Dispatch by Aryan Sharifi, Simon Fraser University
Aryan Sharifi (He/They) is a third-year undergraduate student studying political science at Simon Fraser University. Specializing in international relations, Aryan is particularly interested in international climate policy and diplomacy. He is committed to creating a more just and equitable world through community engagement and climate action. In his free time, Aryan enjoys reading, writing, and volunteering in the community.
From October 2025 to April 2026, I had the pleasure of attending the What is Happening in Canada (WIHIC) Webinar Series. Organized by the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies at York University, the series featured monthly lectures on key topics of study in Canada as well as underexplored realities. I particularly enjoyed the lectures examining Canada’s democratic trajectory, climate policy choices, and the experiences of migrant workers in Atlantic Canada.
"These talks underscored some of the key challenges facing Canada and the importance of addressing them. Canada’s response to these matters will have long-standing consequences for both present and future generations." - Aryan Sharifi
Dr. Cristine de Clercy delivered the first lecture in the series, which explored the future of democratic governance in the face of artificial intelligence, foreign interference, political extremism, changing trade relationships, and outdated institutional norms. She argued that Canada requires deep and sustained investment in its democratic institutions, procedures, and processes. Her talk revolved around four points. Firstly, in her view, devoting philanthropic investments to people’s understanding of democracy is a worthwhile investment. To support this position, de Clercy cited the positive impacts arising from the establishment of Trent University’s Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership. Second, she asserted that leaders need support in navigating the current leadership environment, which is more complex and concerning than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Third, Dr. de Clercy maintained that Canada is unlikely to remain unscathed by the deterioration of American democracy. Canadians, she claimed, are uncertain whether their leaders fully appreciate this risk. This uncertainty is, in turn, contributing to the erosion of public trust. Lastly, she stressed that, in a democracy, leaders must be led—meaning that people must orient leaders toward the present needs of society. Ultimately, Professor de Clercy’s webinar highlights the urgent need for strong investments not only in physical projects but also in democratic infrastructure.
The second lecture in the series was delivered by Debora VanNijnatten, a Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. VanNijnatten’s presentation focused on the difficult choices confronting Canada in meeting its net-zero targets. Her central argument was that Canada is caught between two opposing climate policy futures—one driven by the United States (US) and the other by the European Union (EU). Dr. VanNijnatten opened by outlining the climate policy landscape since 2015. Following the Paris Agreement, Canada pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. Despite some positive developments, Canada is still significantly behind on meeting its targets. This situation has been further complicated by Donald Trump, who has upended relations between Canada and the United States since 2024, including by cutting interagency ties and cross-border linkages. Under Trump, the US climate agenda differs significantly from that of the EU. The US is currently pursuing a climate policy approach that emphasizes expanded fossil fuel development and reduced support for renewable energy incentives. Meanwhile, the European Union is committed to science-based policymaking, reducing fossil fuel production, and transitioning toward renewable energy. Professor VanNijnatten ended the presentation by stating that Canada must eventually decide to either deal with its fossil fuel emissions, like the EU, or follow the US route.
In January 2026, the WIHIC Webinar Series featured a presentation by Dr. Claudine Bonner, who is the Canada Research Chair in Racial Justice and African Diaspora Migration and an Associate Professor of Sociology at Mount Allison University. Through this WIHIC event, she sought to situate migrant workers’ experiences in Atlantic Canada within Canada’s temporary foreign worker regime, to show how a regional scale makes the governing logic of temporariness more visible, and to explore the historical memory of migrant labour. Her lecture illustrates that not much has changed from the past: Temporary foreign workers continue to be exploited within vague and ambiguous legal frameworks. Most of these workers are employed in essential yet undervalued sectors, including agriculture, seafood processing, hospitality and food services, and care and support work. Indeed, as Dr. Bonner noted in her talk, migrant workers are overwhelmingly racialized. Moreover, their experience is marked by social isolation, a lack of quality housing and access to care, and precarious, seasonal, and physically demanding work. Evidently, these exploitative systems have been in place for a long time. How best to change these structures is something I am interested in learning more about as a result of this WIHIC event.
The WIHIC Webinar Series proved to be highly informative. Prior to attending the lectures, I had only a surface-level understanding of these important topics, but I now have a much deeper understanding as a result of the expertise shared by the presenters. My learning does not stop here, however, as I am motivated to dive even deeper into these subjects.