Healthy Democracy Forum October 18-19, 2025: Presentations

Healthy Democracy Forum Saturday, October 18 
Increasing voter turnout, candidate attraction & retention

Opening & Forum Framing
Traditional opening and address by Indigenous Knowledge Keeper

  • Eddy Robinson

Welcome from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) 

  • Robin Jones, AMO President
  • Lindsay Jones, AMO Executive Director


Turn Up the Turn Out

  • John Beebe, Founder, TMU’s Democratic Engagement Exchange  
  • Stewart McDonough, AMO’s Healthy Democracy Project Lead

Panel 1: Get Out The Vote (GOTV)

  • Moderator: Laura Wood, Co-Founder, elect HER Now
  • Speakers:
    • John Beebe, Founder, TMU’s Democratic Engagement Exchange
    • Amanda Munday, Executive Director, New Majority 
    • Umair Ashraf, Executive Director, The Canadian-Muslim Vote

Panel 2: Indigenous outreach and civic inclusion

  • Moderator: Eddy Robinson, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper
  • Speakers:
    • Katelyn LaForme, City of Hamilton, Director of Indigenous Relations 
    • Rozella Johnston, Brampton (title tbc)
    • Devin Oad, Brampton (title tbc)

Workshop: Creative Currency Voter Turnout Campaign

  • Lauren McDonald, Vice President, Strategy, Creative Currency
  • Sarah Litchfield, Senior Digital Strategist, Creative Currency

Public Affairs Campaign Strategy

  • Lauren McDonald, Vice President, Strategy, Creative Currency
  • Sarah Litchfield, Senior Digital Strategist, Creative Currency

Fireside chat: Velma Morgan in Conversation with Zahra Ebrahim

  • Velma Morgan, Chair, Operation Black Vote Canada
  • Zahra Ebrahim, Co-Founder, Monumental Projects

Keynote

  • Mary W. Rowe, President and CEO, Canadian Urban Institute

Closing ceremony

  • Eddy Robinson, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper

Healthy Democracy Forum Sunday, October 19
Civility and anti-harassment

Opening & Framing
Welcome from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) 

  • AMO Membership Centre Director, Petra Wolfbeiss
  • France Bélisle, former Mayor of Gatineau, in conversation with Joanne Chianello, Director, StrategyCorp Inc.

Data & Diagnosis 

  • Andrew Parkin, Executive Director, Environics Institute 
  • Dr. Erin Tolley, Canada Research Chair in Gender, Race, And Inclusive Politics, Carlton University

Panel 1: The Political Experience 

  • Moderator: Councillor Tammy Hwang, City of Hamilton
  • Speakers:
    • Mayor Michelle Boileau, City of Timmins 
    • Mayor Melanie Pilon, Municipality of Wawa 
    • Stephanie Donaldson, Executive Director, Ontario Public School Board Association 
    • Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, City of Burlington

Panel 2: Conversations from the Inside 

  • Moderator: Stacy Hushion, Vice President Government Relations, StrategyCorp
  • Speakers:
    • Oliver Jerschow, CAO, Town of Innisfil
    • Sandra Datars Bere, CAO, City of London
    • Jessica Chase, Director, City of Hamilton, Health and Safety Communities

Panel 3: Journalism, Social Media & the Public Sphere

  • Moderator: Brian Lambie, President, Redbrick Communications
  • Speakers:
    • Inori Roy, Associate Editor, the Local 
    • Supriya Dwivedi, Former Senior advisory to the Prime Minister and contributing columnist to the Toronto Star
    • Mathew Gray, Director of Public Policy & Media Partnerships, Torstar Corp, Toronto Star

Democracy Fitness

  • Peter MacLeod, Principal MASS LBP
  • Kayte McKnight, Consultant, MASS LBP
  • Jasmin Jay, Director, MASS LBP