PROGRAM

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2024 will be the year of elections. Four billion people, half the world’s population, will be called to cast a vote. Their votes hold the power to strengthen democratic leaders or embolden authoritarians threatening democracy.

Canada is not immune to the forces that threaten democracy around the world. The rise of domestic and foreign disinformation campaigns fed by AI, the fraying of social connections and the rise of loneliness, increasing polarizing appeals, declines in independent journalism (especially local news coverage) and increasing frustration with the ability of democratic institutions to address our most pressing challenges. The Summit is the only national event to bring together senior policymakers, thought leaders, civil society organizations, journalists and election administrators from all levels of government. It endeavors to clearly identify the challenges we face and bring together the people required to meet these challenges with concrete policy solutions and programmatic responses. 

Day 1 will welcome a series of diverse cross-sectoral senior leaders and thinkers in the space to discuss key challenges and opportunities facing Canada’s electoral democracy.

Day 2 will feature a keynote speaker, along with interactive sessions such as roundtable discussions and workshops, providing attendees with the opportunity to actively engage and contribute to the development of policy recommendations and programmatic responses.

REGISTRATION

 Speakers

On June 6th, Naheed Nenshi shared his experiences as a former elected leader breaking barriers, emphasizing the potential for transformative community building, the value of a diversity of voices, and the importance of resilience. His insights into online discourse and its impact on public figures contribute to a broader understanding of the challenges faced by leaders in the digital age.

As the first Muslim Mayor of a large North American city, Naheed Nenshi is recognized as a trailblazer in municipal governance. While serving as the Mayor of Calgary, Nenshi focused on innovative solutions and fostering inclusivity. He is credited with successfully leading Calgary through several crisis including floods and the pandemic while navigating an increasingly toxic political environment.

On June 5th, David Frum spoke to the impact of democratic backsliding in the US on Canada’s democracy, the importance of informed civic participation, and what the future holds for Canada’s electoral democracy.

A renowned political commentator, prolific writer for The Atlantic and frequent commentator on MSNBC and The Hub, David Frum has been instrumental in shaping the political discourse in both Canada and the United States. His critiques, rooted in a deep understanding of conservative principles, have made him a respected figure in political circles. Well-known for his sharp criticism of both Trump and the Tea Party, he provides a unique and often contrarian perspective on the challenges faced by liberal democracies.

Full bios and panel schedule

Advisory Committee Members

We would like to thank all the advisory committee members for generously sharing their insight and opening up their networks to build an exceptionally engaging program of participants from across Canada.

Advisory Committee

DAVID COLETTO

Founder, Chair & CEO, Abacus Data Inc.

David Coletto is CEO and a founding partner of Abacus Data a full-service market research and strategy firm based in Ottawa and Toronto. With over a decade and a half of experience in the industry, David and his partners founded Abacus eleven years ago and since then it has grown into one of Canada's most respected market research firms.

David has worked with many of Canada’s leading associations, corporations, and non-profits including Cooperation Canada, Oxfam, Shaw Communications, the Canadian Medical Association, the Bank of Canada, and the Canadian Real Estate Association.

He earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 2010 and is an adjunct professor at Carleton University. He is the host and producer of inFocus with David Coletto a new podcast that explores the intersection of public opinion, politics, public policy, and consumer behaviour.

He’s a Millennial, a foodie, a cyclist, and an avid traveller. He’s been tracking Canadian public opinion and consumer trends on technology, news consumption, and public policy for years and is one of Canada’s leading experts on generational change and Millennials in particular.

Amira Elghawaby

Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia, Government of Canada

Amira Elghawaby, a journalist and human rights advocate, became Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia in January 2023. Prior to her appointment, she was a contributing columnist at the Toronto Star, offering frequent media commentary on equity and inclusion. Amira, with a background in strategic communications and campaigns, previously worked at the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and held roles in Canada’s labour movement and the National Council of Canadian Muslims. Amira has been actively involved in initiatives countering hate and promoting inclusion, including as a founding board member of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. She has served two terms as a Commissioner on the Public Policy Forum’s Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression and currently sits on the National Security Transparency Advisory Group. A writer-in-residence at the 2019 Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Amira holds an honours degree in Journalism and Law from Carleton University (2001). Her 2019 TedX Ottawa talk is titled “Multiculturalism: Worth Defending.” 

MARLENE FLOYD

Director of Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Canada

Marlene leads Microsoft’s corporate affairs, public policy and advocacy efforts in Canada. Prior to joining Microsoft, Marlene was responsible for the execution of national stakeholder engagement and outreach campaigns while serving as the Director of Operations and Outreach to the Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau in the lead up to the 2015 federal election. Marlene has previously worked as a partner in a government and public affairs firm and has served as an advisor to Prime Ministers and several federal Ministers on a diverse range of public policy matters. An avid volunteer, Marlene sits on and Chairs several national and community boards and is the founder of Dress for Success Ottawa. For her career and community achievements Marlene has been a recipient of a Forty Under 40 award, Y Women of Distinction award and a Leading Women Building Communities award from the province of Ontario.

Holly ANN GARNETT

Co-Director, Electoral Integrity Project & Professor, Royal Military College of Canada  

Holly Ann Garnett is the Class of 1965 Professor of Leadership and an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Economics at the Royal Military College of Canada. She is cross-appointed faculty at the School of Policy Studies and Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University and an Honourary Research Fellow at the University of East Anglia.

Garnett’s research examines how electoral integrity can be strengthened throughout the electoral cycle, including the role of election management, registration and voting, cyber-security and election technologies, civic literacy, and campaign finance. Her most recent work published on these topics include Cyber-Threats to Canadian Democracy (MQUP, 2022; edited with Michael Pal) and Building Inclusive Elections (Routledge, 2020; edited with Toby S. James). She is the 2023 recipient of the Cowan Prize for Excellence in Research at the Royal Military College of Canada.

Garnett is co-director of the Electoral Integrity Project, a global network of academics and practitioners that engages in empirical research, publicly-accessible data collection, and stakeholder engagement on issues relating to election quality around the world. She is also co-investigator with the Human-Centric Cybersecurity Partnership (HC2P); co-investigator with the Consortium on Electoral Democracy (C-Dem); fellow with the Queen’s Institute for Intergovernmental Relations (IIGR); and collaborator with the Investigate Journalism Foundation’s work on campaign finance in Canada. 

VICTORIA KUKETZ

Director of Corporate Engagement, Catalyst

Victoria is an established public policy, communications, and engagement professional focused on social impact. Her mission is to accelerate growth and momentum on innovation, inclusion, and the protection of democracy. She is currently the Director of Corporate Engagement at Catalyst Canada, a fellow of the Public Policy Forum focused on Digital Democracy, and host of the Democracy Dialogues at TMU's Democratic Engagement Exchange. Victoria was a Civic Action Diverse City fellow from 2021-2022 and volunteers for Mila in their AI for Humanity work and sits on the Selection Committee for MLSE’s Community Connection Grants.

Stewart McDonough

Advisor, Municipal Engagement, Association of Municipalities of Ontario

Stewart has two decades of experience in civic engagement, communications, and strategic planning with non-profits, municipal governments, and now with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). At AMO, Stewart leads the organization’s Healthy Democracy Project, which is working to increase diversity on municipal councils, improve the tone and tenor of local political discourse, and test innovative solutions to improve civic engagement and education. During eight years at the City of Guelph he managed strategic communications for the City’s CAO, led innovation files, and developed and revised Guelph’s Community Plan. Stewart is a community builder in his spare time and is the Board co-chair for the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition and, perhaps most proudly, he’s the Head Hoser once removed and Chief Crokicurler for the Summy Acres neighbourhood rink.

Michael McGregor

Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Toronto Metropolitan University

Michael McGregor is an Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. His scholarly interests include a wide variety of questions related to the study of the attitudes, motivations and behaviours of voters and non-voters at the local, provincial, and federal levels in Canada. In addition to holding a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario, he holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Waterloo and a BSc (Eng.) in Biological Engineering from the University of Guelph. Prior to joining TMU in 2016, he worked for three years as an Assistant Professor at Bishop’s University.

Katherine O’Neill

Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Edmonton

Katherine O’Neill joined YWCA Edmonton as Chief Executive Officer in 2020. She is a passionate advocate for the rights of girls and women and inspiring people to hear the important call of community service.

Katherine has worked in leadership positions in communications and politics throughout her career. A writer by trade, she spent most of her journalism career working as a national correspondent with the Globe and Mail, dispatching stories from across Canada and even the battlefields of Afghanistan in 2008. After leaving journalism, she led several political organizations in Alberta. She also ran a small communications company that specialized in crisis communications and media relations.

Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Journalism from Carleton University. In 2022, Katherine was awarded Alberta’s Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of her public service.

ANNE-MARIE OWENS

Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star

Anne Marie Owens is a veteran journalist and newsroom leader. She was the first female editor of a national newspaper in Canada, the National Post, deputy editor of the national magazine Maclean’s, and is currently Editor in Chief of the Toronto Star. Her three decades in journalism have been split almost evenly between reporting and roles in newsroom leadership. She is a board member of the Canadian Journalism Foundation.

SAM REUSCH

Executive Director, Apathy is Boring

Bio coming soon.

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