The Instagram account pairs niche Canadian content with acute analysis.
There are competing narratives of what “Canada” is. There’s the Canada that we learn about in school—a sanitized history that glosses over atrocities such as the residential schools and colonialism. And then there’s the Canada projected onto us by neighbouring countries, one that pegs us as polite, unassuming, and void of culture. Of course, what it means to be Canadian differs wildly and is impossible to capture in a textbook or SNL skit.
The Instagram account @canada.gov.ca, which has more than 17,000 followers, provides another version of Canada. One that’s funny, esoteric, educational, and niche. It feels raw and truthful, providing insight into Canadian life that isn’t sanitized. In other words, it shows Canada as it is, not as it’s seen. (Or wants to be seen).
I chatted with the creator of the account (anonymously) over email last week to learn more about the account. Here’s what he had to say:
Can you describe who you are and why you started canada.gov.ca?
Well, I like to keep a certain level of anonymity because I’m trying to keep the account more about the content rather than the guy behind it – but my followers have caught on that I am a white guy from the Maritimes, currently living in Montreal, where I’ve been for the last 15 years. If I’m going to share my perspective online so much, my followers deserve that context, whether they choose to take it into consideration or not. I started @canada.gov.ca out of the boredom of a 9-5. It started with very, very few followers for a very long time and was mostly just stock images of the country. I just thought it would be funny to have an Instagram with the handle and everything was kind of built around that. As more people started to follow, I started taking the account a little more seriously and by that I mean, I got much, much sillier and let more of my own personality take over.
The handle is perfect—how did you choose it? Have you had any pushback from the government?
I’m not even sure how it came to me except that I thought it was funny that it wasn’t the web address for the government already. To this day, there is no website address at www.canada.gov.ca which I think is the reason I have not gotten any pushback. Also, the content is more or less harmless. I think if I were really trying to impersonate the government, it would be a different story, but that’s clearly not what I’m up to. So yeah, no pushback and I even have a few sitting and former MPs who are following me!
How do you research your posts?
At any given point I have about 20-30 that I want to do sitting unfinished in the drafts and I just wait for the time to be right to finish and post them. Other times, I feel like I have to respond to things that are happening at that particular moment. I feel like specifically with everything that is happening to the Mi’kmaw in rural Nova Scotia, it was important to lend my voice and support to them given that they are getting absolutely shit on by the very people who have been their historical allies, the Acadians.
But in terms of research, I use a number of different avenues. My preferred places to find information would be online texts, Reddit forums, the Library and Archives Canada (BAC-LAC), NFB and YouTube!
What kind of content are you drawn to?
I am drawn to absurd, adorable, cringey, overlooked, unbelievable, cheesy, and whether I like it or not, nostalgic content.
What has the reaction been to the account? Have you been surprised by people's responses?
The reaction to the account has been kind of incredible. I have a lot of people who have told me that they’re now in group chats with their family members or old roommates or friends from home, etc. because of my content, as a place to share it back and forth to each other and react. The fact that I may be even remotely responsible for bringing people together brings me an immense amount of joy. I have other people who say that they really look forward to my nightly stories after they get home from work because it provides them with a real familiar escape that makes them feel safe or a part of something.
When people tell me I’m their favourite account on Instagram, it makes me feel like this is not just an incredibly stupid hobby but actually meaningful in some way and that I should keep doing it.
Why turn your attention to niche Canadian content? What about the country interests you?
I think I was overloaded with Canadian content online that is incredibly lazy and/or not really Canadian at all. Sometimes Canadians regurgitate the idea of Canada that Americans have created back onto ourselves. For example, when I see someone doing a character online that is supposed to be Canadian, but they have a thick southern accent (to play up that they’re dumb I guess?) or an over-exaggerated almost Midwestern accent of “How it’s going, eh?? Pretty good, eh?” Like, first of all, that is improper use of ‘eh’ and secondly, it’s like – no one talks like that. Not only is that inaccurate, it just isn’t funny.
What’s really, truly funny about being Canadian is that sometimes we’re not nice at all, we can be huge assholes. We turn on people incredibly quickly. We can be really cliquey. And to add, we have this impeccable reputation on the world stage that is just absurdly wishful thinking. The fact is we’re in a country with a ton of problems and a history of treating Indigenous people terribly, and that’s just one example. I guess with all that in mind, I love where I’m from and I think it’s possible to do that and to want it to do better at the same time. I think Canadian humour is at times very dry, wonderfully subtle and very specific in our references. That makes us feel a part of something, which makes one wonder, are we laughing because we find something funny or because we feel accepted?
You post Alex Colville often on the account--what do you like about him?
OK – let me first say that I have no background in Art History whatsoever, so I’m not sure how qualified I am here – but – what I like about him is how incredibly good he is at painting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything outside of Gerhard Richter or Otto Dix or Mary Pratt that is that technically good. But aside from that, his subject matter is supremely threatening. I feel like with Colville something dire has either just happened or is about to happen. There is always a sense of impending doom. I feel like the viewer is forced into an almost rude or judgmental perspective. Other times, he conveys a certain unmatched peace and serenity. He is the perfect Canadian painter. He is absurd in his melancholy and threat to the point that it’s almost tongue-in-cheek. I can’t help but feel like Colville is making fun of the voyeur from time to time.
What other Canadian artists are you drawn to?
Jack Bishop, Angela McGowan, Kent Monkman, Chantal Khoury, Claire Milbrath, Mike Gough, Nicolas Grenier, Dave Rheaume, Wendy Red Star, Paul Butler, and others from the past like Chris Pratt, Mary Pratt, Maud Lewis, Molly Lamb Bobak, Annie Pootoogook, etc.
