Canada’s freedom at critical crossroads

With so much going on in the world, and especially with what has just transpired in Jamaica, many of us are so distracted that we are unaware of the dangers that are occurring right here in Canada. Don’t you worry; I have been paying attention, and unfortunately, what I have to tell you is not going to be pleasant.

For years, I have volunteered with community organizations advocating for civil liberties in our African Caribbean communities across Toronto. I have watched them grow from small gatherings in community halls to powerful voices at Queen’s Park. Today, as I sit in my home office, the morning light filtering through the blinds, I am struck by how quickly the landscape has changed. The very freedoms these organizations have fought to protect are now facing threats through three pieces of legislation that, if passed unchanged by Christmas 2025, could fundamentally alter Canadian democracy.

Bills C-2, C-8, and C-9 have moved through parliamentary processes with alarming speed, their implications far-reaching and their consequences potentially irreversible. As someone who has witnessed firsthand the importance of protecting vulnerable communities, I feel compelled to sound the alarm with measured concern and a call to collective action.

“It grants sweeping powers for warrantless searches of our computers and cell phones, devices that hold our most private thoughts…”

Bill C-2, deceptively named the Strong Borders Act, extends far beyond border security. The scent of something more troubling hangs in the air as we examine its provisions. It grants sweeping powers for warrantless searches of our computers and cell phones, devices that hold our most private thoughts, conversations, and connections. Imagine Canada Post, that trusted institution dating back to Confederation, suddenly empowered to open your letters without judicial oversight. The bill criminalizes cash transactions over $10,000, disproportionately affecting those in our communities who have historically operated outside traditional banking systems.

The most chilling aspect? The erosion of privacy protections for vulnerable communities. When frontline services like shelters and legal support organizations can be compelled to hand over private information, it creates a dangerous ripple effect. I have sat in community meetings where newcomers to Canada shared their fears of persecution, only to now face the possibility that their sanctuary could become a pipeline to surveillance.

Bill C-8, though less discussed in public forums, strengthens government surveillance over cyber systems. The digital footprints we leave: our emails, our searches, our connections, become accessible without the safeguards we have taken for granted. In our community work, we have taught digital literacy as a tool for empowerment; now, that same digital world becomes a space where you don’t feel safe. Who wants the government in their business like that?

Then there’s Bill C-9, the Combating Hate Act. On the surface, who could argue against combating hate? Our communities have known the sting of discrimination, the pain of hateful words. Yet, this bill removes critical checks and balances, eliminating the requirement that hate speech prosecutions receive prior review by the Attorney General. It grants judges broader power to impose harsher sentences, including longer jail terms. The sound of gavels could soon silence legitimate discourse, creating a chilling effect on the very freedom of expression that allows marginalized voices to be heard.

These bills collectively impact fundamental rights protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 8 protections against unreasonable search and seizure. Section 2(b) freedom of expression. Section 15 equality rights. These rights are the scaffolding of the inclusive Canada we have worked to build.

“These measures represent not security through strength, but control through fear…”

I understand the need for security. I acknowledge the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens, but these measures represent not security through strength, but control through fear. They target our thoughts; thoughts of ordinary Canadians going about their lives.

What can we do? First, stay informed. The details matter and understanding them is our first defense. Second, reach out to your elected representatives. Share your concerns not with anger, but with the reasoned voice of citizens engaged in democratic process. Third, support the civil liberties organizations that have been fighting this fight, the same ones I have watched grow from small community efforts to powerful advocates.

In our community work, we often say “Each one teach one.” Today, I ask you to learn one, share one, and act one. Learn about these bills. Share what you have learned with your networks, and act by making your voice heard.

The Canada we know, the one that: welcomes newcomers, protects privacy, and values free speech, stands at a crossroads. The path we choose will define our legacy.