Stories Shaping Change
In a country of many stories, how do we build the civic muscle to stay united?
Democracy is a verb, not a noun. Its health relies on civic fitness: our ability to navigate conflict, listen deeply, and act together. Like physical fitness, it isn’t built in a single election, but through repeated practice.
Canada is shaped by multiple stories and identities. Our democracy grows stronger when we let these shared narratives unite rather than divide us.
Hosted by The Walrus and DXC+ by DemocracyXChange, Democracy Live is an inaugural, one-day gathering to celebrate civic participation and build civic fitness. The summit brings together residents, artists, organizers, and community leaders to address one central question:
In a country of many stories, how do we strengthen democratic participation and unity through action in Manitoba and across Canada?
Grounded in local realities, the summit connects Winnipeg and Manitoba to the national democratic conversation. Through inspiring speakers and participatory workshops, we will tackle timely topics such as economic sovereignty, diversity, housing security, and more, with a focus on how we can work together to drive democratic action.
Join us in Winnipeg or online this November to share your story, build civic fitness, and help shape the future of our democracy.
8:15 AM – 9:30 AM CT
Registration
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM CT
Welcome Remarks
Ana Serrano
President & Vice Chancellor, OCAD University
André Côté
Interim Executive Director, the Dais at TMU
Building a healthy democracy in a country and city shaped by diverse identities requires action that unites rather than divides. Join leaders from across sectors for dynamic provocations that explore how stories can shape change and turn into action in our everyday lives. Speakers will share front-line insights and practical approaches on topics ranging from rethinking free speech and safeguarding women in journalism to Indigenous-led community solutions in Winnipeg and municipal strategies against hate, online harm, and polarization. Leave inspired to take civic action.
Diane Roussin
President and CEO, Winnipeg Boldness
Kiran Nazish
Founding Director, Coalition for Women in Journalism and WIJ Institute
Dr. Peter Ives
Professor of Political Science, University of Winnipeg, Author of Rethinking Free Speech
Eunhye Lee
Program Manager, Strong Cities Network
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM CT
Democracy Provocations:
City and Country We Build
Carmine Starnino
Editor-in-Chief, The Walrus
The Honourable Wab Kinew
Premier of Manitoba
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM CT
Stories into Action: Leadership, Politics, and Change
Featuring Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew in conversation with Carmine Starnino, Editor-in-Chief of The Walrus.
What stories will shape Canada’s future, and how can bold, pragmatic leadership turn them into action? Join Wab Kinew, premier of Manitoba, and Carmine Starnino, editor-in-chief of The Walrus, for an engaging conversation about what actually drives democratic change and who gets to define the Canadian story today.
As Manitoba’s first Anishinaabe premier, Kinew brings a distinctive perspective on Indigenous leadership in politics, economic opportunity, and the power of democracy to bring people together across differences. Drawing on his experiences across politics, journalism, and music, the conversation will explore how Kinew moves ideas from public debate to policy, how storytelling shapes our sense of belonging, and how political leadership can turn pluralistic visions into meaningful change.
11:45 AM – 1:15 PM CT
Lunch
Communities across Canada are navigating increasing uncertainty arising from economic disruption, technological change, climate impacts, misinformation, social fragmentation, and declining trust in institutions. At the same time, communities possess significant creativity, civic capacity, local knowledge, and willingness to participate in shaping positive futures.
Democracy Futures is designed to activate that capacity by creating a democratic commons, encouraging participants to move beyond discussion toward greater engagement in democratic life, collective problem-solving, and active contribution to democratic resilience and community wellbeing.
Aaron Williamson
CEO, KnowledgeCommons.ai
Suzanne Stein
Associate Professor, OCAD U; Digital Futures Director, Super Ordinary Lab
Democracy in Action Workshops x 4:
1:15 PM – 3:30 PM CT
Workshop:
Democracy Futures x Winnipeg:
Practicing Democracy Through Collective Action
This practical, interactive workshop will help participants move from caring about an issue to thinking about how they can take action. Participants will begin by identifying the civic issues that matter to them, then learn how storytelling can build connection, create shared purpose, and motivate collective action. They will put these skills into practice by working in groups on real challenges facing Canadians in 2026, considering different perspectives, and developing approaches to meaningful action. The session is open to anyone who wants to build their leadership skills, increase their understanding of topical democracy issues, and become more involved in civic engagement.
Camara Chambers
Director of Learning and Events, The Dais
Ashna Ali
Leadership Development Facilitator, The Dais
1:15 PM – 3:30 PM CT
Workshop:
Democracy in Action for Emerging Leaders
1:15 PM – 3:30 PM CT
Workshop:
Strengthening Everyday Democracy Skills
Sarah Yaffe
Toronto Public Library Centre for Democracy
In this highly interactive session, we will explore our perspectives, opinions, and feelings through a pair of facilitated and structured activities that encourage self-reflection, build trust, and foster a sense of community.
This workshop will be divided into two sections. We’ll begin with a Democracy Fitness training to develop our opinion muscle. Democracy Fitness is a training concept that expands the traditional ideas of what democracy is. Designed in Denmark, and in practice in Europe for almost ten years, it provides participants with the opportunity to strengthen the fundamental skills needed to practice everyday democracy in a fun and active way. We will train the opinion muscle because, in a democracy, we have the right to have our own opinions – and to change them. When we share them with each other, they are challenged and take shape.
We will follow our training with a session of Speaking & Listening, another made-in-Europe program that supports communication skills, promotes empathy, and helps each individual examine how they feel about a particular issue. Participants leave these sessions feeling energized, empowered, and having learned something about themselves and the people they’re with.
1:15 PM – 3:30 PM CT
Workshop:
Open Forum: Activate your voice!
Robin Prest
Senior Director of Democratic Participation and Innovation, SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue
Too many conversations in our democracy are finished before they even begin. From social media slacktivism, to rhetoric on the campaign trail, to public hearings where people wait for their turn to shout into the microphone, our systems all-too-often fail to offer the depth, mutual care, and personal growth we desire.
This open forum will provide a facilitated space to explore tensions and topics raised by the opening speakers. It will rely on a set of facilitation techniques known globally as Deep Democracy. Developed in post-apartheid South Africa by Merna Lewis, Deep Democracy tools help participants move beyond soundbites and surface-level arguments to explore deeper worldviews. It hinges on the idea that there is richness in differences of opinion, including contradictions that each of us experience within ourselves. By holding opposing ideas in a state of creative tension, the goal is to harvest new insights that may guide our actions and support improved understanding across perspectives.
3:50 PM – 4:50 PM CT
The Walrus Debate
Is There Such a Thing as a Canadian Identity?
Niigaan Sinclair
Columnist, The Winnipeg Free Press; Professor, University of Manitoba
Jennifer Hollett
Executive Director, The Walrus
With talk of the US claiming Canada as the 51st state, rising separatist movements in Alberta and Quebec, debates over immigration and multiculturalism, and negotiations of settler-colonial relations, is there such a thing as a Canadian identity? The Walrus debaters will square off on this topic in a lively, thought-provoking debate to challenge our assumptions about national identity, explore what holds us together, and question what it truly means to be Canadian today.
5:15 PM – 6:30 PM CT
Reception
ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION
We strive to be accessible and inclusive. If you require support to be able to fully participate in this event, please contact events@thewalrus.ca or (416) 971-5004, ext. 247.
Livestream captioning will be available for this event.
ABOUT DemocracyXChange
DemocracyXChange (DXC) is Canada’s premier platform for connecting, celebrating, and equipping people taking action to strengthen democracy and civil society. Co-produced by the Cultural Policy Hub at OCAD University, The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, and The Open Democracy Project, DXC confronts the world’s most urgent issues, rethinks economic structures, deepens civic trust, and empowers leaders. Founded in 2017, DXC initiatives include Canada’s flagship annual Democracy Summit in Toronto each April and DXC+, a year-round series of regional events held across the country.
ABOUT THE WALRUS
The Walrus provokes new thinking and sparks conversation on matters vital to Canada. As a registered charity, we publish independent, fact-based journalism across platforms; produce national, ideas-focused events, including our flagship series The Walrus Talks; and train emerging storytellers through our fellowship program. The Walrus is invested in the idea that a healthy society relies on informed citizens.
Supported by
Community Partners
DemocracyXChange is a collaboration between:
