The Broadbent Institute wishes you a happy and peaceful holiday season. As we round out the year, and look ahead to 2026, we’re looking back at what we’ve accomplished in 2025. From ‘Taking on Today’s Crises’ to ‘Defending Journalism,’ The Institute’s work demonstrates what working-class Canadians are feeling during this challenging time, how to fight for them, and why social democracy remains an important tool to achieve justice and equality in Canada.
Ed taught us that: “to be humane, societies must be democratic — and, to be democratic, every person must be afforded the economic and social rights necessary for their individual Flourishing.”
When authoritarian politics intensify in the United States, corporate power is placed above economic democracy, and governments look to cuts instead of care during these hard times, Ed’s vision becomes more important than ever.
This is why the Broadbent Institute exists: to advance Canada’s progressive movements to meet moments like this. Help us continue to meet the moment by supporting our work!
Here’s the Broadbent Institute’s TOP 10 highlights from 2025:
- 2025 Progress Summit: Daring to Take on Today’s Crises hosted over 600 attendees throughout the three-day conference in Ottawa. The theme addressed this moment as an opportunity for collective action to take on today’s crises at their root.
Executive Director Jen Hassum welcomed the 2025 Progress Summit. - We trained 24 new Emerging Leaders, growing the program cohort from 16 in 2024, to 24 new emerging leaders in 2025.
The 2025 Emerging Leaders Program. - PressProgress published over 90 news stories in 2025, with over 20 stories published during the federal election. In 2025, PressProgress welcomed Emma Arkell as the new Labour Reporter and Brishti Basu in the Health Reporter role. Eric Wickham also joined the team sa PressProgress’ Ontario Reporter and veteran journalist Jonathan Goldsbie was also brought on as an Associate Editor.
- PressProgress Sources won the Outstanding News and Current Affairs Series at the 2024 Canadian Podcast Awards. Editor Luke LeBrun also received the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression’s (CJFE) 2024 Arnold Amber Award for Investigative Journalism.
- The 2025 Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecture was delivered by UK political economist Grace Blakeley, entitled ‘Genuine Democracy in an Age of Hyper-Individualism.’
Grace Blakeley delivering the 2025 Ellen Meiksins Wood Lecture. - The 2025 Jack Layton Progress Prize was awarded to Chiara Padovani and the York South-Weston Tenant Union. The 2025 Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Policy Research was awarded to construction economist Richard Gilbert for impactful research that empowers workers to stand up against systemic injustice.
- Perspectives: A Canadian Journal of Political Economy and Social Democracy released two editions of the journal in 2025 and over 25 opinion articles, 25 podcast episodes across 4 series, and produced more than 10 explainer videos on issues such as US-Canada trade and public ownership.
- The Broadbent Institute released new research, looking at the history of social democracy’s influence on Canadian politics as well as public attitudes towards Canada’s shifting immigration policies.
- The Broadbent Institute continues Ed’s legacy of internationalism with new engagements alongside progressive movements around the world.
Executive Director Jen Hassum and the Canadian delegation to the 2025 Panamerican Congress with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. - The Broadbent Institute and PressProgress made a number of media appearances in 2025, sharing progressive expertise and perspective on Canada’s political and economic issues.
Executive Director Jen Hassum on Al Jazeera sharing Canadian labour’s perspective on Trump’s trade war.
There’s so much more we couldn’t capture from this year alone in our top 10 highlights. Stay tuned for more from the Broadbent Institute in 2026 as we celebrate our 15 years of building Canada’s movements for democracy and equality, and check in at broadbentinstitute.ca for our 2025 Annual Report in early January!
Consider contributing to the Broadbent Institute today to continue this work, building Canada’s movements for democracy and equality.
Happy Holidays,
The Broadbent Institute Team