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(Since Trump vs Trudeau/Carney is pure culture war, this counts) Every now and again there are throwaway lines in comments here about how Canada is a bad ally, or incompetent, or just generally bad-and-should-feel-bad. And believe me, lots of us do. But those Canadians who disapprove of the direction the country has taken usually do so for internal political reasons (Justin Trudeau, immigration, house prices, indigenous rights-gone-wild, virtue-signalling gun laws, etc). The comments I'm talking about are usually hinting at foreign affairs, but even the most self-hating Canadian usually believes Canada is internationally respected. Please offer below your critiques/complaints about Canada from a foreign affairs/relations standpoint.
Canada is certainly less internationally respected than it used to be, but I see it that way because most people don't remember that for a time Canada genuinely used to punch well above its weight diplomatically as a mediator between the Great Powers - Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize for a reason. It's not that Canada has blown up its reputation, more that Canada has regressed to the mean in terms of its international role.
I'll give my impression of the groups I'm familiar with:
The Anglosphere: Canada is probably the least culturally-impactful Anglosphere country. Australia has its reputation for partying and wildlife, South Africa is a prominent tourist destination with whiffs of political controversy, New Zealand has Lord of the Rings (and otherwise breathtaking nature), and a surprising number of Kiwis in other Anglosphere countries. Canada has, well, it has politics. Even the only Canadian novelist most people can name (Atwood) is known entirely for her politics and not, say, her poetry.
Europe: I've literally never heard a European bring up Canada except to do with their political opposition to America. So, respected, but not in any sort of sense particular to Canada. Still, "honourary Euro" isn't a bad rank to be on in European minds. I guess this is kind of similar to the Anglosphere, Canada is seen basically as a political actor in the Big Drama of hyperpower internal politics.
Immigrants or aspiring immigrants: Caveat that I have no experience with Indians in this respect. Canada is seen as USA B - the money isn't as good, and the climate certainly isn't, but it's easier to get in. The politics don't really matter except for the extremely online/TV-boomer. There are a few countries where the diaspora in Canada is higher-class back home than the diaspora in the States, presumably for weird historical reasons, and they note that where that's the case.
Countries receiving Canadian aid: lol lmao the people on the ground don't give a shit where the water pump or the antiretrovirals come from, if they even know. I don't have enough personal experience with e.g. the Rwandan government to know how they see Canada, but African leaders are generally pretty hard-nosed guys who see aid providers as fungible. Aid buys you some photo-ops for your ambassador and nice comments for the papers back home and that's it.
I skimmed a few article about asking USAID recipients where they think the aid is from. A vast supermajority have no idea.
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