I've said for years that Canada's greatest export isn't oil, lumber, or even maple syrup.
It's its carefully cultivated international reputation.
Being Canadian used to carry weight in the world's eyes.
We were known as a peaceful, prosperous, law-abiding country with trustworthy institutions, safe communities and a population that largely respected the rules…
We were also told that “if you played by the rules,” a middle-class existence was all but guaranteed.
That once-deserved reputation is currently hanging by a thread.
Last week, a colleague of mine shared an article with me whose headline reads more like something I would expect to hear about in a country where organized crime has deeply infiltrated the institutions responsible for protecting its citizens…
According to Toronto Police, the victim was abducted at gunpoint, handcuffed and assaulted while his attackers attempted to gain access to cryptocurrency assets.
The investigation eventually led to seven arrests and 82 criminal charges.
Police also recovered firearms, silencers, drugs and more than 2,700 rounds of ammunition, including approximately 2,500 rounds of ammunition that police said belonged to the military!
Thousands of rounds of military ammunition turning up in a criminal investigation involving members of the Canadian Armed Forces… unbelievable.
Unfortunately (but no longer surprisingly), this is far from the only scandal involving the very people Canadians are supposed to trust with their safety.
Earlier this year, seven active-duty Toronto police officers and one retired officer were charged in an investigation into organized crime and police corruption.
That investigation involved allegations of everything from bribery and drug trafficking to conspiracy to commit murder.
Is this the Canada the rest of the world thinks it knows?
As many of you know, I'm originally from Canada (though I left the country in my late teens).
Until recently, whenever someone asked where I was from and I told them Canada, the response was almost universally positive.
Beautiful country, friendly people, safe cities, free and reliable healthcare… or responses that were almost always of a similarly positive nature.
Now, I tell someone I'm Canadian, and I hear things that accurately depict today’s Canada, like the absurd wait times to access medical care, the basically mandatory COVID vax policies, and the rapid, large-scale immigration of millions of low-skilled workers who are undeniably negatively affecting the country's cultural and economic equilibrium.
The things that proud Canadians once pointed to as indicators of their nation's strength are crumbling toward the standards of a corrupt 3rd-world country.
No informed Canadian can still, in good faith, boast about the benefits of being Canadian or living there. The bright spots have made way for a new reality.
Most of you reading this have watched the places you call home change for the worse in ways that would have seemed unfathomable even five years ago.
If the trajectory of the country you call home continues pointing toward greater economic and social deterioration (which it will), I believe it is absolutely essential that every responsible family leader asks:
“If this much has changed in just five years, what will the next five, ten or fifteen bring?”
As a father responsible for a large, growing family, I don’t just make decisions based on what's comfortable or convenient for us today.
I'm thinking about the world my children will inherit, the opportunities they'll have, the freedoms they'll enjoy, and whether my decisions today will leave them better protected in the decades ahead.
You can love your home country, maintain your business interests, and keep living exactly where you are today while still establishing a legal right to operate from somewhere else if circumstances warrant it.
You can open offshore banking accounts, diversify your assets across jurisdictions that offer better protections, and put structures in place that give your family options you wouldn't otherwise have.
These are exactly the kinds of conversations we'll be having at our 3rd Annual Wealth, Freedom & Passports Conference in Panama City on March 5th and 6th, 2027.
This year's theme is Building It For The Family, and we'll be exploring how to protect what you've built, create more international options, and prepare for the future, whatever it may bring.
Right now, you can secure your General Admission ticket for just $597 USD through this Saturday, October 31st, at midnight Panama time, saving $400 compared with the standard ticket price.
Secure Your Super Early-Bird Conference Ticket Here
Speak soon,
Mikkel
PS. Want to make the most of your time in Panama? VIP tickets are also available, with preferred seating, early vendor access, a private VIP lounge, a special dinner on Day 1, and first choice of real estate tours. And if you're a Hub member, you can secure a VIP ticket for the price of a standard General Admission ticket, saving $900! Check out the VIP ticket options here.
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