About Us
The Canada Strong and Free Network was founded in 2005 as the Manning Centre for Building Democracy to support Canada’s conservative movement by networking best practices and ideas pertaining to limited government, free enterprise, individual responsibility and a more robust civil society. The name change took place at the request of the organization’s founder Preston Manning in 2020.
Our Vision
A free and democratic Canada where conservative principles are well articulated, communicated, funded, embraced and implemented.
Our Mission
To strengthen Canada's conservative movement by nurturing, supporting, and facilitating exchanges and stronger relationships amongst the movement's various components.
Our Beliefs
- The individual is the central unit of society. Government exists to serve and protect the self-determination of free, responsible and creative human beings.
- Democracy is the best system of organizing individuals; governments must be limited and responsible to the people they serve.
- The free, competitive, market economy is the best way to ensure individual flourishing.
- The wisdom of Canada's cultural, religious and democratic institutions must be respected and protected.
- The maintenance and preservation of freedom, including freedom of speech, the rule of law and property rights are essential to the maintenance and preservation of democracy.
Our Founder, Preston Manning PC CC AOE
Preston Manning is the founder and the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance which in turn merged with the federal Progressive Conservative Party to form today’s Conservative Party of Canada. Mr. Manning represented the federal constituency of Calgary Southwest in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 until 2002 and served as Leader of the Official Opposition from 1997 to 2000.
