One of the enduring challenges in analyzing Canadian foreign policy is untangling the interplay of national interests and values. Most decisions reflect a blend of the two, as Canadian policymakers seek their bliss point: doing well by doing good. Many of the papers in this journal argue that Canadian governments have over-promised and under-delivered on core issues of security and development. Scholars have found a fertile field of enquiry in exploring how domestic interests, including economic issues, migration, national unity and diaspora politics, have infused foreign policymaking. Building on this foundation, it would be useful for historians to deconstruct some of the prevailing myths associated with Canada the helpful fixer, making a difference in the world. Equally helpful would be exploring how these myths have been deployed by successive governments to craft and project contemporary Canadian identity.
