Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Kayleigh Donaldson | Celebrity | June 26, 2026
The great nation of Canada, home of the Maple Leafs, David Cronenberg, and Slings & Arrows, is now European. Take THAT, Trump.
Well, they’re now eligible to take part in one of our continent’s great musical messes: Eurovision! CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which means they could now send a singer across the Atlantic to belt their hearts out for our cruel votes. Hey, if Australia can do it…
The move comes as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed for CBC, the country’s public broadcaster, to form greater ties with Europe, and hey, why not “explore participation in Eurovision.” It’s not like they’re totally new to it. In 1988, Céline Dion, a proud Canadian from Montreal, won the contest as the representative for Switzerland. It helped to launch her international career. As the BBC notes, “Other Canadians have since competed, including Natasha St-Pier, an Acadian New Brunswicker who represented France in 2001, and La Zarra, a singer from Montreal who represented France in 2023.”
Eurovision is in a messy spot right now. The EBU continues to allow Israel to compete, even as other countries boycotted their inclusion following the genocide in Gaza. Israel has also been accused of gaming the race through public votes. Broadcasters have had to use “anti-booing technology” for their performances because the crowd’s protests have been so vocal. Eurovision has always been political, but the past few years have been uncomfortably so given what’s happening in Gaza. I’m not sure if Canada competing would make that any better, but at least we’d fully drop the pretence of being a continent-specific competition (not that it’s been that for decades.)
So, who would you want to compete for Canada? Would Celine do it again? Can Chad Kroeger sing a ballad? What’s k.d. lang up to these days? Can the Letterkenny boys put a band together?
