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Free speech under threat: How we can defend it – together
Free speech in Canada is facing unprecedented pressure from expanding government controls and cultural shifts. Once the bedrock of democratic life, open debate is increasingly stifled by laws targeting so-called “harmful” expression and by a rising climate of censorship – especially on sensitive issues like immigration, gender, and national identity.
Canada’s conception of free speech has quietly – but profoundly – shifted. Once seen as a tool for collective truth-seeking and democratic engagement, it is now often framed as a matter of personal expression. This turn, amplified by the Charter’s post-1982 interpretation and the rise of expressive individualism, has made them more easily overridden in the name of competing values like “safety” and “inclusion.” The result? A thinner, more fragile vision of free expression – one less anchored in the rigour of open debate.
Join Macdonald-Laurier Institute Senior Fellows Ryan Alford and Eric Kaufmann for a critical conversation on the future of free expression in Canada. They’ll explore the cultural currents weakening resistance to censorship, the revival of restrictive laws, and the risks they pose to our foundational freedoms. They will also offer a roadmap for Canadians seeking to restore a culture of open inquiry and principled dissent. It’s time for Canadians to raise their voices in defence of free speech – before it’s too late.
