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Spencer Izen (he/him)

@spencerizen.bsky.social
497 followers 1.1K following 157 posts

managing editor @ubyssey.ca. researcher @ Freedom of Information and Privacy Association. SeeDisclaimer.com

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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The only thing that spreads faster than measles is an outbreak of sidebars on the NYT homepage when an Ivy League school is under fire.
CheNew Work Cimes
Hochul Names Letitia
James as Special
Prosecutor in Cornell
Case
Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed the New York State attorney general to investigate a former student's allegation of rape.
3 MIN READ
Cornell Students Call for Change at Fiery Public
Meeting
Through tears, some students shared stories of assaults they experienced. Others criticized administrators and demanded improved consent training.
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Men Accused in Suit Give Varying Accounts of the Night
Document Trove
Illuminates Student's
Days After Fraternity
Party
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Students are asking big questions
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N.Y. Lawmakers and Victims Push to Change Rape Law in Intoxication Cases
Parents Are Talking About Consent After Cornell Rape Allegations
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
oh is she now
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Jen St. Denis @jenstden.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
“Someone who has been around as long as I have, you would have suspected I would have been more prepared. But the levels of harassment have escalated beyond anything I’ve seen.” #vanpoli reporting by @kehyslop.bsky.social thetyee.ca/News/2026/09...
thetyee.ca
Harassment and Hate on the Municipal Campaign Trail | The Tyee
Online abuse continues to drive away good candidates and sour political discourse, Vancouver candidates say.
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Alex Usher @alexusherhesa.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Alright: it's the fall event you've been waiting for: The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada 2026 is out. The emergency in Canadian PSE is everywhere except in the (very slow to appear) official data. We had to get creative to show the impact. Read today's blog and tell me how we did.
higheredstrategy.com
The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada, 2026 | HESA
Morning all. The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada 2026 is out today, and you can download it here. Sincere thanks to our partners at Studiosity, Riipen, Pearson, Duolingo, Intellectual Prop...
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Sad that it’s come to this. The directory was critical for me as a new journalist in learning about the machinery of government. I’m not sure the “updated directory” will do the same. B.C. government ends public access to directory in place since 1930s Globalnews.ca globalnews.ca/news/1202630...
globalnews.ca
Global News | Breaking, Latest News and Video for Canada
Globalnews.ca – Watch and read Canada’s Breaking news plus Business, Health, Politics and World News
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Can confirm nobody at The Ubyssey knew this was going on and I’m pretty sure it’s the same downstairs for CiTR lol
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
It’s Pierre Berton vs. Nardwuar in the quarterfinals of UBC’s famous alumni bracket and I know who’s gonna win and I love the Serviette BUT as a proud Ubyssey alum I am obligated to rep it against CITR and remind people of how vast Breton’s influence is magazine.alumni.ubc.ca/2026/most-fa...
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
PressProgress @pressprogress.ca · 13/07/2026
@pressprogress.ca is proud to join 100+ journalists, news publishers, academics and civil society groups in endorsing calls for anti-SLAPP legislation in Alberta Frivolous, abusive and politically motivated SLAPP lawsuits are a threat to free and democratic speech READ MORE: antislappalberta.ca
"Whether it's a journalist investigating powerful people, a civil society group or simply an ordinary person with opinions about their government, democracies need legal mechanisms to protect free and democratic speech advocating for social change, from frivolous, abusive and politically motivated lawsuits"

ANTISLAPPALBERTA.CA
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC @oipcbc.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
We're hiring a Senior Investigator for the newly established Emerging Information and Privacy Technologies team. Apply through this link: www.oipc.bc.ca/about/careers/
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC @oipcbc.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Overview of our newly published investigation report: Collecting & reporting public body FOI metrics: oipc.bc.ca/documents/infographics/3… Full report: oipc.bc.ca/documents/investigation-…
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Awesome news from @thewalrus.ca thewalrus.ca/while-others...
thewalrus.ca
While Others Downsize Literary Coverage into Oblivion, We’re Launching a Books Section | The Walrus
More reassessments, more polemics, more manifestos, more feuding!
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
I yearn for well-designed PDF and not an HTML webpage for a white paper. ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en...
ised-isde.canada.ca
Canada’s national Artificial Intelligence strategy: AI for All
Table of contents Message from the minister The Government’s vision: AI for All
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
danah boyd recently argued that social media (as we knew it) is mostly dead; what we have now is parasocial media: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... I agree. Networked social media is disappearing, replaced by a new logic/structure of content creator, creator-centered community, & algorithm.
journals.sagepub.com
Social Media Is Now Parasocial Media - danah boyd, 2026
When practitioners used the term “social media” to describe the internet tools that emerged in the mid-aughts, they were giving a name to the kinds of platforms...
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
I have been loving every minute of ferry week
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
THE CONCLUSION OF FERRY WEEK IS HERE For the first time in CBC history, we are doing a live radio special on a B.C. Ferries sailing, a very fun thing to write. If you’re on the 7am to Tsawwassen, come say hi!
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Ian Linkletter @linkletter.org · 12/05/2026
The Ubyssey broke the story before any other journalists. ubyssey.ca/news/canvas-...
ubyssey.ca
Breaking: Canvas parent company reaches agreement with cybercrime group behind attack
Instructure claims all data has been returned and destroyed by ShinyHunters.
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
UBC faculty! Senate is considering a new draft of the proposed academic freedom policy on Wednesday, this time for approval. If you’ve read the draft, I’d love to speak with you. DM, or email s.izen@ubyssey.ca. See page 67 onward: scs-senate-2021.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/202605...
scs-senate-2021.sites.olt.ubc.ca
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Re: Arbour's nomination, big day for student journalists: " ... Known for irreverence when editor of high school magazine." www.cbc.ca/news2/backgr...
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
De Facto Journalism Co-op @defactomedia.ca · 04/05/2026
Once you’ve read that story, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter — and, if you happen to have the means, we’d love to count you among our paid supporters to help fund independent journalism that interrogates power and highlights truth: www.defactomedia.ca/vpd-immigrat...
defactomedia.ca
Vancouver cops are calling border enforcement more than ever. Community members fear that puts them in danger
Migrant sex workers say they're ‘more afraid of police than perpetrators of a crime,’ as new data reveals VPD ‘immigration status checks’ spiked 80% to nearly 1,000 people in two years
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
De Facto Journalism Co-op @defactomedia.ca · 02/05/2026
Yesterday we unveiled De Facto, a co-op of journalists shining a light on power Within hours a community of supporters stepped up to back our dream In just a day, we passed $2K for hard-hitting journalism, 96% of it in dependable recurring donations. Thank you so much! www.defactomedia.ca/welcome
defactomedia.ca
We are De Facto Journalism Co-op
A non-profit, worker-owned co-operative of investigative journalists — including award-winning reporters, editors and photojournalists.
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
The Devil Wears Prada 2: Magazine journalism on life support www.cjr.org/analysis/dev... via @columjournreview.bsky.social
cjr.org
The Devil Wears Prada 2: Magazine journalism on life support.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 and the search for the mythical billionaire savior.
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
god bless Victorians for lining up for hours on a Saturday morning for the annual used book sale sponsored by a newspaper truly a grand tradition
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Also, good time to note, UBC faculty, staff: The Ubyssey’s new masthead is gearing up, post-exams, and we’d love to know what you want us to cover and look into. Personally, I’m interested in faculty unit finances. But FOI isn’t much an option at our university, as you can see.
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
UBC's casual relationship with its obligations under FOIPPA, continued
Good afternoon Spencer,

 

Thank you for your follow up email.

 

Unfortunately, we are currently working through a significant backlog of requests and thus have been unable to meet the deadline specified by the FIPPA. We do take these deadlines seriously and apologize for the delay. However, please note that in the interest of fairness, we process our files on a first-in, first-out basis and there are numerous files ahead of yours.  

 

We appreciate your patience.
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Anti-Doug Ford rallies take place across Ontario to protest OSAP, FOI changes www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... via CBC
cbc.ca
Anti-Doug Ford rallies take place across Ontario to protest OSAP, FOI changes | CBC News
Demonstrations are taking place across Ontario to protest against Premier Doug Ford and several of the province's recent controversial measures, including changes to freedom of information laws and OS...
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
The Ubyssey @ubyssey.ca · 22/04/2026
Concerns about a costly legal battle and that firing Nawar would tank the AMS’s chances of passing fee increases for services, clubs and projects ultimately saved her employment, sources said. ubyssey.ca/news/zarifa-...
ubyssey.ca
Zarifa Nawar remained an AMS executive despite internal report finding she violated fiduciary, confidentiality duties
Concerns about a costly legal battle and that firing Nawar would tank the AMS’s chances of passing fee increases for services, clubs and projects ultimately saved her employment, sources said.
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Justin McElroy 🇨🇦 @jmcelroy.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
The City of Vancouver has just announced they had a $530 million surplus last year. It follows a $860 million surplus the year before, and years of $300+ surpluses. It's the annual reminder that when local politicians say times are tough, they're usually being misleading to suit their agendas.
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Really appreciate this from CAJ:
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) @cajournalists.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
❗On Friday evening, the CAJ learned that journalist Rachel Gilmore had recently been approached in public by individuals linked to, or implicated in, an investigation she had written, and was published by The Tyee that focused on white nationalists. loom.ly/z22FRzg
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Association of Canadian Archivists @archivistsdotca.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Are you interested in information access and privacy? Join the Access & Privacy Special Interest Section (APSIS). They will be meeting virtually next week on March 12, 2026 at 1 PM (EST) / 11 AM (PST). To register, please visit archivists.ca/event-6554573.
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
The Martlet @themartlet.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
This election season, the Martlet is asking you to vote ‘yes’ to raise our student fee levy for the first time since 1999. Read to learn why! martlet.ca/why-the-mart...
martlet.ca
Why the Martlet is asking for a fee increase
We're asking you to vote yes to our first fee increase since 1999 so we can keep telling stories that matter.
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 17/02/2026
Good time to re-up: the Tumbler Ridge newspaper is literally one person who is doing his best to update his community while grieving along with them. One-time donations can be etransferred to publisher@tumblerridgelines.com or ongoing via www.patreon.com/posts/thanks...
patreon.com
Thanks, everyone | Tumbler RidgeLines
Get more from Tumbler RidgeLines on Patreon
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Fatima Syed @fatimabsyed.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
A couple of Canadian journalists (myself included) have started a fundraiser for Trenth Ernst & Tumbler Ridgelines. Since the shooting, he's stopped writing. We're hoping to get him some short-term support for these hard times. Donate here: www.gofundme.com/f/support-tr...
gofundme.com
Donate to Support Trent Ernst, local Tumbler Ridge, B.C. reporter, organized by Fatima Syed
We are a group of Canadian journalists who are looking to offer s… Fatima Syed needs your support for Support Trent Ernst, local Tumbler Ridge, B.C. reporter
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 17/02/2026
The Tumbler Ridge newspaper puts it better than I could
Hey. 

This is a message out there to all of you who, in trying to create a tribute to our children, choose to use AI.

When you feed these images into AI, you're feeding their data set. That means they will now use little pieces of Abel and Maya and the others the next time someone asks for the image of a 12 year old. 

While most companies are trying their best, some of them aren't; a few weeks back, Grok was freely and cheerily offering up images of naked, underage children. This is horrifying.

I know that some people out there are trying to create clickbait images, but not you. You're trying to show your respect and love, but could we ask you do it in a different way? There are actual provided images of most of the victims out there; sharing those is equally as powerful and less dicey, morally. The RCMP even created a composite for you. 

Thanks.
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 11/02/2026
A message from Trent Ernst, the only reporter who lives in Tumbler Ridge
Also, posted these on my site, but posting here, mostly in case media wants to use. Dear media: Rights are as such:  I know  I am the local reporter but I have been so tied up with media requests and trying to get information out to community, I haven’t been outside in eight hours, so these are the images I have. 

Everything I know I have posted to my lives on Facebook and later, YouTube. If you want to grab stuff that’s okay, but we are a community funded newspaper. You can use any of this information, if, and only if you pinky promise to make a donation. We have a patreon site, https://www.patreon.com/c/tumblerridgelines

I don’t have an easy way for one time donations, but I have this:

 https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/204606215-Can-I-make-a-one-time-payment

Images are : A group of worried parents gather outside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as RCMP investigate inside. The students were soon sent to the nearby community centre to shelter in place there. 

And RCMP take up position outside a home on Fellers, where two additional bodies were found.
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Christopher Waddell @cwaddell27.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
j-source.ca/honestreport...
j-source.ca
HonestReporting Canada’s targeted harassment machine - J-Source
A self-professed media watchdog has been weaponizing antisemitism and trying to poison journalistic standards on covering Palestine. Media workers on the perils of the relentless intimidation and disi...
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 30/01/2026
The Minnesota Star Tribune, @mprnews.org @minnesotareformer.com , @spokesmanrecorder.bsky.social, @sahanjournal.bsky.social, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement:
The Minnesota Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, the Minnesota Reformer, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Sahan Journal, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement:

“We strongly condemn the arrest of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon, as well as any attempt to intimidate members of the press. The First Amendment recognizes the press as holding a distinct and protected role in our democracy. In America, we do not arrest journalists for doing their jobs. The Minnesota journalism community stands united in defense of press freedom and the essential role reporting plays in holding power to account.”
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Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) @cajournalists.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Lawyers for Reporters–Canada is looking for a Program Coordinator! Education, preferably in law, journalism or a public policy-related field, will be considered a significant asset, as will a graduate degree. For more information, visit the CAJ Job board: loom.ly/Cb_38iU
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · 10/12/2025
“It may be easy to follow the most popular news influencers out there, but is it possible to trade out that consumption for one who is in your community?” www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/de-i...
niemanlab.org
De-influencing news influencers
"It may be easy to follow the most popular news influencers out there, but is it possible to trade out that consumption for one who is in your community?"
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
The Lind Initiative will bring Rachel Maddow to UBC on March 5. She is one of six speakers in a free series. Veteran NYT global affairs columnist Thomas L. Friedman is the first on Jan. 22, followed by Charity Weeden (Feb 5), Hasan Piker (Feb 12), Dread Scott (Feb 25), and Carlos Lozada (Mar 26).
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
Postmedia quietly whittles away local viewpoints from the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post j-source.ca/no-room-for-... via @jsource.bsky.social
j-source.ca
No room for debate - J-Source
Postmedia quietly whittles away local viewpoints from the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
JRP Canada @canadajrp.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Find out what @canadajrp.bsky.social plans for the 3rd wave of the @jrpproject.bsky.social, including content analysis of Cdn. news stories & insights on use of AI in journalism in this new article in @jsource.bsky.social by @nicoleblanchett.bsky.social #jrp #jrpcanada #journalism #research #data
j-source.ca
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The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 24/10/2025
Spurred on by local supporters and backed by their union, four laid-off journalists established a workers’ non-profit co-op to create a new community-focused publication. Freshet News launched its website and weekly newsletter last week. thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...
thetyee.ca
Is Print the Future of Local News? This Co-Op Thinks So | The Tyee
Freshet News, owned by workers, has launched to cover Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities.
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
I'm going to make sure this takes off in the office lol
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Friendly reminder to interim U.S. attorneys
Lois lane says you have to say off the record beforehand
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Eby says B.C. tried to involve private owners in Cowichan Aboriginal title case cheknews.ca/eby-says-b-c...
cheknews.ca
Eby says B.C. tried to involve private owners in Cowichan Aboriginal title case
British Columbia Premier David Eby says the province previously tried unsuccessfully to get private property owners involved in the landmark Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title case.
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
Trust should be a two-way street between governments and the public policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/10/trus... @policyoptions.irpp.org
policyoptions.irpp.org
Why Canada needs a trust ecosystem in government
Canada’s resilience depends on trust — not just in government, but between leaders, public servants and citizens.
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Investigative Journalism Foundation @theijf.org · 15/10/2025
What happens when a celebrated scientist is accused of fabricating results to promote his patented product? We’ve obtained a leaked investigation report into misconduct at UBC, and we’re making the findings public for the first time. theijf.org/ubc-misconduct #bcpoli #science #CBC
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Spencer Izen (he/him) @spencerizen.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
BC Ferries union members report 'disturbing levels' of abuse from passengers cheknews.ca/bc-ferries-u...
cheknews.ca
BC Ferries union members report 'disturbing levels' of abuse from passengers
With the Thanksgiving long weekend underway, the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union is asking travellers to be patient with members, as a "disturbing" number of ferry workers report abuse from the publi...
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Reposted by Spencer Izen (he/him)
Michelle Gamage @michellegamage.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
A single Vancouver police officer made $397,258 last year, making $239,258 in overtime on top of their base pay of up to $158,000. This is the wildest FOI I've seen in a long time. Well done Liam Britten for digging this up. #CBC www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
47 VPD officers made over $100K in OT last year — and one banked $239K, FOI data shows | CBC News
A single Vancouver police sergeant was paid $239,258 in overtime alone last year, on top of the rank's base pay of up to $158,000. The figure comes from a freedom of information request filed with the...
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