Dónal Gill
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donalgill.bsky.social
Dónal Gill
@donalgill.bsky.social
150 followers 340 following 47 posts
I teach Canadian Politics at Dawson College & Concordia University in Montreal. I am pro democracy & anti AI!
Interests: Party politics/elections in Canada & Ireland, politics & literature (Swift, Joyce et al).
Is liomsa amháin na tuairimí seo ☘️🍁⚜️
Posts Replies Media Videos
donalgill.bsky.social
Time for Canadian cities to follow suit…
factpostnews.bsky.social FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · Sep 2
Mayor Mamdani announces a ban on generative AI in schools through 8th grade:

AI is not going to replace student-teacher interaction in NYC public schools. We have also heard the importance of protecting childhood—allowing students the opportunity to ask questions, to engage, to fail, to learn.
September 2, 2026 at 8:16 PM
donalgill.bsky.social
I have a new article out today in 2067: A Journal of Canadian Consciousness
This my cri de coeur to the @ndp.ca to go back to an old tradition of fusing Canadian nationalism with the socialist project of a more just and equal country 🇨🇦🍁

2067journal.ca/social-patri...
Social Patriotism: The NDP's Forgotten Tradition
After its worst election result ever, the NDP needs to relearn a tradition it once knew well: fusing love of country with social democracy I. The Canadian Left and Nationalism The 2025 federal elect...
2067journal.ca
September 2, 2026 at 6:42 PM
donalgill.bsky.social
I spoke with the @mtlgazette.bsky.social about how the trade war with the US is shaping the beginning of the Quebec election campaign.
Thanks to Kalina Laframboise for the interview!

#polqc #CanUS #TradeWar

montrealgazette.com//news/quebec...
‘The big fight with America’: How the Canada-U.S. trade war is shaping the Quebec election
Donald Trump and his escalating tariffs are top of mind for voters and political parties in the province.
montrealgazette.com
August 29, 2026 at 1:22 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
bhaggart.bsky.social
From 13 months ago. Reposting for no reason in particular.

I stand by my argument: "Nothing about Mr. Carney’s U.S. strategy, particularly his pursuit of a “comprehensive” trade and security agreement, makes a lick of sense."
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
Opinion: The U.S. is not our friend any more. Has anyone told Mark Carney?
Why is the Prime Minister still trying to negotiate a trade and security agreement with a capricious authoritarian?
www.theglobeandmail.com
August 19, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
thewalrus.ca
Alberta’s proposed separation referendum has become a flashpoint for an issue that goes beyond separatism. Writer Dónal Gill argues a bigger question is at stake: Do Canadians still trust democracy—or only when it delivers the outcomes they want? https://thewalrus.ca/alberta-separatists-democracy/
On the left: an image of people standing behind a yellow sign with an arrow that reads "voting place" on a red background. On the right: text that reads “The war on Alberta separatists is a war on democracy. We celebrate popular rule until voters threaten to use it in ways we don’t like.”
August 3, 2026 at 12:01 PM
donalgill.bsky.social
New piece from me out today in @thewalrus.ca

"I don’t side with the received wisdom that democracy is a beverage only suitable for consumption when heavily diluted. We need more, not less, democracy to fix what ails us."

thewalrus.ca/alberta-sepa...
The War on Alberta Separatists Is a War on Democracy | The Walrus
We celebrate popular rule until someone calls a referendum we don’t like
thewalrus.ca
August 3, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
ctvnewsmontreal.bsky.social
Quebec has abandoned initiatives related to automation and artificial intelligence (AI) within the public sector, including the implementation of a chatbot on the government website “Quebec.ca,” following pilot projects that encountered “significant challenges.”
Quebec scraps AI and automation projects in the public sector
Quebec has abandoned initiatives related to automation and artificial intelligence (AI) within the public sector, including the implementation of a chatbot on the government website “Quebec.ca,” following pilot projects that encountered “significant challenges.”
bit.ly
July 25, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
charleshb.bsky.social
This Is Hell! w/ Chuck( @chuckmertz.bsky.social )Mertz "Canada and its A*****e Neighbor + Chuck Gets Interviewed / Dónal( @donalgill.bsky.social )Gill" podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
Canada and its A*****e Neighbor + Chuck Gets Interviewed / Dónal Gill
Podcast Episode · This Is Hell! · July 16 · 2h 31m
podcasts.apple.com
July 22, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
thenarwhal.ca
@meyer.bsky.social dug deep into the archives to lay out nearly two decades of Canadian politicians' big promises on carbon capture. Spoiler: they sound a bit like a broken record. thenarwhal.ca/canada-carbo...
Carbon capture promises by politicians span almost 20 years | The Narwhal
It’s expensive and unproven at scale. From Stephen Harper to Mark Carney, Canadian politicians have made promises on carbon capture — yet to be delivered
thenarwhal.ca
July 21, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
thewalrus.ca
Canada’s electoral system has helped keep the Liberals in power for most of the country’s history. Writers Dónal Gill and Isaac Peltz break down how proportional representation would produce governments that better reflect how Canadians actually vote: https://thewalrus.ca/liberals-electoral-reform/
On the left: an illustration of a pie chart with the wedges containing images of crowds of people. Two smaller circles depict Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre on the sides of the main chart. On the right: text that reads “How Canada keeps the Conservatives shut out of power. First-past-the-post has failed our democracy. Here’s a way to make it truly representative.”
July 20, 2026 at 12:01 PM
donalgill.bsky.social
New article out today in @thewalrus.ca - Isaac Peltz and I discuss Canada’s cursed electoral system and advocate for Ireland’s PR-STV instead:

thewalrus.ca/liberals-ele...
How Canada Keeps the Conservatives Shut Out of Power | The Walrus
First-past-the-post has failed our democracy. Here’s a way to make it truly representative
thewalrus.ca
July 20, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
ndp.ca
1/ Congratulations to Nima Machouf and Pierre Céré who were nominated last night as our candidates in the federal ridings of Laurier–Sainte-Marie and in Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie!
July 17, 2026 at 7:08 PM
donalgill.bsky.social
It was a great joy to be on This is Hell with @chuckmertz.bsky.social yesterday to talk about Canada-US relations and my contribution to “How We See It: The World looks at America in the Age of Trump”, edited by @thedialmag.bsky.social and published by The New Press.

thisishell.com/interviews/1...
Canada and its Asshole Neighbor + Chuck Gets Interviewed / Dónal Gill
Dónal Gill discusses the view of the United States from Canada in the age of MAGA. His essay appears in the new edited volume by The Dial, How We See It The World Looks at America in the Age of Trump ...
thisishell.com
July 16, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
chuckmertz.bsky.social
@concordia.ca ]'s @donalgill.bsky.social a contributor to "How We See It: The World Looks at America in the Age of Trump" (Dial Magazine).

Join us for our 30th annitvrseray Listener Appreciation Party Cary's Lounge Saturday, July 18.

Doors open at 4PM.

www.patreon.com/thisishell/p...
NEW FREE Hell! A View of Trump 2.0 from Canada | This Is Hell!
Our guest is Dónal Gill a contributor to "How We See It: The World Looks at America in the Age of Trump," which is published by The Dial Mag
www.patreon.com
July 16, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
chuckmertz.bsky.social
New Free Hell!

Tuesday, @doctorow.pluralistic.net on "The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI" (@fsgbooks.bsky.social).

Wednesday, @donalgill.bsky.social on "How We See It: The World Looks at America in the Age of Trump," (@thedialmag.bsky.social).

www.patreon.com/thisishell/p...
This Week in Hell! The AI Bubble and Its Aftermath, Plus a Canadian View of the USA | This Is Hell!
IT'S PARTY WEEK! Join us at Cary's Lounge, 2251 West Devon Avenue, in Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood on Saturday, July 18, at 4PM, for t
www.patreon.com
July 13, 2026 at 3:49 PM
donalgill.bsky.social
I am delighted to have a long read on Canadian national identity through the prism of free trade with the US in @thewalrus.ca on Canada Day, no less!
This piece is a slight reworking of my chapter in "How We See It: The World Looks at America in the Age of Trump", edited by @thedialmag.bsky.social
thewalrus.ca The Walrus @thewalrus.ca · Jul 1
Donald Trump’s annexation threats have reignited Canadian patriotism, but Dónal Gill argues our vulnerabilities were exposed much earlier. After nearly forty years of deep economic integration with the US, can Canada still chart an independent course? https://ow.ly/GHLE50Zj0Re
On the left: a photo of a hand erasing the maple leaf of an illustrated Canadian flag on a blue background. On the right: text that reads “Canada’s mistake was believing the border no longer mattered. Free trade with the US made us wealthier. It also left us vulnerable”
July 1, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
thewalrus.ca
Donald Trump’s annexation threats have reignited Canadian patriotism, but Dónal Gill argues our vulnerabilities were exposed much earlier. After nearly forty years of deep economic integration with the US, can Canada still chart an independent course? https://ow.ly/GHLE50Zj0Re
On the left: a photo of a hand erasing the maple leaf of an illustrated Canadian flag on a blue background. On the right: text that reads “Canada’s mistake was believing the border no longer mattered. Free trade with the US made us wealthier. It also left us vulnerable”
July 1, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
esthermavis.bsky.social
Great to see @donalgill.bsky.social's piece on Canada's "original sin" republished in The Walrus! You can read the essay and 11 brilliant others in our book: www.thedial.world/how-we-see-it
July 1, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
hadrianmk.bsky.social
The full @policyalternatives.ca analysis of the federal AI strategy is now live. Check it out: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Magnifica Technologia: Seven key takeaways from Canada's new AI strategy | CCPA
The new federal artificial intelligence strategy, AI for All, has all the trappings of a policy document. But it is, at its core, a declaration of belief.
www.policyalternatives.ca
June 5, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
hadrianmk.bsky.social
Last week, Pope Leo XIV released his Magnifica Humanitas, on the primacy of humanity in the age of AI. Today, Mark Carney released his Magnifica Technologia.

"For Canada to thrive in the era of AI, Canadians need to trust in its promise."

It is, literally, a statement of faith.
June 4, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
avilewis.ca
1/ The Liberal government might as well have called its AI strategy “All in for AI”.

This is a document that's heavy on hype, but light on the right guardrails that we need to protect people – and to ensure that the benefits of the technology don’t just flow to a handful of tech giants & investors.
June 4, 2026 at 5:55 PM
donalgill.bsky.social
There are two conceptions of what “AI Literacy” means:

1. Actual education as to what LLMs are and how they work;
2. Telling people how this tech will be shoved down their throats no matter what since the bubble mustn’t be allowed to pop.

Both will result in even lower levels of public trust.
aaronwherry.bsky.social Aaron Wherry @aaronwherry.bsky.social · Jun 4
I think I'm unconvinced that increasing the public's AI literacy will lead to increased public trust in AI.
June 4, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
dkmunro.bsky.social
I mentioned this in an interview yesterday. Much of the case for the push for AI in Canada rests on a productivity argument. And so far that argument is largely built on faith.
June 3, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
cwarzel.bsky.social
Got a theory that we are all living through a crisis of agency, at least online. Bots, algorithms, clip armies, & the flood of AI stuff have scrambled notions of popularity, turned everything into a ‘psyop’. AI tools/ agents are reversing the fundamental human, collaborative promise of the internet
The Feeling of Control Slipping Away
AI is causing a crisis of agency.
www.theatlantic.com
May 30, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Reposted by Dónal Gill
avilewis.ca
Workers have fought and died for the right to strike. We will not allow this government to take us backwards.
ndp.ca NDP @ndp.ca · May 28
1/ Last night, our bill to protect the right to strike was debated in Parliament.

As Prime Minister Carney quietly considers sweeping changes to Canada’s labour laws after rushed consultations, the stakes have never been higher.
May 28, 2026 at 8:58 PM