Last weekend, something extraordinary happened at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport — a moment that may tell us more about Canadian culture than any textbook.
Mark Hancock, national president of CUPE (the Canadian Union of Public Employees), stood before flight attendants and cameras, holding a Canada Industrial Relations Board order under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. The directive instructed Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants to return to work after just half a day on strike. Instead, Hancock tore the paper in half and announced: “We are saying no.” Flights disappeared from departure boards; passengers waited, stranded and stunned.
It wasn’t just a strike. It was a public defiance of a federal order — a rare rupture in Canada, where labour disputes are usually resolved through structured negotiation, mediation, or arbitration. The last time something like this happened was in the late 1970s, when Canada Post workers ignored back-to-work legislation and their leader was jailed for contempt of Parliament. (Great article by Todd Humber and a thought-provoking discussion in the comments — I recommend giving it a read.)
This vivid act — and the conversation it sparked — prompted me to build on the discussion with a few reflections from a cultural intelligence standpoint.
What does this moment reveal about the living, breathing culture of Canada?
Rule Makers and Rule Breakers: Understanding Tight vs. Loose Cultures
Cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand, in her book Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World, introduces a spectrum:
• Tight cultures (“rule makers”) enforce clear norms and have low tolerance for deviation — think Singapore, where even gum-chewing or littering carries real penalties.
• Loose cultures (“rule breakers”) have more flexible norms, where boundary-pushing is often a source of pride — seen in places like Brazil.
Importantly, Gelfand explains that cultures are not fixed in one category. They evolve in response to threats (like pandemics or political instability), as well as to societal diversity and historical legacies. Tightness brings predictability and safety; looseness fuels creativity and adaptability.
Canada’s Cultural Position: A Structured Country with Soft Edges
When we try to place Canada on this continuum, here’s what it looks like:
• Institutionally tight. Canada’s systems — immigration, labour tribunals, healthcare — are structured, rule-based, and designed for fairness. We expect processes to be followed.
• Culturally looser. Beyond the institutions, Canadian society is marked by multiculturalism, individual expression, and a willingness to bend norms depending on context. Many norms are often negotiable, not absolute.
For internationally educated professionals, this blend can feel like navigating two realities at once:
• If you come from a tight culture, flexibility may feel unsettling.
• If you come from a loose culture, Canada’s systems might feel slow or overly rigid.
A Moment of Cultural Signaling
The tearing of a federal back-to-work order wasn’t simply a rejection of legal authority. It was a public act of rule resistance — an example of how norms are not only written into law but constantly tested, stretched, or even broken.
The cultural message was clear: sometimes, people will choose visibility over compliance, defiance over quiet negotiation — even in a country that usually values order and process.
That is what Michele Gelfand means when she says tightness and looseness are not fixed.
For Newcomers to Canada, This Case Is an Opportunity to Watch Culture in Motion:
• How do Canadians respond when the rules are broken — not by accident, but by design?
• What happens when fairness and legality appear to be in tension?
• And what does this tell us about how change is negotiated in a society that is both rule-based and pluralistic?
For People Leaders and Professionals
Cultural intelligence isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about:
• Observing how culture shows up in decisions.
• Noticing when compliance turns into defiance — and what that tells us about deeper values.
• Learning to ask better questions before acting.
Develop Your Muscle of Cultural Curiosity
If you found yourself reflecting during this blog post — pausing at a sentence, rethinking a past experience, or noticing something new in your environment — that’s cultural curiosity at work.
It’s not about having the “right” answer. It’s about learning to see what’s really going on beneath the surface — in rules, behaviours, values, and decisions — and asking better questions before jumping to conclusions.
Check out our upcoming Quiet Tenacity Cultural Curiosity Training. Develop a reliable skill — one you can call on in moments that matter.
Never stop learning and growing.
