For Blood and Soil

Canada is no stranger to hate. From Ku Klux Klan rallies in the 1920s and fascist sympathizers of the 1930s to the so-called Freedom Convoy’s occupation of Ottawa a century later, far-right extremism is a homegrown phenomenon, deeply woven into the nation’s political and cultural fabric. Through firsthand interviews with former extremists, policymakers, and experts, alongside historical context, For Blood and Soil shows how hate movements – far from an imported problem – have evolved and rebranded, with extremist ideas moving seamlessly between virtual spaces and real-world violence. Over the past decade, online far-right activity in Canada has surged, connecting with networks of incels, QAnon followers, anti-government groups, and other conspiracy-driven communities. Public attention has often focused on religiously motivated violence, overlooking the threat from adherents to secular ideologies, even as violent attacks have risen. Moving beyond frameworks that focus on the United States and Europe, Stephanie Carvin and Amarnath Amarasingam offer targeted recommendations to address this serious threat to Canada’s institutions and social cohesion. By tracing the experiences of individuals who have joined and left extremist groups, this accessible and authoritative work uncovers how extremist ideologies are financed and facilitated and how personal and political forces sustain hate across generations.