Canada's Democratic Test: Can We Move Fast Without Losing What Matters?
April 30, 2026 | 2:45 - 6PM
Global Centre for Pluralism
330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON
DXC+ Ottawa brings together organizations, leaders, and community members to explore civic and democratic issues that matter locally and nationally. Through a locally-organized convening, participants will engage in an expert panel and interactive discussions designed to share perspectives, exchange ideas, and strengthen civic engagement.
The event is a collaboration of Bridge Building Group and Open Democracy Project, hosted with the support of the Global Pluralism Centre, and the national DemocracyXChange Summit, co-produced by OCAD U, Open Democracy Project, and the Dais at TMU.
Presented by
About the Event
Canada is in a moment of accelerated decision-making, faster approvals, faster builds, and faster trade-offs, driven by geopolitical uncertainty, national security pressures, and economic risk.
For some, this urgency is necessary and long overdue. For others, it raises critical questions about who is included, who bears the costs, and what is at risk when consultation, care, and accountability are compressed.
At its core, this is a democratic challenge: how do we move quickly without weakening the principles, relationships, and trust that underpin decision-making?
This inaugural DemocracyXChange Ottawa event, led by Bridge Building Group and Open Democracy Project and hosted at the Global Centre for Pluralism, creates space to engage this tension directly. Bringing together perspectives from industry, Indigenous organizations, policy, advocacy, and civil society, the event will explore how acceleration is shaping decisions across sectors and what it means for democratic practice in Canada today.
A cross-sector panel will help frame the conversation, grounding it in current realities and trade-offs. From there, the discussion will open into a facilitated exchange, where participants will examine how decisions are being made in this moment, where trust is being strained or rebuilt, and what it would take to move forward in ways that are both timely and democratically grounded.
This gathering is designed to surface tensions, deepen understanding, and strengthen the relationships needed to navigate complexity. The aim is to leave with clearer questions, shared principles, and a stronger foundation for decision-making that can move at pace without losing what matters.
Who Should Attend
This invitation is for those who see themselves reflected in these tensions, through their work, decisions, or lived experience, and are ready to engage with them.
Expect a working conversation, not a passive event. Participants should expect to actively engage, contributing insights, listening across differences, and being part of a candid, cross-sector conversation.
Space is limited.
Schedule
April 30, 2026 | 2:45PM to 6PM
Global Centre for Pluralism | 330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON
2:45 - 3:00pm
Arrival
3:00 - 4:00pm
Opening & moderated discussion featuring speakers to help frame the discussion and tensions
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Akaash Maharaj, Director of Policy, Nature Canada
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Anoush Fraser Terjanian, Research Fellow, uOttawa Human Rights Research and Education Centre
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Brian Gallant, CEO, Space Canada
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Jon Lomow, Managing Partner, Catalyze4
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Skylee-Storm Hogan-Stacey, Senior Research Officer, First Nations Information Governance Centre
4:00 - 5:00pm
Participatory exchange Participants take an active role in the conversation, expect to think, share, and engage with others in the room
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Jane Porter, Co-Founder, Bridge Building Group
5:00 - 5:15pm
Closing Discussion & Reflections
5:15 - 6:00pm
Reception with light refreshments and snacks
Speakers
Akaash Maharaj, Director of Policy, Nature Canada
Akaash is responsible for shaping the policies of Canada’s federal, provincial, and Indigenous governments, to protect and conserve wildlife and habitats across our country.
Outside of Nature Canada, he is Ambassador-at-Large for the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption, and a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
Earlier in his life, he was an international athlete for Canada, and was a triple gold medallist at the International Championships of Equestrian Skill‑at‑Arms. He subsequently led the Canadian Equestrian Team and federation as its CEO, to the team’s most successful Olympics and Paralympics of all time.
Akaash earned his Master of Arts from Oxford University, where he was the first overseas student elected President of the student government in the history of the 900-year‑old University. He completed further studies at the Sorbonne Université and the United Nations University.
Anoush Fraser Terjanian, Research Fellow, uOttawa Human Rights Research and Education Centre
Anoush Fraser Terjanian has a longstanding interest in how research addresses public challenges, particularly in the field of democracy. In 2015, on secondment from her tenured university post, she became founding director of the Social Science Research Council’s Anxieties of Democracy program (U.S.), where she brought together more than 75 researchers, practitioners, and journalists to solve for democratic capacity and legitimacy. Since repatriating to Canada, she has continued to lead and support cross-sector initiatives, most recently as co-convener of the Revitaliser notre/nos démocratie/s | Revitalising our democracy/ies action research project.
Twice appointed by the Governor in Council to the Governing Council of SSHRC, where she also served on the Executive Committee, Dr Terjanian is an alumna of the Parliamentary Internship Programme (PIP) and has worked at the Privy Council Office and on Canada’s G7 Summit delegation. A research Fellow at uOttawa’s Human Rights Research and Education Centre, she also advises decision-makers and mobilises researchers, policymakers, and civil society for the public good. Multilingual and an enthusiastic Francophile, she is committed to advancing Indigenous rights, inclusion, and to making real the promise of Canada.
Brian Gallant, CEO, Space Canada
Brian Gallant is the CEO of Space Canada and was the 33rd Premier of New Brunswick. Brian is a Special Advisor to the President of Ontario Tech University. He also frequently provides business and political analysis as a media commentator for CTV and Radio Canada.
Jon Lomow, Managing Partner, Catalyze4
Jon Lomow is a multi-time founder and entrepreneur who has spent his career building ideas and organizations that go beyond the expected—creating new ways to tackle complex commercial, societal, and environmental challenges.
He launched his first company in 2000, a communications firm that was acquired by Venture Communications in 2003. Over the next 20 years, Jon founded, led, or advised a range of private companies and projects across sectors as varied as infrastructure, food, cleantech, fintech, and marketing—bringing both startup grit and strategic clarity to the table.
Since 2018, Jon has focused on advancing Canada’s food sovereignty. This includes founding Fieldless, a modern food and controlled-environment agriculture company. As CEO, he led the company in raising over $33 million to grow safe, sustainable Canadian food year-round before its sale in 2026.
Most recently, Jon co-founded Catalyze4, a consulting firm focused on accelerating large-scale change in Canada by helping organizations execute high-impact projects.
Skylee-Storm Hogan-Stacey, Senior Research Officer, First Nations Information Governance Centre
Skylee-Storm Hogan-Stacey is the Senior Research Officer for Critical Data Studies at FNIGC, focusing on critical inquiry and applied research in First Nations data sovereignty and digital tools. She explores data as a powerful medium for Indigenous governance and colonial control, examining the complex relationships between law, practice, meaning, and community. Currently, Skylee-Storm is exploring the potential opportunities and impacts of artificial intelligence on First Nations data sovereignty. Informed by her diverse background working with historical research firms, museums, and the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Skylee-Storm co-authored Decolonial Archival Futures in 2023 with Krista McCracken to introduce information professionals to the discourse on reshaping archival practices. Previously, she served as a research policy analyst with the Office of the Independent Special Interlocutor, focusing on historical research initiatives, legal frameworks for archival practices, and Indigenous data sovereignty. She holds a BA (Hons.) in Law and Justice from Algoma University and an MA in History from the University of Western Ontario. Skylee-Storm identifies with Kanien:keha'ka and settler heritage, with her father’s family from Kahnawà:ke and her mother’s family as settlers in what is now known as Newfoundland.
Facilitator
Jane Porter, Co-Founder, Bridge Building Group
Jane Porter is a Certified Professional Facilitator (Integral® and IAF Certified™) with over 15 years of national and international experience as a convener, consultant, and bridge builder. She works at the intersection of industry, government, Indigenous groups, and civil society on some of today’s most pressing challenges, including natural resource management, climate change and nature protection.
After a decade-long career in sustainability management consulting, Jane co-founded Bridge Building Group. The team focuses on strategy, consulting, and facilitation, designing meaningful processes and gatherings that accelerate change, bridge divides, and remind people of what’s possible when we move forward together.
Jane’s work is featured in her TEDx Talk, "Bridge Building for Democracy." She is also a co-founder of Impact Hub Ottawa and serves as a Board Member of the Parkdale Food Centre.
DemocracyXChange is a collaboration between:
