The Conversation Piece

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For the past seven years, we’ve hosted some of the most engaging and fascinating thought leaders in Canada through The Walrus Talks, a national event series that sparks conversations on the issues that matter most to Canadians. The events feature seven thought leaders and industry experts talking for seven minutes each, with seven different perspectives on a single topic.

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E9: Janice Price

Artists can’t give you a vaccine or tell leaders how to reopen the economy. But they do give you Netflix to binge-watch, music for your daily walks and books to distract you. Janice Price, president of the Banff Centre, talks about why we turn to the arts in times of crisis.

E8: The Mother of all Episodes

These are some of our Walrus Talks that remind us of the powerful role mothers play and how their love can shape our future. Writer Lisa Moore talks about conversations between mothers and daughters, musician Pierre Kwenders reflects on the power of the matriarchs in his life and with her baby in her arms, artist Lido Pimienta describes the future of the arts.

E7: Kamran Khan

Can we innovate through adversity? Dr. Kamran Khan thinks so. He’s the founder of BlueDot, a tech company that works with doctors and AI to predict outbreaks and track the spread of infectious disease.
He knows what it takes to adapt to an uncertain future and the kinds of questions we need to consider before we make our next moves.

E6: Margaret Atwood

When Margaret Atwood’s dystopic worlds begin to appear in our real lives, we know we’re in trouble. Canada’s oracular writer has written some of the scariest scenarios for our future. But she herself has hope. Something that we need when confronted with a world-wide pandemic with no end in sight.

E5: Vivek Venkatesh

Physical distancing has real-world repercussions, and sometimes that comes out in expressions of fear or hate. Concordia University’s Vivek Venkatesh lost his cousin in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985 so he understands why people embrace extremism and hateful rhetoric. He also understands what it takes to become accepting and compassionate.

photo of Jennifer McGrath speaking at The Walrus Talks

E4: Jennifer McGrath

How well do you know your neighbours? Probably way better than you did a few months ago. According to Concordia’s Jennifer Mcgrath, your neighbourhood can have a surprising impact on your health. And she should know. She’s an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Pediatric Public Health Psychology Lab at Concordia University (www.pphplab.org) and holds the PERFORM Centre Chair in Childhood Preventive Health and Data Science.

E3: Christa Couture

Everywhere we go, we’re confronted by the language of betterment. Everything in your life needs to be optimized. Your Insta stories, your smoothies and even your days off need to be filled with wellness. But what if feeling better is not an option?

E2: Shelagh Rogers

In a time when we’re confining ourselves to our homes to stop a quick-spreading virus, we need to stay tuned in to what our communities are saying. Shelagh Rogers is a veteran of CBC Radio, who has been at the forefront of Canadian arts, culture and society for decades. But in the Talk you’re about to listen to, she explores one specific example of listening that goes beyond regular conversation.

E1: André Picard

André Picard has been a health journalist for The Globe and Mail for more than three decades, and has written about SARS, MERS and many other health threats. He’s also talked about a health issue that may be collateral damage as we all self-isolate from COVID-19: the lethality of loneliness.

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