While many Canadians are aware of the Famous Five and their efforts, many are not aware of the long-time efforts of the Indigenous Famous Five.

The worst aspect of the Quebec’s Charter debate is the smug, self-righteous, paternalist, finger wagging of English Canada and the English media in Quebec. Canadians don’t realize that they live in a glass house and throwing stones can be dangerous. Self-examination and self-criticism might show that English Canada is a major part of the problem.

“I’m just one voice, but I would use it to speak out on these issues within the caucus. I think it’s very easy to be cynical about politics and frustrated that we don’t get the kind of change that we want from the political system. But there’s a huge role to play for activists and writers and labour and all kinds of groups to create the public awareness and the public debate that will push political leaders to act….”

Julie Devaney weaves a powerful story of devastating illness and great strength in the face of a system that lacks the sensitivity needed to heal the sick. Her experiences lead her to a determination to transform something that is so fundamental to Canadians’ everyday lives – our medical system.

Today, as we face down the reality of a warming and destabilized climate, the environmental movement is in need of new energy. This new surge of energy and organizing on campuses, in high schools, in communities and on the frontline of destruction is inspiring, and a sign that the youth climate movement may finally be ready to take on the task at hand.

Saul Landau was exquisitely authentic. You can see it all over his craft.

With tar sands, fracking and mining all on the rise, there’s never been a more important time for a strong environmental movement in Canada. Surveying the landscape of organizations, one thing is missing: democracy. Which is to say, meaningful informed participation among equal participants.

With the right to protest in Montreal severely limited, and the fact that tuition fees are still on the rise, the efforts of last year’s student strike might seem to have been in vain. Certainly, an uneasy feeling of calm and tranquility has returned to Montreal’s streets, quite a contrast from last year’s nightly and often confrontational demonstrations. But like with legacy of any major mass movement, the outcome of the student strike might be too early to describe, even one year later.

The “Maple Spring” in Québec emerged very much in parallel with what has been dubbed the “Chilean Winter,” temporally speaking. It continues today. How is the Chilean movement able to organize and orchestrate such pressure on the state on a national, and not just provincial, scale?

Digital Disconnect seeks to strip away this benign patina by challenging the notion that the internet is fundamentally apolitical.