Normalizing violence and intimidation undermines stability, investment, and the trust businesses need to grow.

The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer[1] reveals a troubling truth: four in ten people believe hostile activism is a legitimate way to drive change. That includes online attacks, disinformation, property damage, and even threats or violence. Among Canadians aged 18 to 34, that number rises to more than half.

This should alarm every Canadian. It signals a dangerous shift in mindset—one where force is increasingly viewed as acceptable to gain influence. If this trend takes root, the Canada we know—defined by dialogue, compromise, and community—will be at risk.
The recent tragic killing of Charlie Kirk in Utah is a stark reminder of what happens when hostility is normalized. Kirk, a political activist, was shot while hosting a public debate. Regardless of one’s politics, the fact that an event designed for open discussion turned into violence should shake us all. When disagreement escalates to destruction, society itself is weakened.

During my time with the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference, I learned that no decision is made in isolation. Whether in government, business, or community organizations, every choice ripples outward, shaping lives and livelihoods far beyond the point of conflict. That is why it is so dangerous when violence and intimidation creep into the mainstream of how we think about change.

From a business perspective, the risks are clear. Companies depend on stability, trust, and constructive dialogue to operate and grow. If hostility becomes a standard tool, businesses will face fractured environments where relationships with employees, customers, and governments are undermined by intimidation. That not only threatens investment and innovation—it erodes community prosperity. Investors notice; capital is impatient and will flee uncertainty and escalating confrontation.

And violence rarely delivers lasting change. It may dominate headlines for a day, but the long-term costs are broken trust, weakened institutions, and deepening divisions. Instead of moving forward together, communities are polarized, governments pushed into crisis mode, and businesses retreat into caution.

Canada cannot afford this path. Our strength lies in our ability to build—businesses, communities, and consensus across differences. That does not mean we always agree, nor that change comes quickly. But leadership is not about winning by force; it is about finding a way forward that strengthens, rather than tears apart, the communities we share.

This is the moment to draw a clear line. Violence, intimidation, and disinformation are not tools for change. They are tools of destruction. If we accept them, even in part, we risk normalizing a culture that undermines democracy, business, and community alike.