For almost its entire history, Canada has been run by the political, media and business elites of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. But in the past few years, these groups have lost their power—and most of them still do not realize it’s gone. The Laurentian Consensus, the term John Ibbitson has coined for the dusty liberal elite, has been replaced by a new, powerful coalition based in the West and supported by immigrant voters in Ontario. How did this happen?

Most people are unaware that the keystone economic and political drivers of this country are now Western Canada and immigrants from China, India and other Asian countries. Politicians and businesspeople have underestimated how conservative these newcomers are making our country. Canada, with its ever-evolving economy and fluid demographic base, has become divorced from the traditions of its past and is moving in an entirely new direction.

In The Big Shift, Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson argue that one of the world’s most consensual countries is becoming polarized, exhibiting stark differences between East and West, cities and suburbs, Canadianborn citizens and immigrants. The winners—in both politics and business— will be those who can capitalize on the tremendous changes that the Big Shift will bring.

DARRELL BRICKER is CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs. At the Ipsos-Reid Corporation since 1990, Bricker holds a PhD in political science from Carleton University and is the co-author (with Edward Greenspon) of Searching for Certainty: Inside the New Canadian Mindset. He is the co-author (with John Wright) of Canuckology: From Dollars to Donuts—Canada’s Premiere Pollsters Reveal What Canadians Think and Why. Follow him on Twitter @darrellbricker

JOHN IBBITSON, chief political correspondent for The Globe and Mail, has served as the paper’s Queen’s Park columnist, Ottawa political affairs correspondent and bureau chief in both Washington and Ottawa. His numerous political books include Open and Shut: Why America Has Barack Obama and Canada Has Stephen Harper and The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream. His novel The Landing won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature. He lives and writes in Ottawa. Follow him on Twitter @JohnIbbitson.

Darrell Bricker's profile page

Darrell Bricker is the CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs. Prior to joining Ipsos Reid, Bricker was director of public-opinion research in the office of the prime minister. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Carleton University and is the co-author (with Edward Greenspon) of Searching for Certainty: Inside the New Canadian Mindset. He is the co-author, with John Wright, of What Canadians Think About Almost Everything. Follow Darrell on Twitter @darrellbricker.

John Ibbitson's profile page