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PANELISTS
Alyson Winkelaar 

A parent and long-time union organizer. Alyson is Chief Shop Steward at Civic Service Union 52 (CSU52). She balances this work with her “day job” as well as other roles. She’s been active in the union since 2014.

Anna Vesala 

A city employee and cat person. Anna is 2nd Vice President at CSU 52. She was elected in 2024.

Cole Rockarts 

A labour educator and organizer. They’ve worked in unions in Canada and the US since 2016. Fired Up About Unions is their debut book and published by Between the Lines.

To boost your union literacy, you can learn more via a Royal Alberta Museum microsite

Hosted by Asad Chishti

PANELISTS
Abraar Al Silwaadi
A writer and artist. Abraar is originally from the West Bank. She co-founded Palestinian Student Alliance (PSA) at MacEwan University.
 

Chris Morrow
An Edmonton-based activist as well as DJ and artist. Find Chris on Instagram

David Slater
An Edmonton-based journalist focusing on institutional accountability and data journalism. A former musician, he's finishing up a journalism placement at The Tyee.

Euan Thomson
Halifax-based writer and editor. He investigates the intersection of policing and drug policy for Drug Data Decoded. Euan is a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit against the Calgary Police Service and University of Calgary.
 

Eve Aboualy
A poet and organizer. Eve organizes with Palestinian Student Alliance (PSA) whose work focuses on MacEwan University and across the city.   

Nour Salhi
A journalist and writer. Nour is an advocate for collective liberation and is working towards ending institutional violence.   

Hosted by Asad Chishti

PANELISTS
Henry Sir
A comedian and writer. He’s been posting videos about politics and government - based on both sides of the 49th parallel.

Shiza Wasi
An organizer and convenor. She works with both YEG Muslim Vote to increase civic literacy and Public Interest Albertato make policy more accessible.

Sarah Hoyles
Long-time journalist and CJSR’s station manager. She’s survived being in the journalism industry for more than two decades in a variety of roles.

Hosted by Asad Chishti

PANELISTS

Gabrielle Barber
An anthropologist and soon-to-be graduate student. She’s been making educational videos about the Alberta referendum. Calgary-based.

Kayla Piccinin
An advocate and parent. Part of the Olds Transparency Project, she credits a proposed mega data centre next to her home for raising all sorts of alarms and flags on due process. 

Hosted by Asad Chishti

PANELISTS

Leah Hennig - A journalist and Editor-in-Chief of The Gateway. This is her second year at the helm of the newspaper as E-in-C.

Tim Shoults - The publisher of the St. Albert’s Gazette and vice-president for Great West Media’s northern division. 

Matthew Wildcat - A member of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, he is a professor at the faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. Where he is also the director of Indigenous Governance. 

Topics include: Alberta Separatists, First Nations rights, media responsibility, climate change, data centres, democracy, and more.

Hosted by Asad Chishti

Haruun Ali
An advocate and organizer. He resides on Treaty 6 and has spent years working on issues affecting Edmonton-at-large, his family, and himself personally.

Jeremy Appel
A journalist and author. He’s written several books and regularly published The Orchard digital newsletter. Appel’s work is in the New York Times, the Toronto Star, National Observer, Tyee, Alberta Views, and more.

Karen Unland
A journalist and publisher. She is the co-founder of Taproot publishing and the editor-in-chief of Taproot Edmonton. Before founding Taproot with Mack Male a decade ago, Unland worked in newspapers and podcasting.

Topics include: climate change, data centres, Artificial Intelligence, justice, policing, democracy, and more.