Image Credit: The Canadian Press
Two & Out

PETERS: The passport redesign was bound to offend someone

May 12, 2023 | 11:00 AM

SO THE GOVERNMENT REDESIGNED the Canadian passport.

The cover has a partial maple leaf and our crest. The inside pages have animals and nature scenes and other very anodyne images like children jumping into a lake.

It’s okay. Things get redesigned from time to time. No need to panic.

But apparently it’s not okay. You see, formerly, the pages featured images of Terry Fox and the last spike and the Vimy Ridge Memorial.

I bet you didn’t know that. After all, we pay attention to our passports only when we need them, and otherwise they just stay in a safe place out of sight.

Some people, though, as expected, are offended. The change is being portrayed as a serious affront to veterans.

Thankfully, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made it a political football, saying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is deleting veterans who lost their lives at Vimy Ridge.

According to Poilievre, anything that could possibly be perceived as negative is Trudeau’s fault.

There are far more effective ways to attack Trudeau for disrespecting of veterans than the design of the passport.

Trudeau, for his part, poured gasoline on the fire by lobbing the football back at the Conservatives, saying they have always disrespected veterans.

It’s all very cynical and sad — and is another example of a messy collision at the intersection of government and design.

Everyone has an opinion on artistic and design decisions — and that’s why it’s important very few people get a chance to turn that opinion into influence. All you’ll get is a messy tug-of-war.

The best elected officials recognize when to step in and when its best to let the experts take the lead.

The most recent example came during the pandemic, when it was medicine and science that needed to lead decision-making.

Any change to the design of the passport was going to rankle someone. Yet a change has to be made from time to time.

Best to let it go and carry on with life.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

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