The Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression provides insights concerning the impact of digital technologies on Canada’s democratic institutions and culture.

The Commission is a unique three-year parallel process that brings together the views of esteemed experts and members of the public. Each year, 7 Commissioners and 42 Assembly members are tasked with examining an issue, deliberating on concerns and potential solutions, sharing their perspectives with each other, and producing a two-volume report that details their respective findings and recommendations.

Assembly Lead: MASS LBP
The Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression has been developed and facilitated by MASS LBP. MASS is Canada’s leader in the use of long-form deliberative and participatory processes to shape public policy.

MASS designs processes that bridge the distance between citizens, stakeholders, and government. Through its work over the past decade, one in 36 Canadian households have received an invitation to participate in one of 41 Citizens’ Assemblies and Reference Panels formed by governments to address a wide range of local, provincial, and national issues.

To learn more about MASS, please visit masslbp.com

Commission Lead and Secretariat: Public Policy Forum
The Public Policy Forum is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization and a registered charity. PPF builds bridges among diverse participants in the policy-making process and gives them a platform to examine issues, offer new perspectives, and feed fresh ideas into policy discussions. They believe good policy makes a better Canada.

To learn more about their work, please visit ppforum.ca

Research Lead: Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University
McGill University's Max Bell School of Public Policy is committed to the research, teaching, public outreach, and practical advocacy of sound public policy. They tackle the complexities of the policymaking process from different perspectives to prepare the next generation of policy leaders for Canada and the world. 

To learn more about their work, please visit mcgill.ca/maxbellschool/

The members of the 2021 Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression include:

Rick Anderson
Principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group

Wendy Chun
Canada 150 Research Chair in New Media, Simon Fraser University

Nathalie Des Rosiers
Principal, Massey College, Full Professor, Faculty of Law (Common Law) University of Ottawa, Distinguished Visitor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto

Amira Elghawaby
Director of Programming and Outreach, Canadian Race Relations Foundation

Merelda Fiddler-Potter
Vanier Scholar, PhD. Candidate, and Executive in Residence, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy

Philip Howard
Director, Programme on Democracy and Technology and Professor of Internet Studies, Balliol College, University of Oxford

Vivek Krishnamurthy
Samuelson-Glushko Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa

The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin
Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1989 to 2000, Chief Justice of the Court from 2000 to 2017

Taylor Owen
Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethics and Communications and Associate Professor, Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University

We would like to the acknowledge the support of our funders:

Government of Canada: Department of Canadian Heritage
The Department of Canadian Heritage and its portfolio organizations play a vital role in the cultural, civic, and economic life of Canadians. Their policies and programs promote an environment where Canadians can experience dynamic cultural expressions, celebrate our history and heritage, and build strong communities. The Department invests in the future by supporting the arts, our official and Indigenous languages, and our athletes and the sport system.

The McConnell Foundation
The McConnell Foundation is a private Canadian foundation that develops and applies innovative approaches to social, cultural, economic, and environmental challenges. They do so through granting and investing, capacity building, convening, and enabling co-creation with grantees, partners, and the public.

Assembly Development and Facilitation

The Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression was designed and facilitated by MASS LBP. MASS is Canada’s leader in the use of long-form deliberative and participatory processes to shape public policy.

Since 2007, MASS LBP has led some of Canada’s most original and ambitious efforts to engage citizens in tackling tough policy options while pioneering the use of Civic Lotteries and Citizens’ Reference Panels. As of 2019, 1 in 36 Canadian households had received an invitation to participate in one of 39 Citizens’ Assemblies and Reference Panels formed by governments to address a wide range of issues.

Assembly Team:
Peter MacLeod, Assembly Chair
Sarah Yaffe, Project Director
Chris Ellis, Technical Director
Émilie Hervieux, French co-host

Facilitators:
Chimwemwe Alao
Émilie Hervieux
Mélanie Hughes
Jasmin Kay
Gifty MacKay
Laura McPhie
Iavor Puchkarov
Sarah Yaffe

Academic Observer:
Marjan H. Ehsassi, Doctoral Student at SAIS (School of Advanced International Studies), Johns Hopkins University