For Blood and Soil: Far-Right Extremism in Canada (Canadian Essentials, 5)

by Amarnath Amarasingam

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, Amarnath Amarasingam and Stephanie Carvin 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.

204 pages, Paperback

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

Amarnath Amarasingam is an Associate Professor in the School of Religion, and is cross-appointed to the Department of Political Studies, at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. He works in the areas of social/extremist movements, radicalization and terrorism, conspiracy theories, online communities, diaspora politics, post-war reconstruction, and the sociology of religion. He is the author of Pain, Pride, and Politics: Sri Lankan Tamil Activism in Canada (2015), and the co-editor of Stress Tested: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Canadian National Security (2021) and Sri Lanka: The Struggle for Peace in the Aftermath of War (2016). He has also published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, has presented papers at over 100 national and international conferences, and has written for The New York Times, The Monkey Case, The Washington Post, CNN, Politico, The Atlantic, and Foreign Affairs. He has been interviewed on CNN, PBS Newshour, CBC, BBC, and a variety of other media outlets. He tweets at @AmarAmarasingam

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I strongly believe the information and context in this book is extremely important for the average Canadian in our understanding of right wing culture in our country (as we tend to view these types of issues as an American thing... so much so that someone I talked to about this book didn't know Canada had KKK groups...). With that being said, it was an extremely surface level read.

I wish the authours had chosen to focus their research down rather than giving an account of what seems like nearly every white surpremiscist, neo-Nazi, and alt-right group that existed or exists in Canada. I did feel overwhelmed by the number of different names and "(discussed later)" or "(discussed earlier)" moments in this book. I wish it had taken the reader down a sightly more narrative and in depth path through a few groups, rather than giving the reader an overwhelming amount of surface level information. I found it a little repetitive.

I think this is a good introduction if you are looking to research more of the groups mentioned in this book in depth, but I wouldn't reccomend it as a standalone piece on right wing extremism in Canada. There is a lot of good information in here that gets overshadowed by the sheer number of names and organizations they covered in such a short number of pages.

[Lorry-ann Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an important read for anyone studying extremism or radicalization in the Canadian context. It provides good history and context but lacked some depth. It read like a dissertation rather than a deeply researched narrative account. Fact after was presented with little connection back to the bigger picture. Still an important contribution to violent extremism literature. 3.5 stars.

[Toby Mustill · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on far right extremism in Canada - from the history of the right to intervention models across the country. An all around great read.

[Aimen Lau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the far right in Canada that’s easy to read. Very much appreciated the chapter on how people enter and exit these far right groups and the challenges of it.