Annexation talk gives Canadians a reason to pull together

Alone figure takes to the stage, a giant maple leaf flag rippling on a screen behind him as he gingerly approaches the microphone.

- Leyland Cecco TORONTO

"I'm not a lumberjack, or a fur trader," he tells the crowd. "I have a prime minister, not a president. I speak English and French, not American. And I pronounce it 'about' - not 'a boot'."

The crowd grows increasingly enthusiastic as the man works his way through a catalogue of Canadian stereotypes, passing from diffidence to defiance before the climactic cry: "Canada is the second largest landmass! The first nation of hockey! And the best part of North America! My name is Joe! And I am Canadian!"

The ad, for Molson Canadian beer, was immensely popular when it aired in 2000. And now, with Canada's identity and sovereignty under threat, it has roared back into the public consciousness.

Donald Trump's suggestion that the US could annex its northern neighbour has prompted an outpouring of disbelief and defiance, but - in a very Canadian way - they has also revived questions over the complexities of national identity.

Trump began his campaign of diplomatic trolling before he had even assumed office, questioning Canada's viability as a nation, suggesting that it could become the 51st American state, and deriding prime minister Justin Trudeau as a "governor".