Canadian Culture Shock + Politics

And let’s be real… coming back to Canada and actually paying attention to what’s happening across our provinces (especially here in Alberta, in the neighbouring province of BC, and out in the East in Ontario) gave me a kind of culture shock I never expected. Honestly? I didn’t even experience culture shock this intense when I moved to China. So here are 5 political strategies I can clearly identify being used right now by provincial leaders across Canada that are rocking m

Allyship is not performative. It requires discomfort, humility, and sustained effort. It is not about “helping” Indigenous peoples. It is about standing beside them, respecting their leadership, and working toward meaningful change to protect the Next Seven Generations. *If you like this allyship framework, please feel free to get your own copy on my free resources page. https://www.lavenderlibrarypress.ca/freelbgtqandsafespaceresources

Recently I read a zine called Ancestral Pride, written by the Indigenous activist Xhopakelxhit, also known as Queen Sacheen, who I luckily found on Instagram. The zine is raw, direct, and unapologetic. It doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of Indigenous resistance or the uncomfortable role settlers must confront if they truly want justice.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. One of the simplest (and most overlooked and taken for granted) civil liberties we have as Canadians is the right to directly contact our elected officials. So, of course, I did! I recently sent an email to Minister Dale Nally, Alberta’s Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, asking for clarity. I’m sharing that email below, online, and on social media publicly for one reason: Because civic engagement should be accessible to AL

If you’re in Canada and feeling overwhelmed by conflicting information, misinformation, or emotionally charged headlines about politics, about education, about healthcare, about your roads, about, about about....... you are not alone.

Where is the truth?! Where is the transparency? When will Canadians open their eyes and stop fighting each other and start fighting the TRUMPAROONIES!!!!!!!!!

I want to be clear about something first: Many Canadians born after 1990 did learn about treaties and Indigenous history in school. But for many of us, it wasn’t emphasized, revisited, or treated as foundational. It was often presented briefly, abstractly, or as something from the past... not as something that still shapes our lives today.

I posted another video where I discuss how I blended stories and perspectives in my English Literature classes of predominantly ESL/ELL/EFL Chinese students in a (Canadian) BC offshore school in order to move towards Truth and Reconciliation. Starting units with this Youtube TedX video: The Dangers of a One-Sided Story helped hook students into engaging and understanding that there are multiple perspectives in the world, and we all have our own histories and ancestry dependin

Rather than debating whether separation is “right” or “wrong,” I’m far more interested in how the movement presents itself online. Who is speaking? Who is being spoken to? What emotions are being activated? What facts are presented, and what context is missing? Who benefits if viewers accept this narrative without questioning it?