Gen Z’s Canada Day: Values, Brands, and the Future of the Nation
Canada Day is often a time to reflect on the country’s past—but increasingly, it’s also a moment to think about its future. In 2025, that future is being shaped by Gen Z: the generation born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s. As they graduate, vote, and enter the workforce, Gen Z Canadians are quietly reshaping how the nation defines itself—not through politics or protest alone, but through the values they express in everyday decisions, including the brands they admire and trust.
The Great Canadian Brand Index (GCBI), a national study measuring Canadians’ perceptions of over 100 brands on dimensions like honesty, friendliness, respectfulness, sustainability, and adventurousness, offers an unexpected window into the character of Gen Z. The top brands among this generation—Cirque du Soleil (GCBI = 69.44), BeaverTails (68.64), Canadian Tire (68.10), Indigo (68.01), and Chapman’s Ice Cream (67.91)—might appear eclectic at first glance. But closer inspection reveals a consistent pattern: these brands blend tradition with creativity, individual experience with shared identity, and social values with cultural pride.
Take Cirque du Soleil, Gen Z’s top-rated brand. While it may seem surprising—especially given that many young Canadians haven’t attended a live show—the brand is deeply associated with creativity, diversity, and boundary-pushing art. With an adventurousness score of 74.91, Cirque reflects Gen Z’s appetite for originality and multicultural influence, values long associated with younger generations in Canada (McCrindle & Fell, 2020). Its global success also signals a cosmopolitan Canadian identity—one that looks outward while rooted in local talent.
Next is BeaverTails, a proudly Canadian brand of pastry treats that scored highly in friendliness (72.99) and honesty (69.05). Its appeal among Gen Z may reflect a renewed sense of nostalgia for national traditions. Despite the narrative of a “post-national” Canada, young people appear to be seeking cultural anchors—symbols of identity that are informal, fun, and unifying without being politicized. As other studies suggest, Gen Z values authenticity and emotional connection in branding more than previous generations (Francis & Hoefel, 2018), and BeaverTails offers both.
Brands like Canadian Tire and Indigo speak to the continued relevance of legacy Canadian institutions—but only those that evolve. Canadian Tire, once considered your dad’s go-to hardware store, has embraced sustainability and innovation in its product lines, while Indigo has positioned itself as a lifestyle and wellness hub, not just a bookstore. Both brands scored above 70 on respectfulness and over 61 on sustainability, suggesting that Gen Z admires not just heritage, but heritage that adapts.
And then there’s Chapman’s Ice Cream, whose appeal cuts across generations. Among Gen Z, it scores especially well in friendliness (72.49) and respectfulness (70.35). This is no accident. Chapman’s is a company known not only for its small-town roots but also for its ethical stances—supporting employees through the pandemic, donating to community causes, and standing firm on corporate social responsibility. Gen Z, often criticized for their idealism, are in fact rewarding brands that live up to their promises.
This preference pattern is not random. It reflects what researchers have identified as Gen Z’s distinct value profile: they are more tolerant, more socially conscious, and more driven by purpose than any generation before them (Twenge, 2017; Deloitte, 2023). Unlike older cohorts, Gen Z tends to view national identity through values rather than symbols. They’re less invested in flags and more in fairness; less focused on national myths, more on community ethics.
For this reason, the GCBI doesn’t just tell us which brands are most admired—it tells us how Gen Z is reimagining what it means to be Canadian. In contrast to historical visions of Canada as the “peacekeeping” nation or the “polite” society, this generation is offering a new image: a Canada that is creative, caring, transparent, and inclusive. The top brands serve as microcosms of those values.
As Canada Day approaches, it’s worth asking not only how we celebrate the past—but how the future will be shaped by those coming of age now. Gen Z’s choices aren’t loud, but they are consistent. Through the brands they support and the values they reward, they’re quietly sketching out a vision of Canada that’s principled, pluralistic, and, in the best sense of the word, idealistic.
References
Deloitte. (2023). Understanding Generation Z in Canada: Values, work, and social impact. https://www2.deloitte.com/ca/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/gen-z.html
Francis, T., & Hoefel, F. (2018). ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies
McCrindle, M., & Fell, A. (2020). Generation Z: Understanding the global citizens born between 1995 and 2012. The ABC of XYZ.
Twenge, J. M. (2017). iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. Atria Books.