Foreign interference is no longer simply about spies, hackers, or covert operations. Increasingly, foreign states and aligned actors seek to shape the information environment in which Canadians understand events, debate public policy, and make political choices. Using the Alberta referendum debate as a case study, this talk examines how Russian, American, and other foreign-linked narratives enter Canadian information spaces, interact with genuine domestic grievances, and are amplified across social and traditional media. The talk concludes by considering what governments, journalists, researchers, and citizens can do to protect Canada’s cognitive sovereignty without restricting legitimate democratic debate.

 This is the opening event to reconstitute the Regina Branch of the Canadian International Council.

 Speaker: Dr. Brian McQuinn

 Dr. Brian McQuinn is a humanitarian, scholar, and conflict-resolution practitioner with more than two decades of experience working and conducting research in over 30 conflict-affected countries, including Rwanda, Nepal, and South Sudan. He completed his doctorate at the University of Oxford based on nine months of fieldwork in Libya, where he was embedded with insurgents fighting to overthrow the regime. Brian has advised international organizations, governments, and civil society networks, including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. He is Co-Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Conflict, Associate Professor of International Studies at the University of Regina, and CEO of CIPHER AI.

Event Details: 

Date: Monday, October 19^th

Time: Doors Open at 18:30; Lecture at 19:00; Event concludes at 20:30 (CST)

Location: Oak Room, Hotel Saskatchewan, 2125 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK  S4P 0S3