Member stories

Getting Invited

Outside of voting, members of the public are rarely asked what they think about government policies, much less sought to help with the creation of these policies. When people are invited to volunteer and contribute their perspectives, however, they often accept and participate with enthusiasm — as with the Citizens’ Assembly members profiled below.

The envelope, unmarked by any specific address, brought curiosity, confusion, and intrigue — it’s not every day you’re invited to collaborate on a topic that could influence future government policy. Dan realized it was a special moment when he asked others in his local Alberta post office if they’d received a similar envelope, only to find out he was the only one. Greg in Nunavut was surprised to be picked because he’s never participated in something like the Citizens’ Assembly. Others like Bonnie, based in Nova Scotia, took one look at the envelope, passed it on to her husband to have a look, and ignored it for a couple of days.

But every one of the 42 people who would become Assembly members filled out and returned the envelope. Some, like Greg, were excited to take a trip to Winnipeg and Ottawa. Others, like Bruce, saw their participation as part of their patriotic duty as Canadians and a chance to influence public policy. Dan also saw the invite as a responsibility, a chance to bring forward an idea of having an educational program where students and even seniors would be given training before they got on the internet. Bonnie needed a little convincing. After the invite sat on their kitchen table for a couple of days, her husband pointed out that she should apply since she was really good at computers and he thought she would be a good choice for the Assembly. 

Everyone had a different motive when they volunteered, and they all thought they knew how the internet worked. Bonnie laughs, “I was so naive about the topic!” but says she was honoured to be chosen and has learned a lot, not only about the topic but from her fellow Assembly members. Greg gained a better appreciation of how social media works and Dan has taken some learnings to heart. “I’ve also become more cautious of what I say online and I don’t use harmful speech.” With each meeting they become more determined to help form policy. “I get a sense of satisfaction from doing this,” says Bruce.

Divided by Distance

Canada is the second largest country in the world by landmass: it stretches across almost 10 million square kilometres. Across these vast distances, from coast to coast to coast, the 42 members of the Citizens’ Assembly volunteered their time to deliberate on how to reduce harmful speech.

Bonnie from Frankville, Nova Scotia spends her time gardening, reading, walking her rescue dog Mocha, and spoiling her three great-grandchildren rotten. She joined the Assembly out of a sense of civic duty. “My parents instilled in me the power of voting, the need to participate in making Canada a great place to live for everyone, and mostly the importance of being kind to all.” 

Henry lives 4,300 kilometres from Bonnie in Vernon, British Columbia. He moved there several years ago to be closer to family. It’s quiet, which helps him focus on his hobbies — 3D printing, learning more about artificial intelligence, teaching himself Python, and building a better mousetrap. “[The trap] didn’t do anything because the mouse is smart enough to get out of the damn thing.”

Just a 16-hour flight north and Henry could visit Sara-Jayne in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. She and her family moved to Inuvik from the Greater Toronto area in 2012, and they love the small town and close-knit community. As the second vice-president of the Ladies Auxiliary at the local Legion and the secretary for her Union Local, she’s no stranger to civic action. As for her motivations for volunteering for the Assembly: “Being so far North, I pay a lot for my internet and it is not always reliable… it limits education for the kids, it limits our ability to work, it limits our ability to access information.” 

Bonnie, Henry, and Sara-Jayne are separated by vast stretches of land. Despite the distance, they each logged on for all 18 meetings of the Citizens’ Assembly along with the other members of the Assembly, connected by the conviction that things needed to change to make the internet safer for all Canadians.

Accessing the Internet

Members of the Citizens’ Assembly hail from all over Canada, from big cities and outside small towns and everywhere in between. For members who are outside urban centres, Internet access can be slow, unreliable, and expensive. The members profiled below portray this wide variance in access.

Bonnie needs to drive 25 kilometres to visit her son. While she is always glad to see him, she also goes there to download TV shows for herself and her husband, because their internet access at home in Nova Scotia is poor. They pay $81 per month for 5mb/sec. Not only is it terribly slow, it's subject to the weather. It works well enough for their once-a-week Facetime calls to their daughter, but all it takes is one stormy or wintry day for the internet to disappear. Still, it is better than the service they used to have, which gave them a maximum download speed of 1.5mb/sec. That wasn't nearly enough to stream video.

Other Citizens’ Assembly members from across the country are satisfied with their internet, as they don’t use it much. Greg from Nunavut says that while his internet is not fibre optic-fast, it works well enough to access his news apps. Dan, who's in Northern Alberta, used his participation in the Citizens' Assembly to upgrade his internet system. Due to poor service at home, he would use the internet only at work. But he didn't want to do the meetings at work, so he installed a fibre system and now enjoys good service. Others — like Sharon, who lives in Oshawa — get great internet.

Poor internet is a source of frustration, especially when it comes to work. Bonnie says that six out of 10 jobs in her area are remote and require a reliable internet connection. "You need a minimum 50 megabyte download to even apply, so six of those jobs are gone right off the bat. I can’t apply for them because I don’t have that access." Improved, reliable access would allow her to apply for jobs, and would allow her and her husband to enjoy their entertainment without having to take a drive.

Digital Citizen

What does it mean to be a good citizen? Be friendly and polite? Help neighbours and newcomers? How does what it means to be a “good citizen” apply to the internet and the online community? What makes a good digital citizen?

Some Citizens’ Assembly members were most motivated to volunteer because of curiosity. Others were interested in the topic. Many others signed up out of a sense of civic duty. But everyone on the Assembly shares the desire to help make the digital space safer and better for their fellow Canadians. 

Bruce from Ochre Beach, Manitoba uses the internet for banking and reading the news, while his wife uses Facebook to keep up with friends. Bruce comes from a family that feels a strong pull to serve their community and country. He saw his participation as his civic duty as a Canadian. He considers the internet to be a mirror image of society and wants to see more civility and respect online.

Other Citizens’ Assembly members are on the internet all the time. For Nathan, who lives in Edmonton, the online world and the physical world are deeply connected. He is frequently online to keep up with friends, visit Reddit, Netflix, Snapchat, and Youtube, and chat with his gaming buddies via Discord. He also uses the iHunter app on his phone to help him be a responsible hunter, which lets him keep track of leased land and ask for permission to hunt on the land. 

However, Nathan expressed concern about the power held by social media companies. He thinks there should be a lot more accountability for what’s being posted on social platforms. He would also like to see Canada work with other countries on community standards. 

Nathan also raised raised concerns of the size of these companies. He would like to see these large companies face stiffer competition laws. That would create a more competitive environment versus one where the big companies buy up the smaller ones. This could develop better options for users. 

No matter how much time they spend online, the Citizens’ Assembly members share the conviction that logging onto the internet should not be a high-risk activity, and that the internet should be a force for good on both the individual and societal levels.

Essential Perspectives

Many newcomers to Canada responded to the Civic Lottery invitation. Their perspectives and experiences outside of Canada bring important insights to the Assembly. Alejandra and Jagar, profiled below, saw serving on the Assembly as an important act of public service.

Canada is a country of immigrants and moving here is a big step. There's the paperwork, the packing, the weather, and the culture shock. That was what struck Alejandra Balanzario Gutierrez when she moved from a big city in Mexico to rural Quebec with her Canadian husband 10 years ago. Jagar Mohammed also immigrated to Canada more than 20 years ago, but he took a more circuitous route. He's Kurdish, and escaped with his family to Greece when he was eight. Then he moved to Quebec, and finally moved to Ontario, where he lives with his wife.

Many immigrants wonder, “Did I do the right thing?” after they move to Canada, and Alejandra admitted she did have a moment when she questioned what she was doing. Her job in Mexico was good, and her family — including her adult children — are still in Mexico. There also aren't many jobs where she's located in Quebec. She explains that she couldn't work in the local farming industry due to physical concerns, so she and her husband started a successful quilting business. "The reality is that jobs here in Canada are different and no matter what job you do, you are equal to the rest of the people and everyone could do well."

Curiosity brought both of them to the Citizens' Assembly. Both admit that the Citizens' Assembly requires digesting a lot of information. Both of them work, so they're balancing their day jobs with the hours needed for the Assembly. Jagar isn't quite sure what the end results will be but he and Alejandra are interested in the information and pleased to contribute to discussions. "The more I learned there," says Alejandra, "the more I can tell my friends or my family, to tell them what to do so they will be safe."