About this Event
The Walrus and DXC+ present
Democracy Live
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.
To read speaker bios, please visit
Monday, November 9, 2026
8:15 AM – 9:30 AM CT
Registration
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM CT
Welcome Remarks
- André Côté, Executive Director, The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University
- Ana Serrano, President and Vice-Chancellor, OCAD University
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM CT
Democracy Provocations: City and Country We Build
(in person and livestreamed session)
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.
- Dr. Peter Ives, Professor of Political Science, University of Winnipeg, Author of Rethinking Free Speech
- Eunhye Lee, Program Manager, Strong Cities Network
- Kiran Nazish, Founding Director, Coalition for Women in Journalism and WIJ Institute
- Diane Roussin, President and CEO, Winnipeg Boldness
- Provocation Respondent DeRico Symonds, Director of Public Policy, Canadian Race Relations Foundation
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM CT
Stories into Action: Leadership, Politics, and Change
(in person and livestreamed session)
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 PM – 1:15 PM CT
Lunch
Lunch will be provided for in person attendees
1:15 PM – 3:30 PM CT
Democracy in Action Workshops
(in person sessions)
Workshop:
Democracy Futures x Winnipeg: Practicing Democracy Through Collective Action
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.
- Suzanne Stein, Associate Professor, OCAD U; Digital Futures Director, Super Ordinary Lab
- Aaron Williamson, CEO, KnowledgeCommons.ai
Workshop:
Democracy in Action for Emerging Leaders
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, Projects and Events Lead, The Dais
Workshop:
Strengthening Everyday Democracy Skills
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 10 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 each have the right to have 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.
- Sarah Yaffe, Toronto Public Library Centre for Democracy
Open Forum: Activate your voice!
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.
- Robin Prest, Senior Director of Democratic Participation and Innovation, SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue
3:50 PM – 4:50 PM CT
The Walrus Debate
(in person and livestreamed session)
Is There Such a Thing as a Canadian Identity?
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.
- Christina Litz, President, Northern Super League (NSL)
- Niigaan Sinclair, Columnist, The Winnipeg Free Press; Professor, University of Manitoba
- Moderated by Jennifer Hollett, Executive Director, The Walrus
5:15 PM – 6:30 PM CT
Reception
Can’t make it in person? Register for the livestream and watch the livestreamed sessions online.
Tickets
General Admission: $20
Student/Senior: $12
Livestream: Free with registration (Click "Get Tickets" and scroll down the menu to see this ticket option)
Accessibility Information
We strive to be accessible and inclusive. If you require support to be able to fully participate in this event, please contact [email protected] or (416) 971-5004, ext. 247.
Livestream captioning will be available for this event.
Code of Conduct
Event participants will be expected to abide by the DXC Code of Conduct.
About 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 Festival in Toronto each April and , 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.
Event venue & nearby stays
Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Boulevard, Winnipeg, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.