All of a sudden, the small differences between Canada and the United States seem to matter once again. While flag-waving nationalism gives us a saccharine rush, it’s time to change the tune and stand up for Canada by ending the degradation of our nation-builders and returning their monuments to the public square.

First to be toppled was John A. Macdonald, then Egerton Ryerson. Now, Wilfrid Laurier is being threatened with erasure. Tarnishing their enduring legacies and taking down their statues has wrought unanticipated consequences, which have become visible in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to make Canada the 51st state. It has weakened our collective sense of identity and it’s time to halt the purge.