Kenney sparks backlash after calling Red Ensign remigration video ‘fascist fantasy’

CALGARY — Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has come under fire after he accused a Canadian nationalist and political commentator of using the Red Ensign to promote a “fascist fantasy,” sparking a debate over immigration and the use of Canadian symbols.Kenney made the comments on Wednesday in response to an AI-generated video posted to X by Fortissax, a well-known Canadian nationalist..Captioned “Canada after Remigration,” the 15-second video shows a highly stylized vision of the country featuring military processions, cheering crowds, nationalist imagery and idealized versions of what appear to be Ottawa, Quebec City and Toronto.The Canadian Red Ensign and imagery based on Canada’s coat of arms are displayed throughout the video..“46,000 Canadians died under the Red Ensign fighting fascism,” Kenney wrote.“How dare you use that same flag for your fascist fantasy videos.”The Red Ensign served as Canada’s civil ensign from 1892 to 1965 and later as the nation’s de facto national flag until the current Maple Leaf flag was inaugurated in 1965.Kenney’s statement generated a fierce response from Fortissax and other commentators — some of whom accused the former premier of helping to weaken the country and the heritage represented by the Red Ensign through his support forimmigration.“You disgraced our British-French heritage and the Fathers of Confederation by enabling mass immigration as premier,” Fortissax said.“Canadian nationalists are reclaiming the symbols you and the Liberals abandoned for a maple leaf designed to erase that heritage.”Independent journalist Chris Brunet also disputed Kenney’s characterization of the video and of remigration — the policy of returning immigrants to their countries of origin — as fascist, pointing to polling that showed nearly half of Canadians supported mass deportations to stop illegal migration.“Remigration isn’t fascism, it’s moderate populism,” Brunet said.He cited a 2024 National Post article and Leger poll that found “65% of Canadians say Canada is accepting too many legal immigrants.”.Jeremy MacKenzie, founder of the Second Sons of Canada and a military veteran, also criticized Kenney’s intervention.“I’ve fought in real life for Canada and so have many of my friends,” MacKenzie wrote.“What about it, Jason? You’ve not so much as laced up a boot in your life. You have no credibility or authority to speak on this, so shut your mouth about war unless you’re volunteering.”Another political commentator, Shawn Kivimaa, also attacked Kenney’s record while in office, saying he had “pastors arrested for holding services” during the COVID-19 pandemic and has, “at every stage of his political career, supported flooding Canada with third-world migrants.”“Now [Kenney] wants to defend the flag of our French, English, Scottish and Irish forefathers from ‘fascists.’ By their fruits ye shall know them.”Others supported Kenney’s position and argued that abandoning historical symbols like the Red Ensign has allowed “extremist” groups to appropriate them..“When Canada cedes the cultural capital invested in its national symbols, extremists are happy to move in,” Stephen Taylor, a fellow at the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, said.“We must fight the Liberal impulse to denigrate, discard, and abandon what Canadians once held in common — leaving symbols of real value vacant for vile squatters to occupy.”

Kenney sparks backlash after calling Red Ensign remigration video ‘fascist fantasy’

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