We’re not short on talent or tools—just a shared sense of direction.
Canada’s digital media industry has evolved from early experimentation to a vital pillar of our economy. We’re one of the most connected countries in the world, with a thriving ecosystem of publishers, agencies, platforms, and creators. Our businesses – large and small – rely on digital tools to compete and grow. But while we’ve kept pace with technological adoption, we’ve yet to fully define our role in shaping the future of the internet.
Too often, we find ourselves adapting to decisions made elsewhere—on privacy, AI, media policy, and platform governance. The next few years will be pivotal. The global frameworks that govern how content is distributed, how audiences are reached, and how value is exchanged are being redefined. Canada must be at the table – not just to protect our interests, but to offer leadership.
We have every reason to lead. Our country faces complex challenges that require innovative, exportable solutions: reconciling provincial policy variances in a national digital media market, strengthening domestic media without compromising choice or innovation, and supporting advertisers with interoperable technology frameworks that reflect Canadian realities. We also have tremendous cultural assets – from our bilingual foundation to our richly multicultural population—that demand and inspire nuanced media planning, diverse content creation, and human-centred intelligence in how we connect with audiences.
In Canada, you can’t simply “set it and forget it.” Reaching people here means understanding them. It means designing campaigns with cultural fluency, regional sensitivity, and careful attention to tone, timing, and channel. That’s not a limitation – it’s a competitive advantage. It’s a model for thoughtful, responsible, effective digital communication. And it’s exactly the kind of leadership the global digital economy needs right now.
To realize this potential, we need a coordinated national strategy. One that treats digital media as more than a sector – it’s infrastructure. It’s culture. It’s economic development. It’s diplomacy. That means alignment across jurisdictions, investment in systems and skills, and collaboration, not just consultation, with the industries doing the work. We need policy that’s built with, not just for, the digital economy—policy that gives Canada a competitive edge in a global ecosystem, not one that isolates us or treats media as a poker chip in trade negotiations. We must take digital media seriously in this country, or risk losing our ability to shape its future at home and abroad.
Canada has the ideas. We have the talent. What we need now is the confidence to lead—and the platform to do it.
Let’s build it. Go Canada go.