The Conversation Piece

Oil and gas extraction in Canada has been disruptive for Indigenous communities historically. Sharleen Gale, Chief of the Fort Nelson First Nation and Chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, highlights the cultural importance and economic impact of Indigenous-led energy initiatives. Chief Sharleen Gale spoke at The Walrus Talks Economic Reconciliation in Ottawa on March 28, 2023. To r...

Max Brault, Vice President of People & Change at BDO Canada, describes the five Olympic rings when living with disabilities: housing, transportation, services, community, and employment. Max Brault spoke at The Walrus Talks Advancing Work in Toronto, Ontario, on November, 2022. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus...

Systemic problems require systemic solutions. Sharon Nyangweso, QuakeLab Inc. founder and CEO, explains why the capacity to build, design, and implement with equity and justice is one of the most critical skills required in the job market today. Sharon Nyangweso spoke at The Walrus Talks It's Happening Now in Ottawa, Ontario, on May 11, 2023. To register for upcoming events happening online or in...

Cheyenne Sundance, a farmer and the founder of Sundance Harvest, shares her journey of self-taught urban farming and its potential to connect city youth with careers in rural agriculture. She also takes a look at the ongoing challenges Canadian farmers are facing. Cheyenne Sundance spoke at The Walrus Talks A New City in Toronto, Ontario, on April 26, 2023. To register for upcoming events happenin...

Tabitha Bull, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Businesses, emphasizes the indispensable role vibrant Indigenous economies play in the quest for true reconciliation. Tabitha Bull spoke at The Walrus Talks Economic Reconciliation in Ottawa, Ontario, on March 28, 2023. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The...

The eldest daughter in an immigrant household, Cadar Mohamud, the founder and CEO of The Digital Sisterhood, shares how she discovered her sense of belonging when she was struggling with her Blackness, Muslim identity, and womanhood. Cadar Mohamud spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Digital Citizenship, on October 26, 2022. To register for upcoming events happening online or in a city near you, and...

Lynne Groulx, CEO of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, emphasizes the pressing requirement for economic reconciliation in order to effectively tackle violence against Indigenous women. She highlights the NWAC’s meaningful initiatives and calls for transformative change. Lynne Groulx spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Inequality, on January 27, 2022. To register for upcoming events happenin...

What does a future look like where trans people live long enough to become elders, where Black liberation is assured, where there is landback and Indigenous resurgence, and where people with disabilities have everything they need in order to thrive in society? Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware shares what it means to work toward a future that is bigger than we dreamed. Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware spoke at The Walru...

For young Black professionals, the employment line remains a long and bumpy road—to get only half as far. Agapi Gessesse, Executive Director of the Centre for Young Black Professionals, breaks down how she is ensuring success for young Black Canadians—today and beyond. Agapi Gessesse spoke at The Walrus Talks Advancing Work in Toronto, Ontario, on November 29, 2022. To register for upcoming events...

When women—especially teenage girls—are depicted under the male gaze in art and media, their agency is minimized, and their creativity and passion nearly always go unnoticed. For International Women’s Day, we’re featuring a 2017 talk by Heather O’Neil, which she gave at The Walrus Talks Belonging. Heather O’Neill spoke at The Walrus Talks Belonging, in London, Ontario, on October 17, 2017. To regi...

Stephen Trumper passed away on January 4, 2023, and left behind a legacy of disability advocacy that will never be forgotten. He had been an instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism since 1995. Trumper was also an editor at Toronto Life , Harrowsmith , and Financial Post Magazine , a vice-president of the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, a board member of the Natio...

It’s been three years since we launched The Conversation Piece. 90 episodes measured over pandemic years, launched because for a while there, we couldn’t convene the way we love to - at The Walrus Talks. Through three seasons, we’ve done our best to showcase some of the most compelling talkers who have wheeled, walked, and web-cammed onto a stage for The Walrus Talks. Health reporter and author An...

Trigger Warning: this episode contains subject matter which includes sexual assault and domestic violence.  The stories told by sexual assault survivors are best told through their voice when they are ready, but that can mean secondary pain in the form of judgement, disbelief, and shame. It’s why so many survivors don’t speak their truths. Because words like “allegedly” take the power of thei...

Women, Two Spirit, trans and non binary people across the spectrum have been at the forefront of what it means to be a caregiver. Whether society defines it as nurture or instinct, one thing’s for certain, over half of the women in our economy work in the 5 C’s: caring, catering, clerical work, cashiering and cleaning. Andrea Gunraj is the Vice President of Public Engagement at the Canadian Women’...

Information about global warming is everywhere. And although the delivery of this message brings up awareness, the overload of information can lead to ecological grief and anxiety. According to Geographer Ashlee Cunsolo, says that despite the discomfort these emotions may bring, acknowledging these feelings can better help us understand the severity of the climate situation. Cunsolo is the fo...

Generation Y inherited the truth of the 60s scoop, residential schools, and treaties, they did not create it, but Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians have the responsibility of facing that truth. Many generations of Indigenous Canadians have been living in a sort of horizontal survival mode - because their vertical lineage leads straight back to those truths. Chief Cadmus Delorme is&...

Activism is changing the strategies of how many media organizations tell their stories: from the Black Lives Matter movement to Asian Heritage Month to #MeToo. But it hasn’t been a perfect trajectory - reporting on the changing social and political landscape takes skill, and sometimes learning from mistakes in real-time. Camille Dundas is the Editor-in-Chief of Canada's largest Black online m...

The climate crisis is a global issue and requires a coordinated effort from everyone. But the people who will be most impacted by this crisis are often excluded from conversations on climate change: our youth.  Naila Moloo believes that youth need to be involved in climate change discussions and in developing solutions. Moloo is an Innovator at The Knowledge Society and she spoke at The...

Indigenous peoples face some of the highest levels of poverty in Canada. According to many people, including Candice Shaw , these inequalities are the intended result of colonial systems. Shaw believes that in order to address inequality at its core, we need to decolonize systems of power while continuing to engage Indigenous communities in discussions on reconciliation. Shaw is the Executive Dire...

Our society has taken steps to improve awareness and understanding on the stigmas of mental health. But conversations about mental health are often limited to certain conditions and are divorced from conversations about underlying factors like inequity and discrimination. Fae Johnstone believes that in order to effectively combat the stigmas of mental health, we need policy and awareness that addr...

“Man up,” “be a man,” and “don’t be a girl” are phrases that boys often hear while growing up. They send the message that men should always project toughness, stoicism, and independence. Jake Stika believes that we need to teach boys to express vulnerability, ask for help, and show compassion and that doing so will benefit everyone in our society. Stika is the Executive Director of Next Gen Men an...

Humans have an innate desire to explore. It’s what drove our early ancestors to migrate out of Africa and why modern humans dream of one day landing on Mars. But according to Kate Harris , we don’t need to travel to another planet to satisfy our collective need for exploration. We just need to find a deeper sense of belonging to the one we live on. Harris is the author of Lands of Lost Borders and...

The Canadian economy has suffered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But not all Canadians have been impacted equally. While many low income workers have lost their jobs or worked fewer hours, Canada’s richest CEOs have made even more money. According to David Macdonald , the source of the inequality is that CEO pay is based on power rather than merit. Macdonald is a senior economist for th...

The late Menaka Thakkar was an accomplished dancer and instructor, but in her 2017 talk, she was full of words about the impact of dancing. And it goes so much further than her artistry - into the power of culture and the beauty of seeing yourself in the art on stage. Thakkar spoke at The Walrus Talks We Desire a Better Country in 2017. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, healthcare needs to be covered, roads need to be fixed, which means taxes need to be paid, and ‘tis the season. According to Claire Trottier, there are 59 billionaires currently in Canada and over the course of their pandemic, their wealth increased by 87 billion. And she’s one of them. Trottier is a philanthropist and tax justice advocate and she spoke at The Walr...