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Dear Friends,
From April 16–18, the seventh DemocracyXChange (DXC) summit brought together nearly 1,000 changemakers in Toronto and online for three days of important conversations, sharp ideas, and practical collaboration on the future of democracy.
This year’s summit made one thing clear: democracy cannot survive on autopilot. It must be continuously practised — through civic participation, economic inclusion, public trust, and democratic accountability in the age of AI and platform power.
Across talks, workshops, interactive opportunities and art exhibits, participants grappled with the questions shaping Canada’s next chapter:
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In a shifting global order, what role should Canada play in defending democratic values?
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What rules, norms, and institutions are needed to ensure that AI serves the public good?
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What responsibilities do artists, educators, and storytellers have in democratic life?
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How do we move from dialogue to sustained action and impact, locally?
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And how do we ensure that people feel materially connected to democracy, not alienated from it?
A recurring theme throughout DXC26 was that democracy and economic life cannot be separated. Communities are stronger when people can participate fully — both politically and economically. Building democratic resilience means creating conditions where more people can contribute, thrive, and see themselves reflected in the future being shaped around them.
A heartfelt thank-you to our summit co-leads, OCAD University and the Open Democracy Project, along with our volunteers, sponsors, partners, speakers, and every participant who brought honesty, urgency, and determination into the room.
DXC’s impact does not end when the summit wraps. The next phase is about turning insight into infrastructure: supporting regional democratic innovation, strengthening civic networks across Canada, and creating spaces where policymakers, technologists, journalists, artists, and communities can build together — not in silos.
Next up at the Dais: join us as we continue to explore the intersection of technology and democracy with a free special screening of the acclaimed and not yet publicly released documentary, Your Attention Please, in Ottawa TONIGHT at LabO, followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaking team on the impact of social media on children and teens, and the urgent need for action on online safety. Register here.
Plus, watch for upcoming DXC+ regional events across the country. The work continues.
Onwards,
Tanya Coyle
Co-Director, DXC
Director of Communications, the Dais |
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Inside DXC26 |
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DXC 2026 brought together changemakers from across Canada and beyond for three days of bold dialogue in the heart of Toronto.
From opening night to the close-out act, every moment captured here reflects a shared commitment to strengthening democracy and driving meaningful action on shared prosperity, opportunity and belonging.
Let's keep the momentum going all year round.
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| CHECK OUT DXC+ EVENTS |
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Special Film Screening: Your Attention Please |
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The Dais presents the special Ottawa screening of Your Attention Please, the documentary exploring the impacts of social media on youth mental health.
Written and produced by Sara Robin and Jack LeMay, this powerful documentary premiered at SXSW 2026 to critical acclaim.
The film investigates the impacts of social media use on teen mental health, explores the lives of youth and their families, and whistleblowers at the world’s top big tech companies, championing much-needed action to curb social media harms in the United States.
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| GET A TICKET |
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Webinar Series
The Lunchroom: Making Phone-Free Schools Work |
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Phone-free school policies have been announced in every province for nearly 18 months. With differences between and within provinces, many school communities are asking the same question: what does “phone-free” actually look like on a random Tuesday at lunch, in the hallway, or in a classroom?
The Lunchroom: Making Phone-Free Schools Work is a webinar series featuring education leaders who are bringing phone-free policies to life in schools every day. Each session brings together voices from the field to share candid, on-the-ground lessons on what’s working, what’s not, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
These sessions are for anyone who cares about making phone-free policies work in schools, including:
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School board leaders
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School Administrators
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Educators
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Parents
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Civil society partners
The next session will be held on May 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM EST, available in French only.
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| REGISTER NOW |
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ICYMI: Minister Paul Calandra at TMU
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Our latest TMU Democracy Forum on May 7 brought a thoughtful conversation on the future of education in Ontario. From student well-being and classroom supports to school governance, digital literacy, attendance, and civic engagement, the discussion highlighted both the challenges facing schools and the importance of collaboration across communities.
A big thank you to Minister Paul Calandra, moderator Martin Regg Cohn, co-host Kris Rushowy, and everyone who joined the conversation and shared questions.
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| CATCH THE REPLAY |
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In the News |
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Opinion | Doug Ford’s education minister doesn’t pull any punches (Toronto Star)
A piece by Toronto Star political columnist and Dais Senior Fellow, Martin Regg Cohn, on the TMU Democracy Forum featuring Ontario’s Education Minister, Paul Calandra.
Meta reportedly planning mass layoffs to offset AI costs (Global News)
Viet Vu, Manager of Economic Research, discusses Big Tech using AI as a scapegoat to downsize.
AI won’t replace Canadian creatives, but someone else might (Digital Journal)
References the Dais' 2026 report, The Art in Artificial Intelligence.
Who Will Build AI for the Public? (Open Canada)
Co-authored by Jake Hirsch-Allen, Director of Partnerships, on why Canada must lead democracies to build open, ethical, and trustworthy artificial intelligence.
How’s your ‘AI at work’ plan going? Not so well? You’re not alone (HRReporter)
André Côté, Interim Executive Director, discusses the shortcomings of AI workplace strategies.
Opinion | As Canada’s K-shaped economic gap widens, democracy is key to fixing that. Here’s why (Toronto Star)
Co-authored by André Côté, Interim Executive Director, exploring Canada’s challenges of economic renewal and Canadians collectively carrying the project together.
Elon Musk lawsuit against OpenAI begins (Global News)
Jake Hirsch-Allen, Director of Partnerships, commenting on the OpenAI lawsuit and its implications, described it as two corporations fighting over the dominance of generative AI.
What is surveillance pricing and is it coming to a grocery store near you? (The Financial Post)
Viet Vu, Manager of Economic Research, mentioned in the discussion of digital price tags (Electronic Shelf Labels) used in grocery stores.
Taylor Swift joins major celebrities in move to block AI deepfakes (Global News)
Viet Vu, Manager of Economic Research, discusses Taylor Swift trademarking her voice to combat deepfake songs.
Taylor Swift joins major celebrities in move to block AI deepfakes (Global News)
Viet Vu, Manager of Economic Research, discusses Taylor Swift trademarking her voice to combat deepfake songs.
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The Anti-Racist Youth Lab |
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Are you an Anti-Racist Youth Leader in Canada?
The Canadian Race Relations Foundation Anti-Racist Youth Lab, in collaboration with The Dais, brings together young people from across Canada who are leading anti-racism initiatives in their communities.
The application deadline is May 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST.
Limited spots available.
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| LEARN MORE |
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