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This event is hosted by the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Club Toronto

Canada has experienced stunning change over the past several years in the way Canadians receive information. Across the spectrum of traditional news, social media, and emerging online sources, the way Canadians consume facts and understand this country has shifted in a seismic way. In a short time, we’ve moved from a few single points of truth to a wildly fragmented ecosystem, often split into echo chambers driven by bias and preference, fueled by opaque algorithms, and plagued by polarization. This dynamic environment is challenging leaders across industries on how to respond and best reach Canadians with the information they care about most.

The stakes are particularly high in the health sector, where misinformation can have life-or-death consequences. To shed light on this critical issue, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has commissioned Abacus Data to explore the current state of Canada’s information environment. Their annual CMA Health & Media Tracking Survey with original polling data offers insights into the spread of health misinformation, its drivers, and actionable strategies to address it. Join Canadian Club Toronto on January 21 for the release of the 2025 survey results and new polling data, offering a compelling case study at the intersection of health and media. This conversation will not only unpack the current challenges but also explore the opportunities for meaningful change.

Abacus Data CEO David Coletto will present the results of this work, followed by a panel of experts who will discuss what needs to happen next.

This expert panel features:

• Dr. Joss Reimer – President, Canadian Medical Association
• Dr. Theresa Tam – Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer
• Craig Silverman – ProPublica National Reporter & Misinformation expert
• Angela Pacienza – Executive Editor, The Globe and Mail
• Moderated by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Host of CBC Radio’s COMMOTION

The in-person event, which starts at 11:30 am, is sold out. For virtual attendees, please note that the live stream will begin at approximately  12:30pm ET & the link will be provided closer to the event date.

This event is presented by Co-CREATH

CO-CREATH's annual Black History Month World Café Event is a virtual gathering to celebrate Black History Month and hear from their research team about how their projects are impacting the lives of African, Caribbean, and Black Canadians. It's also an opportunity to learn about the outcomes of their Critical Health and Racial Literacy program and what comes next.

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This webinar is presented by Health Data Research Network Canada  (HDRN) as part of their Big IDEAs aout Health Data Speaker Series.

# About the Presentation:

There are increasing opportunities to leverage administrative health data to better understand the experiences of communities who face inequities, including 2S/LGBTQQIA+ communities. But how do 2S/LGBTQQIA+ people feel about these kinds of health data and their linkage to community-based research? For community-based researchers, what can administrative health data tell us about how 2S/LGBTQQIA+ people “show up” in the data? In this session, Anu Radha Verma and Dr. Nathan Lachowsky will discuss the feasibility and acceptability of administrative health data linkage amongst 2S/LGBTQQIA+ communities, the possibility of understanding chronic diseases and their management in our communities, and possibilities for the future.

PLEASE NOTE: This presentation is in English. The webinar will be recorded and posted on hdrn.ca.

# About the Speakers:

Anu Radha Verma (she/her) is an Associate Director of Research at the Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC). Her work at CBRC is focused on chronic health, conversion practices, anti-racism and gender-based violence. Anu Radha has lived and worked in both so-called Canada and India, and she focuses on social justice issues relating to the environment, health, gender and sexuality, poverty, youth, migration and disability. She is a queer, diasporic woman of colour with complex connections to ‘South Asia’, a mad-identified survivor, and she navigates chronic fatigue while living on the Treaty and Traditional Territory of the Mississauga’s of the Credit.

Dr. Nathan Lachowsky (he/him/his) is a settler researcher and uninvited guest on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen peoples. He is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar, and he serves as Research Director for CBRC. Championing interdisciplinary and community-based approaches, Dr. Lachowsky has conducted HIV and sexual health research with sexual and gender minoritized men, including Indigenous Two-Spirit and ethnoracial minority men across Canada and Aotearoa New Zealand.

# About the Series:

The Big IDEAs About Health Data Speaker Series features a variety of experts discussing how data can be used to advance health equity. It aspires to create a space for conversation about whether and how data can be used to advance equity in Canada; specific uses of and guidelines for the use of disaggregated data (sex and gender, race and ethnicity, disability, income, housing, language etc.); and advancements in data research practices and methods that embed inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility in algorithms, distributed analytics, community involvement and equity assessment tools. Watch and share past webinar recordings. 

This virtual workshop is presented by the Tamarack Institute.

Community engagement is a pathway to building equity. We need to engage authentically while centring the voices of people who are closest to the issues we're working to solve. We need to work together.

Diverse perspectives are important for solution-making and finding ways to break the divide are necessary at local scales to find ways of moving forward. We have to create opportunities for dialogue – for understanding. 

# Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Learn techniques to help them navigate polarization in real time when facilitating engagement; create shared realities (or shared language) between those holding different perspectives; and increase the chances of healthy dialogue
• Consider how to build relationships and reduce barriers to engagement
• Frame polarized situations to create the conditions to move from debate to dialogue
• Increase their knowledge of consensus-based and dialogue practices