Come Meet Me and Jocelyn!
We’re doing the Tod’s Nanaimo Infusion event again this year [▶️ watch video] — April 24-26. It’s an invitation for anyone (you do not have to be American or work in healthcare) to come to Vancouver Island and take in the beauty, quirkiness, and friendly people of our area. [get more info]
Last year’s Tod’s Nanaimo Infusion
by Tod Maffin
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I'm tired of being told this is as good as it gets.
That if you want to stay connected to your family or your community, you have to hand your life over to a U.S. tech company that treats Canada like a rounding error.
Facebook didn't drift into this role. It chose it. It chose ads over people, outrage over context, and engagement over trust.
So, let's find some all-Canadian replacements.
Replacing Facebook
I really like Hey.Cafe — it's built in Canada, run in Canada by a guy in Penticton, BC named Anthony, and none of the data is stored on American soil.
It has groups just like Facebook, they're called Cafés, where people actually talk. It has a feed just like Facebook, but this one doesn't feel like it's yelling at you. You follow someone? You see what they post. You talk to people because you want to, not because an algorithm decided conflict would keep you scrolling longer.
(You don't have to be Canadian to join, but if you live in one of the now-many American states with bizarrely draconian social media laws, your state will prevent you from accessing it.)
Is Hey.Cafe smaller? Of course it is. But scale is what broke Facebook in the first place.
Hey.Cafe has no ads. It's free to use, but if you want to support Anthony, you can pay for a pro account to get a few extra features. It's less than $40 for a whole year if you choose to support it, but again you can also use it free.
Replacing Twitter
Twitter was the best cocktail party on the internet. Then a billionaire bought it, gutted the trust and safety team, rolled back policies on misinformation, and replaced verification with a blue checkmark that mostly tells you someone has eight dollars and an inferiority complex.
Bluesky feels like a nicer condo in the same bad neighbourhood. Threads is Meta, which is Facebook. It feels like they built a party and then stood in the corner watching everyone with a clipboard. Nothing felt like Canada.
Then somebody on Vancouver Island built something that might actually work. It's called EH! It's made by a team of Canadians right here on Vancouver Island.
There are Apple and Android apps, and you can also access it via web.
EH! shows people what is happening in their community: local events, local businesses, local conversations. No algorithmic rage machine, no billionaire nudging your feed. Just a timeline, like we used to have.
All of EH!'s user data stays on Canadian soil and is community-moderated by real humans.
T O D B I T
Under the U.S. CLOUD Act, American authorities can compel a U.S.-based tech company to hand over data stored anywhere in the world, including on Canadian servers. Canada has been negotiating a bilateral CLOUD Act agreement with the U.S. since 2022, and it still hasn't been signed.
Putting Our Maple Leaf Where Our Mouth Is
We say we want Canadian solutions. We say we care about privacy and local journalism. Then a Canadian platform shows up and most of us stick with what we know, while complaining about it all on an American platform.
We can change that.
Disclosure: EH! has been a sponsor of this newsletter.
Trivia
Canada's federal private sector privacy law, PIPEDA, was passed in 2000. What was the main reason it was introduced?
— 30 —
Join the discussion about this issue in my Discord community
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Last Week:
What You Missed This Week
The Good News ♥️
A 12-year old girl from île-Perrot, QC wrote a book to help combat bullying.
Snowbirds-International birders are flocking to Manitoba to see a variety of owls.
A pair of divers from Ontario claimed their first international podium finish as a team at the Montreal Diving World Cup.
Cool Art-An artist has made Abraham Lake in Alberta his canvas by painting giant portraits on the frozen water.
SCIENCE!!!!!! 🔭
A Saskatchewan man with a rare skin disorder can enjoy the sunshine again after taking part in a clinical trial.
Touch Grass- A study by McGill University and Adolfo Ibñez University in Chile shows the importance of exposure to nature.
1 in 10 jobs in Vancouver are in the tech industry.
Sonic Boom-A meteor and sonic boom lit up the night sky in British Columbia on March 3.
The First Peoples 🪶
A 15-year-old girl in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, has a team of sled dogs both as a hobby and a way to help preserve her culture.
First Nations chiefs across Alberta unanimously passed a vote of non-confidence in the Alberta government this week.
Métis author Tara Gereaux released her latest book, Wild People Quiet, on March 3 via Simon & Schuster Canada.
A First Nations-led protest in Halifax brought together Mi’kmaq leaders, environmental activists, and others opposing cuts to government funding.
Wild Things 🐻❄️
Felines Found- An airtag led rescuers to find a cat who had just given birth, along with her six kittens, all of whom are doing well.
A tiger at the Edmonton Valley Zoo went viral for enjoying the -27 Celsius weather last week.
For the Birds-Stratford, Ontario’s annual swan parade, is making some changes this year to reduce stress on the swans.
A baby monkey born at Assiniboine Park Zoo has joined her fellow primates after months of round-the-clock care from the zoo’s staff.
Trade Tea 🫖
Prime Minister Mark Carney continued his argument that middle powers should band together during his visit to Australia.
China has greatly reduced its tariff rate on Canadian canola.
Canada has announced a new scholarship program worth up to $100 million to support Indian students as part of a bilateral partnership.
Canada and Japan have signed a partnership agreement to boost co-operation on defence, energy, trade, and technology.
Across Canada 📍
B.C. will permanently move to daylight time on Sunday, March 8.
Free tax clinics for individuals and families are underway across Canada.
Big Shoes to Fill-The Saskatchewan Roughriders are looking for someone to fill the role of their mascot.
A second‑generation dairy scientist recently purchased Notre Dame Creamery in Manatobia.
Decreased Drinking-A new Statistics Canada report says Canadians are drinking less alcohol.
International Women’s Day ♀️
Montreal documentarian Stacey Tenenbaum debuted her documentary Tough Old Broads, which celebrates three groundbreaking women.
Give to Gain is the theme for International Women’s Day this year, highlighting an approach centred around generosity, collaboration, and mutual support.
The University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business marked International Women’s Day by launching a new award supporting women in business.
The Minister of Women and Gender Equalityannounced over $4.3 million in funding for organizations to strengthen support for women and their families.
Canada’s Market This Week
Royal Bank | |
TD Bank | |
Enbridge | |
ScotiaBank | |
Bank of Montreal | |
CP Rail | |
Shopify | |
Canadian Tire | |
Loblaws | |
Tim Hortons (RBI) | |
Dollarama | |
Rogers |