One major problem with the Canadian monarchy is that it's not Canadian, it's British. While the office of Sovereign of Canada is legally distinct from that of Sovereign of the United Kingdom, we nevertheless rely on a British family to supply us with a Canadian head of state in the same person. That person has never been born here, doesn't and has never lived here, and occupies an office in which no Canadian has a say.
One solution would be to patriate the monarchy, and have a Canadian fill the role. That ought to satisfy monarchists, because a Canadian monarchy would be kept intact. It ought to satisfy patriots who dislike the monarchy because it's vested overseas, but who would like to avoid a republic.
Yet it wouldn't satisfy, would it? It seems most monarchists are actually lovers of the British monarchy, and prefer imposing that on Canada. And patriots would see patriation as as half-measure, not meeting the demands of a democracy. Besides, it would open debate about just who is fit to be king/queen of Canada.
Knowing this, monarchists cling to the status quo, avoid debate, and use "heritage" as a catch-phrase and anti-United States language to fan emotional fears. Republicans, or those who are so by default, argue abolition is the only solution.
If patriation is not realistic, then abolition must come. Preserving an overseas monarchy for Canada does the opposite of serving this country. It impinges our ability to celebrate our own people. Our laws, our lawsuits, our highways, our government copyrights, our national honors, our public lands--including cherished national parks--everything is promulgated in the name of the sovereign, or given over to him/her in name. We give homage to a non-resident sovereign on every coin of this land. No Canadian has ever been permitted to appear on the head of our own coins! New citizens, police, members of parliament and city council--all currently must swear allegiance to an overseas non-Canadian. And it doesn't end there. They are also made to swear allegiance to that person's heirs and successors, in order to gain the rights we the people desire to give them. Who, then, truly is sovereign?
"Only symbolic", you say? Symbols are crucial to a people's identity by the very fact they are symbols. They point to a greater reality than their mere physical or named properties. They have the power to ignite the imagination of a nation, to foster kinship and confidence, or to divide and deflect patriotic zeal overseas. In Canada, continued use of British symbols and names impedes the use of native ones. For every insignia that uses a crown, for every "royal" name, we witness a lost opportunity to develop our own symbols and names.
Yet, despite these colonial customs, some have been created: the Maple Leaf flag, the national anthem. Think how powerful those are, and how much more we might be if Canadian symbols and names replaced every British one. Would you deny that greater glory by insisting we continue paying homage to things and persons non-Canadian?
Just one result of our current situation: royal flags and those of the governor general and lieutenant governors take precedence over our Maple Leaf--some 30 flags in all. On the First of July, our paramount day, when the governor general visits Parliament Hill, our flag is taken down off the Peace Tower while the personal pennant of the GG goes up!
One of the greatest services a Canadian can do is to work for the ultimate independence of our nation. We have, for some time, possessed the maturity to take this last great step. With sincere thanks for the service of those in Britain, we can now give a Canadian the job. It need not be messy. The governor general's office could be made into that of a head of state. Even if selection of the GG remained the same as today, at least a Canadian would represent Canada to ourselves and the world. Perhaps even the office itself might be democratized.
The time to plan for change is now. With the advancing years of the current queen, Canada could inherit a new king whether it likes it or not. A new reign would make change more difficult, given this nation's propensity to avoid offending the sovereign (though frankly, being relieved of duties for Canada would probably come as a relief). We need to start work now to explore the choices that would lead to greater confidence, patriotism, and democracy for this nation.