Keira Shaw
Political polarization on our university campuses, and the marginalization of freedom of expression, is an issue for the left, right, and centre.
The conservative movement on university campuses in Canada and the U.S. has always been a big tent. In the United States, groups like Turning Point USA, Young Americans for Liberty, and campus Republican clubs are household names. In Canada, Conservative Party of Canada campus clubs serve the same purpose. They bring together students who refuse to be silenced by prevailing ideological currents that are ever present in most institutions and faculties of education.
Some argue that American conservatives and Canadian Conservatives are worlds apart. But on the most fundamental questions, defending free speech, standing for limited government, and insisting on accountability, our values are shared across the border. On campus, these values face the same threats.
As a former leader of a Conservative campus club and the broader youth movement, I watched in horror the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk on Wednesday. The scene, a group of students gathered to express their beliefs, was painfully familiar. It could have been a pub night, a debate, or a panel hosted by any campus Conservative club in Canada, albeit with stronger attendance than we usually garner.
Charlie Kirk was not just targeted as an individual. He was attacked by people convinced their worldview was the only acceptable truth. A culture of intolerance toward differing perspectives has taken deep root in academia. This includes all viewpoints that don’t align with the status quo. And while this particular act happened in the U.S., we see troubling echoes of it here in Canada as well.
Conservative students know this reality all too well. Many hesitate to share their views in class, worried that their perspectives might be judged differently than their peers’. This week, a new poll by the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy found that nearly half of Canadian university students are actively hiding their real beliefs. Campus clubs regularly face roadblocks when booking space, inviting speakers, or even setting up recruitment tables. These are obstacles their progressive counterparts rarely encounter.
The threat of deplatforming only adds to this burden. Conservative students often conceal event locations, avoid publishing guest lists, and tread carefully on social media to guard against harassment or worse. Imagine the reaction if left-leaning groups faced similar suppression. Yet too often these double standards are ignored.
Charlie Kirk understood the importance of resisting this culture of intimidation. His debates, speeches, and viral clips gave young conservatives, including those of us in Canada, the confidence to know our voices mattered and were deeply needed not only on campus but within our society. He reminded us that universities are supposed to be marketplaces of ideas, not places where only one point of view dominates.
His loss is devastating. But retreat is not an option. If anything, his example should inspire us to continue the work. Academic freedom in Canada depends on students willing to stand up and insist that diversity of opinion is essential.
The path forward will not be easy. Proceeding with caution is wise, but proceeding is non-negotiable. Conservatives on campus cannot fade into silence. We must organize, speak out, and keep pressing for the open debate our universities were meant to foster. Free expression is not a privilege to be rationed by administrators and ideologues. It is the foundation of higher learning.
Charlie Kirk showed us that ideas matter and that young conservatives have a role to play in shaping the future. Honouring his legacy means refusing to back down, no matter the pressure. We must keep pushing. We must keep organizing. And we must keep building campuses where the free exchange of ideas, left, right, and everything in between, can thrive.
Keira Shaw is a former Conservative campus club president and the former Conservative national youth coordinator.
