The article presents the concepts, mechanisms and practical steps undertaken by Canada for its soft power application. As a middle power, Canada uses soft power for foreign policy purposes, engaging frequently in actions humanitarian engagement, peacekeeping and official development assistance. The country occupies a respectable position in the modern international mosaic. Canadian foreign policy has included several theoretical approaches developed by Canadians, such as multilateralism and the concept of human security. Canadian values such as multiculturalism, protection of minority rights, gender equality and peacekeeping, are supported by scientific development and concrete practice and now promoted abroad. Those values include multiculturalism, the protection of minority rights, gender equality and peacekeeping. The ideology of Canadian values remains important for domestic purposes, creating the common ground for a multi-ethnic society that includes many immigrants.

Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Development and Trade is responsible for promoting Canadian values beyond the country’s boundaries, through programs that provide economic and humanitarian assistance, develop commercial and scientific-technical relations, and support academic cooperation in various countries. Civil society organizations, including those created by decisions of the Parliament, play an active role and are engaged in education, research projects, healthcare delivery and volunteering. Universities play a special role in Canadian soft power by developing academic relations in many countries and, importantly, attracting a significant number of foreign students. Finally, immigrant and ethnic communities, maintaining the direct relations with their former countries, are a vital resource for the application of Canadian soft power. The article considers special features and specific forms of soft power characteristic to Canada.