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British Columbia’s democratic institutions are facing growing pressure—from misinformation and polarization to declining public trust and participation. At the same time, there is a rare opportunity to strengthen democratic practices and renew civic engagement across the province.

In November 2025, the BC Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform tabled its , Toward a Stronger Democracy in BC, outlining 36 recommendations spanning democratic engagement, the information environment, civic education, voting, campaigning and campaign finance, parliament and political parties and electoral reform. These recommendations were informed by a groundswell of interest from the who presented or made written submissions to the Committee (click here for the Centre for Dialogue's presentation to the Special Committee, including an analysis of the risks facing democracy in BC and potential solutions for fostering democratic renewal and resilience).

Building on that work, in March 2026 911³Ô¹Ï’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue convened nearly 40 individuals and leading civic organizations from across BC and Canada to identify which recommendations should be prioritized, and how collective action could help move them forward. Assessing both their potential impact in BC and their likelihood of implementation, participants identified seven of the Special Committee’s recommendations they thought held the most promise (#1, #3, #4, #10, #13, #17, and #35). Please see the full text of these recommendations at the bottom of this article. In summarized form, these prioritized recommendations were:

• 1. Establishing a non-partisan centre of excellence for democratic engagement;
• 3. Enhancing public consultation processes;
• 4. Reviewing current legislative and regulatory measures to counter misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech during elections;
• 10. Strengthening civic education in the K-12 school system;
• 13. Leading non-partisan education initiatives, and administering grants dedicated to non-partisan community civic education programs;
• 17. Preparing a public report identifying and evaluating the implications of extending voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds; and
• 35. Considering the establishment of a peoples’ assembly to examine and make recommendations, in consultation with experts, on the model for electing Members of the Legislative Assembly.

Importantly, the Special Committee included MLAs from all recognized provincial parties, creating space for continued cross‑party collaboration. That political foundation is matched by a growing groundswell of civic interest from those who engaged directly with the Committee to the many organizations now working together to advance its recommendations.

This convergence of public concern, institutional attention, and organizational collaboration presents a significant policy window. By acting on these priorities, members of the public, civic institutions, and government can work together to foster meaningful reform—and move toward a stronger, more resilient democracy in British Columbia.

Full Text of Prioritized Recommendations

For the full text of all 36 recommendations, please see the . The seven recommendations that were prioritized by participants in the Centre for Dialogue’s workshop appear below.

The Committee recommends that the Legislative Assembly:

1. Establish a non-partisan centre of excellence for democratic engagement, in collaboration with experts, to develop resources that support local engagement, public learning, and consultation.

The Committee recommends to the Legislative Assembly that the provincial government:

3. Enhance public consultation processes by:

a. ensuring proactive and early engagement with the public using diverse consultation methods,

transparent and responsive communication, and timely release of results of consultations;

b. leveraging technology to create secure, accessible, and inclusive platforms for public input, deliberation, and direct public engagement initiatives;

c. empowering youth to help co-design engagement tools and messaging; and

d. creating a standing youth advisory body or roles within key provincial ministries, to provide input on legislation, programs, and budgets that affect youth.

The Committee recommends to the Legislative Assembly that the provincial government:

4. In collaboration with Elections BC and the federal government, review current legislative and regulatory measures to counter misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech during elections, including:

a. strengthening rules and enforcement;

b. examining mechanisms for more timely removal of harmful content; and

c. strengthening the regulation of social media platforms while maintaining freedom of expression.

The Committee recommends to the Legislative Assembly that the provincial government:

10. Strengthen civic education in the K-12 school system, with input from resource development experts and an emphasis on applied learning.

The Committee recommends that the Legislative Assembly:

13. Assign Elections BC formal responsibility for:

a. leading non-partisan education initiatives, including about the rights and responsibilities of civic participation; and

b. administering grants dedicated to non-partisan community civic engagement programs, delivered in multiple languages where numbers warrant.

The Committee recommends to the Legislative Assembly that Elections BC:

17. Prepare a public report identifying and evaluating the implications of extending voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds, by reviewing national and sub-national jurisdictions where this occurs.

The Committee recommends to the Legislative Assembly that the provincial government:

35. Consider establishing a peoples’ assembly to examine and make recommendations, in consultation with experts, on the model for electing Members of the Legislative Assembly.