The Word On The Street Toronto presents this next City Imagines event featuring El Jones, Suzanne Methot, David Moscrop, Jean Teillet, and moderated by Erica Ifill.
Whether it’s watching Last Week Tonight or posting memes on Twitter, plenty of Canadians seem deeply interested in the spectator sport that is American politics. Why do we know so much about the US political system and yet so little about our own? Join us for a wide-ranging discussion about civic literacy, deconstructing Canadian governing structures, and that all-too-pervasive Canadian smugness toward the US. What’s needed for Canadians to become more active citizens in our own communities? What barriers to access prevent citizens from getting involved in local Canadian government? What role does the media have to play in mobilizing the public on relevant issues? And how do we begin to scrutinize our own political sphere with the same critical eye we turn to our southern neighbours?