Canada is Talking: Digital Campaigns for Combating Polarization How can we engage Canadians who feel anxious and disconnected from our democracy?

Read more about Canada is Talking: dpsorg.substack.com/p/canada-is-...

What we heard was consistent:

When people are given space to reflect without judgment and explore their own assumptions, their views shift.

And extreme narratives start to lose their grip.

This is what meaningful digital engagement can look like.

We focused on:

Building trust: Helping people understand how the electoral system actually works.

Encouraging agency: Showing that participation doesn’t end at the ballot box.

Restoring cohesion: Challenging the idea that Canadians are deeply divided, and revealing where common ground exists.

At Digital Public Square, we created Canada is Talking, a digital campaign designed to reach Canadians who feel disconnected, sceptical, or unheard.

Across three phases around the 2025 federal election, more than 10,000 Canadians engaged with the experience.

How do you rebuild trust in democracy?

Not with more information.

With better engagement.

New Report – Palestinian and Jewish Canadians in Transformational Conversations: Hope for a Sunrise We Might Never See We brought Palestinian and Jewish Canadians together for a series of conversations on polarization and intolerance in a post-October 7 environment. Read what happened next.

Our new report documents what unfolded in those sessions and what it might teach us about addressing polarization.

“Palestinian and Jewish Canadians in Transformational Conversations: Hope for a Sunrise We Might Never See.”

Read the report here: dpsorg.substack.com/p/new-report...

In a post–October 7 climate marked by mistrust and pain, participants remained in conversation even when it was uncomfortable. Over time, discussions shifted from political positions to the emotions and histories beneath them.

Over three months, the group met regularly for a series of Transformational Conversations about identity, grief, fear, and the growing distance between communities in Canada.

They didn’t gather to debate or persuade.

They gathered to listen.

Ten Palestinian and Jewish Canadians walked into the same room in Toronto last fall, unsure what to expect.

At a time when conversations about Israel and Palestine were becoming increasingly polarized, they chose to do something counter-cultural.

They stayed.

The evidence highlights the need for early, gender-transformative, skills-based interventions that prioritize safety and reflect diverse realities. Education must equip boys and young men with practical tools to become active allies in preventing gender-based violence within their communities.

Our mixed-methods research found that dominant masculine norms often create pressure and uncertainty rather than confidence, leaving young people hesitant to intervene effectively.

Many boys and young men want to intervene when they witness gender-based violence but are unsure how to act safely. Digital Public Square’s new report by Jillian LeBlanc explores how masculinity shapes the gap between intention and action.

New Report - The Bystander Blueprint: Training Young Men for Action Against Gender-Based Violence Our new report explores Gen Alpha perspectives on masculinity and taking action against gender-based violence

New Report - The Bystander Blueprint: Training Young Men for Action Against Gender-Based Violence dpsorg.substack.com/p/new-report...

New report - Political Polarization in Canada: Divisions Between the Left and Right Read our new report on political polarization in Canada, ideological divides, and what the left and right think of each other.

Our survey suggests that Canadians should be concerned about the growing challenge of affective polarization. When Canadians see people with opposing political beliefs with hostility, the quality of our democracy suffers.

Read the full report here: dpsorg.substack.com/p/new-report...

3. The far left and the far right see themselves especially positively, while seeing the other side as immoral and not wanting the best for the country.

2. The more “left” or “right” one identifies, the more positively they see their own side and the more negatively they see the other.

1. Three in ten Canadians consider the country highly polarized and over half think polarization is getting worse.

New report: Political Polarization in Canada: Divides Between the Left and Right

Digital Public Square ran a survey to figure out how Canadians perceive polarization, what they think are the causes of polarization, and what the left and the right think about one another.

Here’s what we learned.

Polarization in the Public Square: Bridging Canada’s Divides Digital Public Square convened experts from across Canada to discuss the growing problem of social and political polarization.

Read about what we learned at Polarization in the Public Square here: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Our speakers came from a diverse range of personal and professional backgrounds. What they had in common was a commitment to standing up to polarization in our society—whether in our universities, places of worship, or online spaces.

Polarization poses an urgent threat to the health of our democracy and the social fabric of our communities. Canadians are becoming more divided in how we perceive our social and political identities, leading to a rise in extreme ideologies and growing distrust in our democracy.

In October 2025, Digital Public Square held the Polarization in the Public Square Conference, an opportunity for civil society, academia, and government to come together to explore solutions to the growing problem of political and social polarization in Canada.

Why Canada Needs to Address Anti-Asian Racism in Responding to Transnational Repression Anti-Asian racism threatens social cohesion and our collective ability to respond to foreign interference and transnational repression.

Read why addressing racism must be part of the solution: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Why Canada Needs to Address Anti-Asian Racism in Responding to Transnational Repression Anti-Asian racism threatens social cohesion and our collective ability to respond to foreign interference and transnational repression.

68% of Canadians who identify as ethnically Chinese worry that reports of foreign interference could fuel anti-Asian racism.

Our research shows that fear of backlash can weaken community engagement on one of Canada’s most urgent national security issues: transnational repression.

How Does AI Impact Trust in Democracy? Young people trust artificial intelligence more than any other age group, but trust democracy less. Is there a relationship?

Read why we need to understand the relationship between trust in genAI and democracy here: dpsorg.substack.com/p/how-does-a...

As genAI technology proliferates, there is a risk that it could worsen trust in democracy—especially among young people.

While genAI can be used for many productive purposes, it can also increase the spread of harmful content like AI hallucinations and other content intentionally designed to deceive or manipulate.

Compared to older generations, young Canadians trust genAI tools more—but have less confidence in democracy.

Is there a relationship between young Canadians’ trust in generative AI technology, declining trust in democratic institutions, and the spread of genAI-powered mis/disinformation?

Hack the Divide · Zoom · Luma 💬 Hack the Divide: Building Bridges Between People When disagreements turn into divisions… how can we keep the conversation going? Join us for a weekend-long…

Register for Hack the Divide: luma.com/dtcw176s
Hosted by Digital Public Square and Code for Canada