The Conversation Piece: Recent Episodes
The Walrus
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Colonial policies have long undermined traditional Indigenous education systems. How can communities come together to reclaim this knowledge?
Dr. Becky Cook is the lands monitoring manager of Misipawistik Cree Nation. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.
Dr. Cook spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging on November 25, 2024.
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Meaningful representation in creative spaces can help facilitate a strong sense of belonging and community.
Camryn Dewar is a Métis opera and classical singer. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.
Dewar spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Indigenous Perspectives on Belonging on November 25, 2024.
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How might personalized, culturally-specific interventions shape more effective responses to social isolation?
Kahir Lalji is the provincial director of government relations and community engagement at United Way British Columbia. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from his presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.
Lalji spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging on September 25, 2024.
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Social prescribing is empowering vulnerable communities to cultivate a sense of agency through relationship building and resourcefulness.
Diana Rose is a link worker with Healthy Aging Alberta and Family and Community Support Services for Wheatland County and the town of Strathmore. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.
Rose spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging on September 25, 2024.
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With new evidence emerging about the impact of connection on health, social prescribing is bridging the gap between clinical care and community care.
Dr. Kate Mulligan is a health geographer, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, and the scientific director at the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.
Dr. Mulligan spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging on September 25, 2024.
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How does social prescribing allow us to reimagine systems of care and build societies where no one is left out or left behind?
Kim Samuel is the founder of The Belonging Forum. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging, supported by The Belonging Forum, an initiative of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness.
Samuel spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Rx Belonging on September 25, 2024.
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There’s a lot of talk about voter turnout ahead of Canada’s upcoming federal election, especially when it comes to young Canadians. But low turnout isn’t always an indicator of indifference. Sometimes, it’s a signal that people feel left out.
Samantha Reusch, executive director of Apathy is Boring, underscores how creating pathways for Gen Z and millennials to participate in civic conversations helps foster a more vibrant and responsive democracy.
Reusch spoke at The Walrus Talks Wellbeing in Quebec City on June 2, 2019.
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There is a growing generational divide in Canada’s housing landscape, one that’s not only pushing young people out of their communities but also leaving seniors behind.
Housing advocate and author Kishone Roy outlines some of the key factors intensifying what they call “generational gentrification” and emphasizes the importance of reimagining housing not as a privilege but as a public good.
Roy spoke at The Walrus Talks Equitable Housing in Vancouver on October 26, 2023.
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Canada’s political landscape is becoming increasingly divided, making it harder than ever to navigate public discourse productively.
Investigative journalist and author Justin Ling highlights three of the major factors intensifying polarization in Canada—and shares what everyday citizens can do to push back against it.
Ling spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Polarization on December 4, 2024.
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Canada has long been a force in the arts, culture, and media space, but what makes Canadian storytelling stand out?
Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of the Canada Media Fund, discusses how embracing authenticity in storytelling strengthens Canada’s cultural identity and elevates our stories on the world stage.
Creighton spoke at The Walrus Talks Canada’s Creative Power, in Ottawa, on June 5, 2024.
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Many companies champion mentorship programs and leadership initiatives that promise to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. But too often, these efforts fall short of meaningfully supporting their racialized women employees.
Golnaz Golnaraghi, founder of Accelerate Her Future, a career accelerator for Black, Indigenous, and racialized women in business and STEM, emphasizes the value of investing in sponsorship over mentorship and redefining what it means to be an ally in the workplace.
Golnaraghi spoke at The Walrus Talks Advancing Work, in Toronto, on November 29, 2022.
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Every click, swipe, and like we make in online spaces leaves a digital trace that can influence government and shape our ability to participate in political life.
Elizabeth Dubois, associate professor and University Research Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology at the University of Ottawa, highlights the importance of thinking critically about internet accessibility, data transparency, and digital citizenship.
Dubois spoke at The Walrus Talks We Desire A Better Country, in Winnipeg, on March 16, 2017.
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Building and maintaining sexual and body confidence as we age is essential for living healthier, happier lives. The intensity of the changes brought on by menopausal symptoms can make this especially challenging, but reconnecting to pleasure offers one path to empowerment.
Luna Matatas is a sex and pleasure educator. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks Menopause, supported by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.
Matatas spoke at The Walrus Talks Menopause in Toronto on October 17, 2024.
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Navigating the health care system after a perimenopause diagnosis can be uniquely difficult, especially without a clear script for what questions to ask.
Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe is the Medical Director of Primary Care Outreach at Women’s College Hospital; she is the Health Expert for CTV’s The Social; and she is an advocate and author. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks Menopause, supported by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.
Wijayasinghe spoke at The Walrus Talks Menopause in Toronto on October 17, 2024.
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Pervasive myths and misconceptions have made the conversation around hormone replacement therapy a contentious and confusing one. But studies show that hormone therapy can be safe and highly effective, helping many women manage menopause symptoms and reclaim a sense of normalcy.
Dr. Iliana Lega is a Scientist at Women’s College Hospital Research and Innovation Institute, a Staff Endocrinologist at Women’s College Hospital, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks Menopause, supported by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.
Lega spoke at The Walrus Talks Menopause in Toronto on October 17, 2024.
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Mental health and menopause are highly stigmatized, making it hard for those experiencing both to chart a path forward. But what if there was a framework that perimenopausal and menopausal women could use to proactively incorporate mental health treatment into their care plans?
Dr. Ariel Dalfen is a Psychiatrist and the Co-Founder and CEO of BRIA. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks Menopause, supported by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.
Dalfen spoke at The Walrus Talks Menopause in Toronto on October 17, 2024.
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Did you know that women over forty make up a quarter of the Canadian workforce? Failing to accommodate those experiencing menopause has the potential to drive women out of the working world, resulting in severe consequences for the socio-economic fabric of our society.
Dr. Jenny Godley is a Professor of Sociology and Adjunct Professor in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks Menopause, supported by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.
Godley spoke at The Walrus Talks Menopause in Toronto on October 17, 2024.
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In the Anishinaabe tradition, the experiences of menopause and menstruation are regarded as sacred and in relationship to the land. These stages of life meaningfully connect women and girls to their ancestors, to their communities, and to each other.
Sarain Fox is an Anishinaabe Artist, Activist, and Filmmaker. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks Menopause, supported by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.
Fox spoke at The Walrus Talks Menopause in Toronto on October 17, 2024.
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The impact of untreated menopause symptoms is far-reaching, affecting everything from an individual’s mental and physical health to the output and efficiency of the economy. How do we equip women with the necessary information and resources to thrive in this new phase of their lives?
Janet Ko is the President and Co-founder of the Menopause Foundation of Canada. This special episode of The Conversation Piece features content from her presentation at The Walrus Talks Menopause, supported by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health.
Ko spoke at The Walrus Talks Menopause in Toronto on October 17, 2024.
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487 trails, part of the Trans Canada Trail, can tell an important story about Canada, its history and its people. Dianne Whelan is a filmmaker, photographer, author, and public speaker. She spoke at The Walrus Talks Nature on March 19, 2024.
This episode of The Conversation Piece features content from Manulife presents The Walrus Talks Nature, supported by Trans Canada Trail.
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Indigenous people’s relationships with the land form an ‘ontological belonging’. Their spiritual beliefs connect them to the land and to all things of nature.
This episode of The Conversation Piece features content from Manulife presents The Walrus Talks Nature, supported by Trans Canada trail.
Carolynne Crawley is the founder of Msit No’kmaq, co-founder of Turtle Protectors, and a Forest Therapy Guide.
She spoke at The Walrus Talks Nature on March 19, 2024.
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Racialized immigrants face barriers that restrict their access to nature. Access to public spaces for new immigrants encourages participation in society and the potential of Canadian pride.
This episode of The Conversation Piece features content from Manulife presents The Walrus Talks Nature, supported by Trans Canada trail.
Ambika Tenneti is an Environmentalist and PhD Candidate in Daniels Forestry at the University of Toronto.
She spoke at The Walrus Talks Nature on March 19, 2024.
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Environmental health should also consider inequality in the areas of housing, economics, food, education.
This episode of The Conversation Piece features content from Manulife presents The Walrus Talks Nature, supported by Trans Canada trail.
Iraz Soyalp, PhD, is the Director of Social Impact, Private Markets for Manulife Investment Management.
She spoke at The Walrus Talks Nature on March 19, 2024.
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Some doctors consider nature time to be “The fourth Pillar of Health”. It can have a positive effect on mood, physical ability and even mental wellness.
This episode of The Conversation Piece features content from Manulife presents The Walrus Talks Nature, supported by Trans Canada trail.
Dr. Melissa Lem is the director of PaRx (Parks Prescriptions), an initiative of the BC Parks Foundation, and a family physician.
She spoke at The Walrus Talks Nature on March 19, 2024.
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How we interact with nature changes over time. Canada has a long and rocky history with pipelines. The opposition has taken different forms. Understanding the nuances can tell us a lot about environmental concerns over long periods of time.
This episode of The Conversation Piece features content from Manulife presents The Walrus Talks Nature, supported by Trans Canada trail.
Sean Kheraj is the Associate Professor in the Department of History, Vice-Provost, Academic at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Sean spoke at The Walrus Talks Nature on March 19, 2024.
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There is a diversity in trails and their uses. They are a meeting place for communities. They promote an appreciation for the environment. They promote physical and mental health, while also serving as a catalyst for ecological health, community renewal and economic vitality.
This episode of The Conversation Piece features content from Manulife presents The Walrus Talks Nature, supported by Trans Canada trail.
Marlaine Koehler is the Executive Director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust.
Marlaine spoke at The Walrus Talks Nature on March 19, 2024.
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Four million people living in Canada are food insecure. Nick Saul—food and social justice activist and president and CEO of Community Food Centres Canada—explores the importance of pushing for systemic change through political engagement and grassroots initiatives on the journey to improving food security.
Nick Saul spoke at The Walrus Talks Living Better in Toronto, Ontario, on October 29, 2019.
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A commitment to innovation is important in every field, but perhaps none more so than health care. Jessica Ching—co-founder and CEO of Eve Medical—highlights the importance of advocating for patient involvement and cultural shifts in the advancement of health care technologies.
Jessica Ching spoke at The Walrus Talks Health in Ottawa, Ontario, on November 28, 2017.
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There is a gap between our anti-violence values and our competence and confidence to play an anti-violence role in real life, but Paulette Senior is determined to close it.
Paulette is the CEO and President of the Canadian Women’s Foundation. She explains how confronting biases around gender-based violence is critical for supporting survivors and outlines what tools are available to those in crisis through the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
Paulette spoke at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence on November 16, 2023.
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Many 2SLGBTQI+ people face abuse and harassment, often at a young age, but JP Kane and Kaleb Robertson imagine a safer, less prejudiced world for all.
JP Kane (Fay Slift) and Kaleb Robertson (Fluffy Soufflé) are storytellers and the stars of The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy. They explore the violence faced by the 2SLGBTQI+ community and highlight the importance of building safe spaces that empower children to be who they are.
They spoke at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence on November 16, 2023.
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Despite making up only 4% of the female population in Canada, Indigenous women are murdered or missing at much higher rates than any other population.
Angela Sterritt is the national bestselling Author of Unbroken. She examines how stereotypes dehumanize Indigenous people and how changing the narrative empowers change.
Angela spoke at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence on November 16, 2023.
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There has been a marked increase in the abuse and harassment of journalists, especially journalists who are women of colour.
Shree Paradkar is a Columnist and Internal Ombud at the Toronto Star. She examines the myriad impacts of this abuse, not only on journalists, but on the media landscape and society at large.
Shree spoke at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence on November 16, 2023.
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There is a gap in our emergency planning when it comes to intimate partner violence. Anuradha Dugal wants to change that.
Anuradha is the Vice President of Community Initiatives at the Canadian Women’s Foundation. She examines the consequences of not shockproofing our emergency planning against intimate partner violence.
Anuradha spoke at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence on November 16, 2023.
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Patriarchal structures are bad for women and gender-diverse people, but are they also damaging to men?
Jake Stika is the Executive Director and Co-founder of Next Gen Men. He examines the negative consequences of a patriarchal society on men and explores how men who feel less pain will do less harm.
Jake spoke at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence in Toronto on November 16, 2023.
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Canadian criminal law is changing in response to intimate partner violence, but is it changing for the better?
Pamela Cross is the Advocacy Director at Luke’s Place. She examines the consequences of criminalizing intimate partner violence and emphasizes the importance of policy that prioritizes victims rather than their abusers.
Pamela spoke at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence in Toronto on November 16.
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What is intelligence? Does it require ethical research, group think, or just a well-programmed code? Today, intelligence has an added layer of data and computing power, and AI, a still-emerging technology, poses both opportunities and risks. Toronto Star tech journalist, Navneet Alang, talks about AI’s narrative of progress, its limits, and the need for humans—not just technology—to change.
Navneet Alang spoke at The Walrus Talks Artificial Intelligence in Toronto, Ontario, on June 28, 2023. To listen to more of the speakers from this event, listen to the AI for Social Good podcast on your favourite podcast platform.
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Gentrification has reframed the way we think about ghettos. They’re no longer just in inner cities. As real estate booms, entire communities are being pushed out of city cores and into the margins, says Kamal Al-Solaylee, director and professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Journalism, Writing, and Media.
Kamal Al-Solaylee spoke at The Walrus Talks Cities of Migration in Surrey, British Columbia, on September 29, 2016.
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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.
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Max Brault, Vice President, People & Change, BDO Canada LLP
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Sharon Nyangweso, Founder and CEO, QuakeLab Inc. at The Walrus Talks It's Happening Now in Ottawa (May 2023)
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Cheyenne Sundance is a Farmer at Sundance Harvest and she spoke at The
Walrus Talks a New City in Toronto in April 2023.
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The president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Businesses, emphasized the indispensable role of vibrant Indigenous economies play an essential role in the quest for true reconciliation.
Tabitha Bull is the founder and CEO of The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and is among the over 800 fantastic Canadians who have been featured on The Walrus Talks stage.
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Being the eldest daughter in an immigrant household, Cadar Mohamud, who is the founder and CEO of The Digital Sisterhood, shares how she found her sense of belonging when she found herself struggling with her Blackness, Muslim identity, and womanhood.
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Host: Emma Mackenzie Hillier
Producers: Simran Singh, Yasmin Duale, and Christopher Wang
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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? From The Walrus Talks Reconnecting Arts and Culture, where Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware shares what it means to work toward a future that is bigger than what we’ve dreamed of.
Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware is an artist, activist, educator.
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Agapi Gessesse is the Executive Director of the Centre for Young Black Professionals.
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Host: Emma Mackenzie Hillier
Producers: Simran Singh, Yasmin Duale, and Christopher Wang
Editor: Yasmin Duale
Follow us on all our socials:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewalrus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewalrus
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Heather O’Neill is a novelist, storyteller, screenwriter, and essayist. She spoke at “Western University Presents The Walrus Talks Belonging” in 2017 and is among over 800 brilliant Canadians who have been featured on The Walrus Talks stage.
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To register for upcoming events online or in a city near you, and to catch up on our archive of The Walrus Talks, visit thewalrus.ca/events.
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 National Magazine Awards Foundation, and among the over 800 fantastic Canadians who have been featured on The Walrus Talks stage.
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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 André Picard started us off on this audio journey, with his talk on the epidemic of loneliness, so it only felt appropriate to hand the mic back for the final episode of season 3, because this has been quite a time to be a health reporter, and Picard is one of this country’s best.
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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 their words and minimize them to protect their attacker’s rights. And it’s one of the reasons why Toufah Jallow does what she does. Jallow is an anti-rape activist who spoke at Concordia presents, The Walrus Talks: What’s Next? In Ottawa.
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’s Foundation and she spoke about why we need to value care work in order to protect women and gender diverse people. Gunraj spoke at Concordia University presents “The Walrus Talks: What’s Next” in May 2022.
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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 founding dean of the School of Arctic and sub-Arctic Studies at the Labrador campus, at Memorial University. She spoke at the The Walrus Talks Youth and the Climate Crisis in March 2022.
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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 currently Chief of the Cowessess First Nation and he spoke at The Walrus Talks: What’s Next? In Toronto.
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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 magazine ByBlacks.com, and she spoke at Concordia presents, The Walrus Talks: What’s Next? In Ottawa.
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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 Walrus Talks at Home: Youth and the Climate Crisis in March 2022.
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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 Director of the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre. She spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Inequality in January 2022.
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 addresses the unique realities and needs of all communities. Johnstone is the Executive Director of Wisdom2Action and she spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Youth Mental Health in 2021.
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“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 and he spoke at The Walrus Talks: Boundaries in 2019.
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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 she spoke at The Walrus Talks: Exploration in 2020.
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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 the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and he spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Inequality in 2022.
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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.
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 Walrus Talks at Home: Inequality in 2022.
This will be our second Olympic Games held during the pandemic, and it promises to be a very interesting, and isolating experience for our athletes. As focused as Olympic athletes are this may be an opportunity to widen their gazes - like former Olympian Karina LeBlanc has. LeBlanc is an Olympian, and former professional soccer goalkeeper and current GM of the Portland Thorns FC, and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Destiny in 2016.
It is surprising the kind of people who confess to suffering from imposter syndrome. Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, singer David Bowie, pro-athlete Serena Williams, and actress Tina Fey have all at one time or another, expressed this kind of doubt about themselves in public. But what if feeling like you’re faking it (and worrying that someone is going to figure it out) is not an individual problem, but something that has arisen out of the way we structure work and success? Organizational theorist and associate professor in management at the John Molson School of Business Dr. Joel Bothello spoke at The Walrus Talks Living Better in 2019.
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As Canadian children and their parents are once again confronted with the uncertainty of lockdowns and school closures, the mental health of our youngest community members is of concern. How will this affect them in the short-term? In the long-term? And will this contribute to a new intergenerational trauma? These questions become even more fraught when you add the lens of diversity and Black youth to the equation. Dr. Myrna Lashley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University and a psychologist and consultant in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and she spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Youth Mental Health in 2021.
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According to Statistics Canada, being a person of faith, or at least admitting to being a person of faith is becoming less popular. That might just be about the ebb and flow of our culture, and history may cycle again to make religion popular again, but in the meantime, the places that were built at the height of “worship culture” sit in disrepair and worse. And according to Natalie Bull, that is sad for more than just those who worship there. Bull is the Executive Director at The National Trust for Canada, and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Spirituality in 2016.
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Immersing yourself in your subject is not a new concept. Actors do it. Engineers do it. Writers do it. But why is it important? According to wildlife photographer Kerri Martin, sometimes in pursuit of accurate representation, you can discover a deeper meaning in why you do what you do. And doing it in a conscious way has all kinds of benefits.
There are days when it may seem like we have solved the diversity issue in the arts here in Canada. When you look around and you finally see Indigenous books winning the biggest awards, and Black poets sharing the stage with their literary peers it starts to feel like hope. But according to Devyani Saltzman, who has led programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Banff Centre, while we are getting better at promoting the individual people, we don’t do enough to create a safe space for true systemic change in our culture.
Many of us have experienced isolation over the past 18 months, which has taken a toll on our collective mental health. During these restless times, it’s natural to fight the feelings of loneliness, grief, and sadness. But as mental health advocate Mark Henick has learned, these feelings can be an excellent teacher if we’re willing to just … sit with them. Henick is an author and mental health advocate and he spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Mental Health in 2021.
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When you think of the natural world, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? To some, it might be National Park forests, the Great Lakes, or the Rocky Mountains.Carly Ziter spoke about the ecosphere that often receives less attention: the one living within our cities. Carly Ziter is an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Concordia University and member of the Smart, Sustainable, and Resilient Communities and Cities Research Group. She spoke at The Walrus Talks: Living Better in 2020.
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Canada has a lot of work to do to improve relationships with Indigenous communities. But how will we get there as a country? According to Roberta Jamieson, the solution goes beyond charity. It requires philanthropy based on Indigenous reciprocity. Roberta Jamieson is a Mohawk woman from Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario. She is the former president and CEO of Indspire and is on the board of directors for RBC. She spoke at The Walrus Talks: Philanthropy in 2015.
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In the midst of a pandemic, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in Canada, so it makes sense that we have large laboratories for conducting cancer research. But according to Steve Shih, when it comes to building research facilities, bigger is not always better. This might be a moment (strategically) to think small. Shih is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Concordia University and he spoke at The Walrus Talks: Disruption in 2017.
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Caring for a sick loved one is one of the hardest things a person can go through. But as Damian Rogers found out, it can also be an opportunity to learn how to live a more meaningful life. Damian Rogers is a poet, author, and teacher. She spoke at The Walrus Talks: Living Better in 2019.
A transcript of this episode is available on our website.
Nationalism has become a bad word for many on the political spectrum, but according to Prerna Singh, it is a word people who believe in democracy should fight to take back from those who would use it to divide. It can be empowering. It can build nations and activate citizens. And most of all, it can motivate social change. Singh is a Mahatma Gandhi Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Brown University and she spoke at The Walrus Talks: Boundaries in 2019.
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Indigenous women are among the most marginalized in Canada. In her talk, Vanessa Tait speaks about how the sacred roles they previously held in their communities have been dismantled through colonialism and how all Canadians need to work together to support them. Vanessa Tait is a Two-Spirit Cree woman from O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba. She is a Queen Elizabeth Scholar and has obtained a master’s in Indigenous development at the University of Winnipeg. She spoke at The Walrus Talks: We Desire a Better Country in 2017.
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Most of the decisions about Canada’s future are being made by the current leaders in government. To Sara Abdessamie, there’s another voice that needs to be included in the conversation: Canada’s youth.
Abdessamie is an alumna of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council and a graduate of the medical sciences program at Dalhousie University. She spoke at The Walrus Talks National Tour: We Desire a Better Country in 2017.
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Have you ever been referred to as “resilient?” To some, resilience means survival, and calling someone resilient is meant as a compliment to their ability to survive. But to Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika, that label is not one she seeks for herself or for other Canadians. Okeke-Ihejirika is a professor of women’s and gender studies and director of the Pan African Collaboration for Excellence (PACE) at the University of Alberta. She spoke at TD Bank Group presents The Walrus Talks at Home: Resilience in May 2021.
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Resilience is often a celebrated state of being. But is it useful to use resilience as a policy? Resilience might be the watch word if you’re fighting a zombie apocalypse or evading a meteor that threatens all life on earth, but if we zoom out, celebrating resilience doesn’t solve or change issues that plague society, like inequality. Vinita Srivastava spoke about the need for structural change to the systems that no longer serve us. Srivastava is an editor at The Conversation and the host and producer of Don't call me Resilient - an anti-racist podcast. She spoke at TD Bank Group presents The Walrus Talks at Home: Resilience in May 2021.
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Welcome back to The Conversation Piece. The first episode of season three drops next week, but here's a teaser to whet your appetite:
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Women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Many have been forced to drop out of the workforce over the past year, with some people calling the COVID-19 economic downturn a she-cession. This downturn impacts racialised women even more. Journalist and author Ann Hui travelled across Canada, visiting Chinese restaurants in small towns from coast to coast to explore this issue, especially as it pertains to minority communities. Hui is a food journalist at The Globe and Mail and the author of Chop Suey Nation and she spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Shifting the She-cession
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Female leadership has been front and centre during the pandemic. From New Zealand where COVID-19 infections have been managed under the leadership of a female Prime Minister, to Canada where the country’s top doctor is a woman of colour. How are women leading differently during the pandemic and how is it redefining what leadership is? Lauren McKeon is an author and journalist and she spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: Living Better in March.
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It’s probably not surprising that so many of our speakers over this past year have focused on the loneliness of lockdown. Part of the reason it’s important to keep having this conversation is to fight the stigma against talking about loneliness and mental health issues. The physical and mental effects of loneliness are as serious as any other health issue. Health reporter Wency Leung immersed herself in this problem in order to cover it.
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The idea that we as immigrants who were colonised can move to Canada and become settlers is an unsettling thought. But to the Indigenous peoples of Canada, that is who we are. We are all immigrants, and we participate in some way in a colonial system inflicted on the Indigenous people. In her talk, Anubha Momin is a writer and performer in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and she talks about her Southern privilege and decolonising herself.
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Personal storytelling has historically provided a new lens of experiences that challenge oppressive systems and introduced thousands of readers to the hardships of marginalised communities. Author and journalist Eternity Martis believes that these stories inspire future generations to create real change.
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The words we choose to share, write, and speak can influence and change the narrative of stereotypes we see in Canada, encouraging for more accurate depictions and stories of marginalized communities and characters. With World Book Day just around the corner, we wanted to acknowledge storytelling’s influential force on culture in Canada. For Annishinaabe author and journalist Waubgeshig Rice, words gave him the ability to change the conversation around Indigenous communities and break stereotypes.
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Simple routines can suck up an incredible amount of time and energy for disabled people. Dianna Hu is a software engineer at Google, and she describes this energy as a limited number of spoons you start your day with and are destined to run out of. During the pandemic, Hu has begun to reclaim her spoons and find accessibility through working at home. With more spoons, comes more freedom; a new more accessible normal.
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When we think of black holes, we think of a dark and terrifying unknown that distorts everything it touches. But, have we ever considered black holes to be polite? Daryl Haggard is a Canadian Research Chair in Multi-messenger Astrophysics and associate professor of Physics at McGill University and she spoke at CIFAR Presents The Walrus Talks Exploration in March 2020.
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Children’s learning begins in the home - and the language spoken in the home is fundamental to a young child’s education.So, should parents be raising children with more than one language?
And what are the benefits of children being bilingual? On International Mother Language Day, we celebrate linguistic diversity with Krista Byers-Heinlein, a developmental psychologist and associate professor of Psychology at Concordia University who spoke at The Walrus Talks Living Better in 2019.
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Are we equal in our praise for philanthropic acts? When you read news about support for something you believe in, how often do you read about the small acts of kindness? The contributions that may seem tiny when compared to what a sports star or a soft drink company CEO can give, but are significant to the person who gives. Anand Giridharadas is a former columnist for The New York Times and writer of three bestselling novels.
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For many of us, this week marks a full year of social isolation. Urged to stay home and keep our in-person interactions to a minimum we continue to rely on technology to stay connected. Some research even shows that isolation is just as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Now that we have all experienced 365 days of isolation and the loneliness that comes with it, why would we ever purposely impose such hardship on other people and how do we create a society where everyone belongs? Kim Samuel has some ideas. She taught the first-ever university course on social isolation and social connectedness.
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With the majority of research conducted by men, it’s no surprise that most research favours men. So much that even the original crash test dummy was modelled after a man and a study, originally for the menstrual cycle, was cancelled when Viagra was discovered through it. On this International women’s day, it seems like a good time to ask: how can women gain a seat at the table when they aren’t even in the room? This is journalist, author and human rights activist Sally Armstrong.
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While Canada is far from a Utopia, we are trying to be peaceful and green and right our wrongs. We are trying to offer safety and clean water and homes. We are trying to be a better country, but first, we must be kind. In his talk from 2017, award-winning Canadian actor Graham Greene discusses how we can live better through kindness.
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What do you eat? Your choices can transform the world. This applies to everything from the news you take in to the stores you shop at. But this is particularly true when it comes to the food you eat. Irwin Adam urges us to look at what happens before our meals are on our plates. The process is rather inefficient. What can we do to change this? Flour made from insects? Edible packaging? Tasting Data? We need to reimagine the way we taste and consume. Irwin Adam is a Creative Scientist and Food Futurist and he spoke at The Walrus Talks Disruption in 2017.
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Accessibility often doesn’t take into account different needs — if it is accessible for one person it might not be for another. Accessibility is not universal, but according to Aimee Louw it can be harmonised across our country. In her talk, Louw advocates for a future where accessibility isn’t treated as a favour or charity but as justice and equality. Where people are paid a living wage, where taking care of yourself is prioritised, and where ableism is abolished.
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In 2018, Siri Agrell spoke at The Walrus Talks Humanity about the important steps in human connection that can be lost in the virtual world. That Talk lead to a new book by Agrell, that is out in February 2021, and deserved an update from the author about how this pandemic and isolation influenced her writing. How to get Laid Without your Phone is available to order at www.withoutyourphone.com.
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It feels like branding and marketing goes in cycles of themes, from earnest to snarky to authentic to sarcastic. At the beginning of the pandemic it all felt very earnest: that banding together, we’re all one human race, let’s get through this together. But as often happens, the cycle … cycled, and we started to get the juicy sarcastic stuff again. A few years ago, Terry O’Reilly, gave his Walrus Talk about vice -- are we cycling back up to marketing vice again? Is that even possible in isolation? It was time for an update from the master of advertising himself.
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It’s hard, separated from each other, living under the threat of a pandemic, witnessing unrest and argument, to feel empowered. But the truth of us is that each of us has power. Over ourselves for sure. Over our situations, often more than we think. If you’re feeling at the low-end in terms of empowerment, Sandy Hudson - organizer, writer, and the founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto - is about to give you the boost you need.
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Most of the discussion when it comes to education these days is whether students should be in classrooms or learning virtually, but who they are learning from is an ongoing issue, one that needs to be fixed at the root level. Or it will continue to effect both learners and teachers post-pandemic. Who is teaching? Who gets to go to University? Who gets tenure? And who is leading academia? Deb Saucier is the President and Vice-Chancellor of Vancouver Island University and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Inclusion in 2019.
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We all decide how we want to show ourselves to the world. But who gets to define who you are? In her talk, Samra Habib wants us to own our identities--even if it means not always being accepted by the greater community we belong to. As a queer Muslim woman, she’s reimagined her community to go beyond geographical borders. And at a time where we’re online more than ever, community connections linking people to distant places in the comfort of their own homes, have become commonplace.
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Everybody has their own origin story. Whether that was crossing a sea, or moving around Turtle Island, we each have our own beginning that brought us here. So why we do we make anyone feel like an outsider? In her Talk, Carol Off urges us to take a step back and look at where we came from. In this time when we can’t get on a plane, travel to see loved ones, or start our next adventure, we can stay connected by sharing stories from different times and different places. To identify with a stranger and help make life a little easier. Carol Off is a journalist and host of CBC’s As It Happens.
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In a world obsessed with instant gratification, Teva Harrison reminds us that there is potential in the quiet moments, the ones without goals or deadlines. She urges us to look at nature and appreciate the small successes of each day: the kindness of a stranger, a chance to do a good deed, a laugh shared with a friend—these are all achievements. Harrison compares the realization of our potential to flowers that grow after the snow melts away, our actions determining when we will blossom. Teva Harrison, was an award-winning writer and graphic artist and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Success in 2018. Though we lost her to cancer in 2019, she continues to inspire with her words and her art.
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Is there a straight line between healthcare and housing in Canada? Andrew Boozary is a primary care physician who has an on the ground perspective on healthcare in Canada as we navigate this pandemic. In his Talk, he has a lot to say about that line, where we fall short and the magnification of these failures when faced with a pandemic. Boozary is also the Executive Director for social medicine and population health at the University Health Network.
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As the weather outside becomes snowier and the holidays approach, it gets easier to recognize privilege - right in front of our eyes. The warm home, family gatherings (no more than 10), the ability to give gifts. But, what's not so easy to see are the full shelters, the nursing homes that can’t have visitors, and long lines for the food bank. At a time when we’re all suffering at different levels, do we have capacity to dig deeper for those that are suffering more? Valérie Plante is the mayor of Montreal and she spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home at the Broadbent Institute's 2020 Progress Gala in November.
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Canadians represent 0.48% of the global population, and we’re on track to get even smaller on the world’s stage. In her talk, Shari Austin proposes that Canada’s population needs to triple in less than 100 years. If it doesn’t the country could be facing an onslaught of economic problems. So what do we do? Shari Austin is a consultant and former CEO of Century Initiative, she spoke at The Walrus Talks Disruption in 2018.
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It wasn’t that long ago that cannabis was illegal in Canada. To many detractors, it was seen as a drug that promotes laziness and was more popular among youth rather than a legitimate medicine that can reduce suffering. But tens of thousands of Canadians have regained their ability to function because of medical marijuana. People who were once bedridden are now going outside, playing with their kids, and sleeping at night. So called "normal" activities are made possible again through legal use of medical marijuana. Hilary Black is the Chief Advocacy Officer at Canopy Growth.
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Canadians sometimes congratulate themselves on being “better” in comparison to other countries - more democratic, less violent, more open to new ideas. But when topics like racism, violence against women, and sexual abuse get brought up, the room - and the Zoom, goes silent. Julie S. Lalonde is a women’s rights advocate and public educator.
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Our thinking about where people live and why has been entirely flipped by this pandemic, but it could just as easily flip right back if a vaccine becomes readily available. In 2015, people were rushing to the city, giving up big houses and spacious yards for small condos and convenience. The cost of their time spent commuting to and from the city outweighed the benefits of living in the suburbs. Now, mid-pandemic, people are leaving the city in herds. Remote work has changed the way people live, and ultimately, where they live. What is the true cost of where you live, and what will you give up in order to save time and money? Cherise Burda is the Executive Director of City Building, at Ryerson University.
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LIVING ROOMS is our new digital series looking at the transformation in where and how we live. Read, listen, and watch at thewalrus.ca/livingrooms.
You can’t talk about homes and housing without talking about homelessness. It’s a problem that has plagued Canada for too long. Short term solutions cannot eradicate a problem so deeply rooted in our society. In her talk, Kaite Burkholder Harris says that the solution is to look at fixing the context, instead of the person. Burkholder Harris is Executive Director of the Alliance to End Homelessness in Ottawa.
We train machines for a particular task but you modify the task just a little bit and they fail. Intelligence, it turns out, is hard to recreate. Yann LeCun is a CIFAR fellow, an AI Engineer and a VP at Facebook.
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Season Two of The Conversation Piece launches next week, and with The Walrus Talks at Home in full swing, we have even more ideas (in under 10 minutes) to treat your ears to.
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It's hard not lose ourselves in our own thoughts, especially in an extended state of isolation with no end in sight. How many friends have you lost touch with since this all started? How are you keeping hope alive until we’re be able to feel those connections again? This is CIFAR fellow and UWO professor Adrian Owen.
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People from all over the world call Canada home, weaving together cultures from across the globe to create the Canadian identity. But, with this blended cultural identity that we are so proud of, what does it mean to understand your own cultural history? Is it time to redefine multiculturalism? Filmmaker Atom Egoyan spoke at The Walrus Talks National Tour: We Desire a Better Country in May of 2017.
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Learning requires exploration of one's identity, and according to our next speaker, this is a First People’s principle of learning that applies to all of us. So on this international day of translation, and at this time when we can’t greet each other in person and with physical contact, this is an opportunity to communicate better with each other. To identify each other and ourselves with clarity and humility. This is Paige Raibmon, CIFAR fellow and professor in the Department of History at UBC and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Boundaries in 2019.
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We’ve all had to change and adapt in different ways during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Deena Hinshaw is the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the Province of Alberta and has been the trusted voice for Albertans during the pandemic, calmly delivering daily briefings on the virus. And telling Albertans what measures they should take to prevent the spread of COVID-19. One of the biggest lessons of these past several months has been how a public health crisis can impact the way we live. Dr. Deena Hinshaw was the keynote speaker at our recent Leadership Forum event.
Sports is a universal language in the world. From Halifax to Hydrabad, Nunavut to Nairobi. And what also seems weirdly universal is the support of men’s teams over women’s. Instead of wallowing in this vast discrepancy, Brenda Andress wants us to see it as a place to grow from. A rallying cry to mobilize in support of women in sports. This is Brenda Andress - former commissioner of the Canadian Women's Hockey League, she spoke at The Walrus Talks Women of Distinction.
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As many kids head off to school - in whatever form that takes for them in the midst of a pandemic - it’s easy to pass off the issue of education to the actual humans involved - the parents, the kids and the teachers. But according to Annie Kidder, we all need to be thinking about educating the next generation of Canadians. Annie Kidder is the Executive Director of People for Education and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Resilience in 2014.
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Writing is a responsibility in many ways, perhaps none more so than when we think about the cultural expectations inherent in writing as a minority - of any kind. As a woman, as LGBTQ, as a person of colour, as a person with a disability. As writers, what is our responsibility to the rest of our culture? And why does it seem so much heavier than that of CIS-male writers? Noor Naga is a writer and a poet and she spoke at The Walrus Talks “The Future of the Arts,” in 2018.
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Natural talent is overrated - at least according to singer-songwriter Corb Lund. He works hard to create it and believes that work - that constant challenge to focus and refine - is what separates the artists from the rest. And that art itself needs to be accessible to everyone, even the people that don't see country music as art.
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We're all creative creatures, but what can we do when our creativity feels stalled? Join us in this hilarious pillow talk with the muses as Emma Donoghue shares the playful, demanding, sexy, unexpected sides of creativity and the ways we can strengthen our connection to making the things we love. This is Emma Donoghue from The Walrus Talks Creativity in London, Ontario.
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Lauren Voisin was a scientist, innovator, entrepreneur, and all before she graduated high school. When she was only 8 years old, Lauren founded her own robotics company. By age 13, Lauren was a U.N. speaker. She was a champion of inexpensive access to technology and stable internet for Canadian youth. She believed in introducing kids to subjects like robotics and coding early on. She passed in April, but with the Lauren Foundation, her legacy continues to inspire young women to innovate and create.
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It’s hard, as we go into the triple digits of days that some of us have been at home, isolating from friends and society, to maintain hope. When Olympian Waneek Horn-Miller talks about the health issues endured by the Indigenous people of Canada, she emphasises that hope is what gets her through. Her mother taught her that. She was a Hope-maker. Here’s Waneek Horn-Miller speaking at The Walrus Talks Health in 2016.
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Anger is one of those emotions that transcends age, race, and political affiliation. Everyone is angry. Feeling trapped in a global pandemic will do that to you. But we can get so caught up in expressing our anger. To balance that, maybe our optimism has to be outrageous. Almost unreasonable… because the bad things in our lives are more reasonable than we know, teaching us lessons we may not see.
Here’s Canadian songwriter Bif Naked at The Walrus Talks Quality of Life.
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The barriers to building inclusion can feel insurmountable. Especially when people are trying to be politically correct by ignoring differences. According to inclusion professional Ritu Bhasin, we need to notice the differences between us and learn about them, rather than deny that they exist.
Ritu Bhasin is a speaker, author, and a leadership and inclusion specialist and she spoke at The Walrus Talks Resilience.
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Maybe it was easier to avoid heated debates before we were all living under pandemic rules. Or maybe this is just the result of our small bubbles of safety, but when we have different opinions.. getting caught up in Twitter arguments or disagreeing with family members, it’s easy to forget about what the other person is going through. In this talk, Mustafa Ahmed reminds us that human rights begin with human and that just because disabilities like mental health are seemingly invisible, they are still very much disabilities we need to be aware of.
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Something that gets brought into stark focus at a time like this is the value of things. The value of being able to hug a friend you haven’t seen in a long time. The value of being able to work from home and stay positive. The value of adapting to this new environment. Cobb spoke about the inherent value of things VS what they are financially valued at.
Special thanks to the National Gallery of Canada, Shaw and Indspire for their support of The Walrus Talks.
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Amanda Parris is a playwright and the host of CBC’s, Exhibitionists and Marvin’s Room and she spoke about her fear of being forgotten by a culture that seems to prefer to forget stories like the ones that she tells and amplifies. How does denial affect us in our individual lives, and what can we do to remedy Canada’s Collective Amnesia?
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We've been talking about Inclusion and Diversity as a society for what feels like forever, with limited success in addressing either. But 2020 is shaping up to be a year of action and as Eva Greyeyes will tell you, it’s time to stop looking to the past, and focus on the future - Resurgence rather than Reconciliation. Eva Greyeyes is Nêhiyaw, from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, and was a grade 11 student when she gave this talk.
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As Canadians from Halifax to Vancouver protest against police brutality and racial discrimination, many are asking how do we make the necessary leap from calls for justice to a tangible change in policing that saves lives? In 2019, Brittany Andrew-Amofah spoke about the power of local government that is often overlooked -- and underestimated. If cities involve marginalized communities in their systems of governance, could we end police brutality in this country forever?
Brittany Andrew-Amofah is a Senior Policy and Research Analyst at the Broadbent Institute and she spoke at DIALOG Presents The Walrus Talks Wellbeing in 2019.
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Across the country, Canadians are taking to the streets, protesting police violence. And while some are calling for reforms, others are questioning the need for police altogether. Journalist, activist and author Desmond Cole recently tweeted that when he gave this talk in 2017, he was scared to propose a cop-free future in a room that included the Governor-General and members of the armed forces, RCMP, and local police.
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It’s impossible to miss the common thread in the images of protest on all our screens these days. People have reached their limit. They are sad. They are angry. And despite a global pandemic, they are gathering in protest.
Criticism will always follow protest, and much of the criticism is aimed at the so-called youth. Every generation seems to take issue with the young, forgetting their own journeys, and more importantly, closing their ears and minds to people who think speak and act differently than us.
This is Samantha Reusch, from The Walrus Talks Wellbeing.
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Resilience can be about coming to terms with the obstacles in front of you. As we minimize touching and practice social isolation, it's starting to feel like at least part of this experience will have to become part of our forever experience. Rupi Kaur spoke about the power of resilience in her own life.
Special thanks to Indspire, Enbridge and Concordia University for their support for The Walrus Talks.
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Artists can’t give you a vaccine or tell leaders how to reopen the economy. But they do give you Netflix to binge-watch, music for your daily walks and books to distract you.
Janice Price, president of the Banff Centre, talks about why we turn to the arts in times of crisis.
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These are some of our Walrus Talks that remind us of the powerful role mothers play and how their love can shape our future. Writer Lisa Moore talks about conversations between mothers and daughters, musician Pierre Kwenders reflects on the power of the matriarchs in his life and with her baby in her arms, artist Lido Pimienta describes the future of the arts.
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Dr. Kamran Khan is the founder of BlueDot, a tech company that works with doctors, engineers, scientists and AI to predict outbreaks and track the spread of infectious disease.
Khan is a physician at St Mike’s Hospital in Toronto and the founder of BlueDot and he spoke at The Walrus Talks Disruption, presented by Concordia University.
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When Margaret Atwood’s dystopic worlds begin to appear in our real lives, we know we’re in trouble. Canada’s oracular writer has written some of the scariest scenarios for our future. But she herself has hope. Something that we need when confronted with a worldwide pandemic with no end in sight. We’re not quite in Gilead, but some days, it feels too close for comfort.
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Physical distancing has real-world repercussions, and sometimes that comes out in expressions of fear or hate. Concordia University's Vivek Venkatesh lost his cousin in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985 so he understands why people embrace extremism and hateful rhetoric. He also understands what it takes to become accepting and compassionate.
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How well do you know your neighbours? Probably way better than you did a few months ago. According to Concordia's Jennifer Mcgrath, your neighbourhood can have a surprising impact on your health. And she should know. She's an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Pediatric Public Health Psychology Lab.
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Christa Couture wants to turn the idea of "getting better" on its head.
Everywhere we go, we’re confronted by the language of betterment. Everything in your life needs to be optimized. Your Insta stories, your smoothies and even your days off need to be filled with wellness. But what about for those who are chronically ill, or grieving, or working from home, anxious about a spreading pandemic?
This is Christa Couture spoke at The Walrus Talks Living Better in November, 2019.
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Physical distancing has become our new normal —standing metres apart, avoiding public spaces and large gatherings has become crucial to flattening the curve of COVID-19. But in a time where we’re all intentionally avoiding other humans, it’s now more important than ever to be listening to each other.
Shelagh Rogers is a Canadian treasure who has made a career out of listening to others. In the Talk you’re about to listen to, she explores one specific example of listening that goes beyond regular conversation. As an Honorary Witness for Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Rogers works tirelessly to listen to and document the stories of the survivors of Canadian residential schools.
In a time when we’re confining ourselves to our homes to stop a quick-spreading virus, we need to stay tuned in to what our communities are saying.
Shelagh Rogers spoke at The Walrus Talks National Tour: We Desire a Better Country.
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We tend to think of loneliness as a state of mind. But what if we thought of it as a health issue?
Andre Picard spoke at The Walrus Talks Healthy Cities in 2016 in Hamilton, Ontario. Watch all The Walrus Talks at youtube.com/walrustelevision
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