Past Speakers
Noam Chomsky, Public Intellectual
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and Joan Phillip, First Nations Leaders
Margaret MacMillan, Historian
Elizabeth Renzetti, Globe & Mail Columnist
Gregor Robertson, Former Vancouver Mayor
Jamie Biggar, Leadnow.ca Co-founder
Madeleine Thien, Giller Prize-winning Author
Geoff Dembicki, Climate Journalist
Jennifer Welsh, 2016 CBC Massey Lecturer
Judith Sayers, Champion for Sustainable Development in First Nations Communities
Gwynne Dyer, International Affairs Journalist & Author
Conrad Black, Former Newspaper Publisher
Jennifer Gardy, Scientist and CBC Nature of Things Co-host
Aaron Devor, World’s Only Research Chair in Transgender Studies, University of Victoria
Adrienne Clarkson, Former Governor General
Daniel Pauly, Fisheries Scientist
Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Former Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
Gilles Duceppe, Former Bloc Québécois Leader
Louise Arbour, UN Special Representative for International Migration
Julio Montaner, Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
Joel Solomon, Clean Money Investor
David Suzuki, Educator, Scientist & Activist
John Ralston Saul, Philosopher & Writer
Naomi Klein, Journalist & Bestselling Author
Amy Goodman, DemocracyNow! Co-founder & Host
Stephan Lewandowsky, Cognitive Scientist
Maude Barlow, Political Activist & Policy Critic
Kent Rathwell, Entrepreneur and Green Business Leader
Olivia Chow, Former Politician
Tzeporah Berman, Environmental Campaigner
Lawrence Cannon, Former Canadian Ambassador to France & Cabinet Minister
Stephen Lewis, Humanitarian & Former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
Chantal Hébert, Journalist & Political Commentator
Monia Mazigh, Author & Activist
Amir Attaran, Professor of Medicine & Law, University of Ottawa
Charlie Demers, Comedian & Playwright
Reuben George, Manager of The Sacred Trust, an organization of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation
Payam Akhavan, 2017 Massey Lecturer & Former UN War Crimes Prosecutor
Jonathan Manthorpe, Journalist and Author
Serena Auñón-Chancellor, NASA Astronaut, Physician & Engineer
Richard Fadden, Former Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
Erik Voeten, Georgetown University Professor
Ed Struzik, journalist, author, environmentalist
Angus Reid, Chair of Angus Reid Institute
Kirsten Zickfeld, climate scientist
Philip Steenkamp, President & Vice-Chancellor Royal Roads University
Bill Rees, human ecologist / ecological economist
Kevin Patterson M.D.
Bill McKibben, environmentalist
Jane Phipott, physician and former Minister for Health
Beverley McLachlin, Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
Douglas Roche, Former Canadian Senator
Donald Smith. Professor emeritus, University of Calgary.
Suzanne Simard. UBC professor of Forestry, and author.
Kathryn Harrison, UBC Professor of Political Science
Sean Holman, Investigative journalist.
Stephen Wrage. Professor of political Science. US Naval Academy.
Luke Savage. Author, Political Scientist.
Dr. John Cassidy, NRC . Earthquake seismologist.
Rasmus Bertelsen. Expert in Arctic geo-politics.
Dr. Jan Chodas. NASA Jet Propulsion Lab.
Lisa Young. Professor of Political Science, University of Calgary.
Rashid Sumaila. Tyler prize winner 2023. Professor,UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.
Lauren Shea, transatlantic rower and UBC masters student.
Christopher Pollon, author and investigative journalist.
Max Wyman, author and arts reporter.
Lawrence Martin, Globe & Mail Columnist & Author
Dr. Bryan Kolb, Neuroscientist
Jeff Rubin, Economist, Energy Expert & Bestselling Author
Kathy Fox, Chair of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Mary McBride, Scientist with BC Cancer
Kathryn Sikkink, Human Rights Professor, Harvard University
Moriba Jah, Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and Expert on Space Debris
Josie Osborne, Mayor of Tofino, BC
Tanya Talaga, 2018 CBC Massey Lecturer
Nancy Turner, ethnobotanist
Nancy MacLean, Professor of History and Public Policy, Duke University
Ken Wu, Endangered Ecosystems Alliance
Richard Bellamy, Professor of political science
Timothy Brook, author
Alex Neve, human rights activist
Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director of Battered Women Support Services
Jim Stanford, Canadian economist and Director of The Centre for Future Work
Professor Roland Paris advisor to the Prime Minister on International Relations.
Jeremy Kinsman, Former Ambassador to Russia and the European Union.
Marsha Lederman Author and Journalist.
Dr Swaran Singh. Professor of Political Science.
John Doyle.The Globe and Mail Arts Critic.
Dr. Tanya Harrison, Geologist and Mars expert.
Jon Kimura Parker. Concert pianist and educator.
Erin O’Toole. Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Antonios Tzankopoulos. Professor of Public Law. University of Oxford.
Alison Smith, Associate Professor, University of Toronto.
Kim Bolan, Vancouver Sun crime reporter.
Marc Garneau, astronaut, Canadian cabinet minister.
Paul Bramadat, professor and Director of the Centre for studies in Religion and Society at University of Victoria.
George Black, author of ‘The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace and Redemption in Vietnam.’