Vote in support of the CBC

The effectiveness of controlling media can well be illustrated by studying recent well-researched publications. One such: Anne Applebaum’s “Red Famine – Stalin’s War on Ukraine”, reveals how much history was suppressed by the USSR, and is likely still being suppressed by Russia today. In fact, the Holodomar (Great Famine in Ukraine) documentation was absent from secondary education curriculums prior to the 1980’s. Those not blessed with anecdotal Mennonite and Ukrainian immigrant stories that augment this history are likely still oblivious to this horrible planned genocide.

With an imminent federal election, we are facing threats to Canada’s cultural sovereignty – more urgent every day, as President Donald Trump continues unprovoked economic attacks on our country. Following decades of underfunding and institutional neglect from governments of all political stripes, the CBC is now in the crosshairs of Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, who promise to defund it altogether.

Canadians rely on the CBC for information, news, and entertainment that speak to daily realities and reaffirms our shared values. Defunding our national public broadcaster would inflict immeasurable harm on our communities, our Canadian identity, and our democratic health as a country. Additionally, CBC is our number one security defence which enables news to be shared from west coast to east coast, and from the Arctic to the southern border. CBC’s journalistic standards are high and widely respected around the world.

The CBC doesn’t belong to the politicians. It belongs to the Canadian public. At this critical time in history, Canadians from all walks of life are closing ranks around our storied institutions.  We expect our elected officials to do the same. We do not need vague promises, and do not need more threats to our shared way of life – foreign or domestic.

I am standing with Friends of Canadian Media and its hundreds of thousands of supporters this election. When we head to the polls, we’ll be voting to save the CBC. If the federal party leaders want to secure our vote, they have to stand up and support our national public broadcaster.

Barb Goertzen, Coaldale