Springtide Collective for Democracy - Leading Change with Integrity

About

Springtide Collective for Democracy promotes more fair, inclusive, and democratic public institutions, challenges discriminatory and exclusionary practices in politics, and empowers individuals and organizations to lead political change aligned with these values. Founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia, we are a registered charity now working nationally across Canada. Join us in making politics a force for good.

Making Better Democracy

We recently <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.charterchallenge.ca/">challenged the constitutionality of Canada's First-Past-the-Post voting system</a>, arguing that it violates our rights to effective representation and equal treatment.

Charter Challenge

Our first major foray into analyzing Canada's voting system - we prepared "<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/content/Committee/421/ERRE/Brief/BR8555544/br-external/SpringtideCollective-e.pdf">Better Choices - Voting System Alternatives for Canada</a>" for the federal Electoral Reform Committee.

Better Choices

We've produced over 80 videos aimed at engaging the public about our democracy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=" https://www.youtube.com/@SpringtideCo">Check them out on YouTube</a>!

YouTube Videos

We worked with Elections PEI to produce a series of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@Elections_PEI/videos">videos explaining the voting systems</a> being offered in the provincial plebiscite in 2016.

Elections PEI Plebiscite Videos

We created a series of videos aimed at helping candidates prepare to run in local elections in Nova Scotia. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aRF_jaSpck&amp;list=PLSNYdS2eRLX41q4svX4ghNQ2-lnT1wOrr">Check them out</a>!

Campaign School

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/springtide-quits-contract-advising-n-s-government-on-fall-elections-1.5627356">We worked with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs</a> in Nova Scotia in the 2020 elections to encourage under-represented groups to participate in the municipal elections.

Advising on Municipal Elections

We convened community conversations in Nova Scotia about making democracy better (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpXc9HuQuBE&amp;list=PLSNYdS2eRLX6Rol0hhEpR2swtt2cl5-nZ&amp;index=1">check out our introductory video here</a>).

Make Democracy Better

We <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://halifax.mediacoop.ca/fr/story/political-dis-engagement/32468.html">engaged with the public media </a>regarding young people's participation in elections.

Advocating for Young Voters

How We Make Change

Email address

Name

Message

Get in touch:

<h3>Springtide was born out of a frustration with conventional approaches to doing politics, and an understanding of how challenging it can be for anyone trying to do politics differently.&nbsp;</h3><h4>Vision</h4>We imagine and work towards a world where our society's governing institutions are fair, inclusive and democratic, and in which the people who seek&nbsp;political power and influence are smart, empathetic, and effective stewards of the public good.<h4>Mission</h4>We aim to engage the public in learning and thinking more deeply about our democratic institutions, to challenge anti-democratic, discriminatory, and exclusionary practices in politics, and to to support people who want to make public life more meaningful through their own participation in it.&nbsp;<h4>Past Actions:</h4><ul><li>Local Actions</li><li>Teardown (with Dave Meslin)</li><li>Nonviolent Communications Workshop</li><li>Podcast - Govern Yourselves Accordingly</li><li>OFFSCRIPT - Mentoring for new MLAs</li><li>Local Decisions Campaign School</li><li>Deep Democracy Workshop with Sera Thompson</li></ul><h4>Why "Springtide"?&nbsp;</h4>A springtide is a set of extreme tides, the most extreme tides in the lunar cycle. At high tide, rising waters reach points usually untouched by ocean waves – sometimes powerful enough to move boulders and things previously undisturbed by normal high tides. At low tide, a springtide exposes elements that are usually covered up. The role springtides play in the coastal ecosystem is the role we envision our organization playing in the political ecosystem.

KP Oli Engages with the Public During Election Campaign

About Us

Antony is a Professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, and volunteers as President of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fairvotingbc.com/">Fair Voting BC</a>.

Antony Hodgson

Grace is an accountant and faculty member at Cape Breton University.

Grace Reid

Blaize is Professor Emerita at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University.

Blaize Horner Reich

Heather is a lawyer who runs her own practice and is founder of plumwood.law, a self-driven legal solutions provider.

Heather Dale

Jim is a software engineer who runs his own consultancy company, and an accomplished tenor with Opera Opulenza. He is also the founder of Keyboard Philharmonic, a music charity.

Jim Delahunt

Board of Directors

Mark was one of the founders of Springtide in 2012, and served as Executive Director until 2020. He was instrumental in defining the vision for and approach of Springtide - we deeply appreciate his many contributions over the years.