A word from our President

Happy New Year 2026!

As you probably know, this year is particularly significant: we are celebrating Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary. A quarter of a century for this utopian project that aims to make all of humanity’s knowledge available to everyone, for the greater good and the advancement of our societies.

In 25 years, we have seen the largest citizen-driven collaborative project in history grow. We have also seen it evolve in the face of criticism. In the beginning, the academic world was skeptical of its reliability; today, librarians and teachers are among its strongest allies. These professionals use Wikipedia as an educational tool and an essential resource for the discoverability of scientific and cultural content.

Yet despite this success, Wikipedia is facing increasing challenges. Whether it’s threats to contributors’ privacy, ideological criticism, or attempts to replace it with generative AI platforms—which, paradoxically, feed directly from Wikipedia—the challenges are real.

The context is changing: readership is transforming and technologies are evolving. That’s why Wikimedia Canada’s work is more crucial than ever. Together with our library, archival, and academic partners, we are working tirelessly to encourage Canadians to take ownership of these projects and bring Canada’s cultures to life. Because we must not forget: for artificial intelligence to be fair, factual, and representative of our societies, it needs a human source that is rigorous and transparent.

As we begin this new year, I want to reiterate one certainty: in a world saturated with information and especially misinformation, citizen contributions to Wikipedia remain one of the best safeguards for ensuring equitable access to balanced knowledge.

I wish you all a wonderful year. Let’s continue to build Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and all the Wikimedia projects that promote free knowledge.

Michael David Miller
President
Wikimedia Canada

A word from our Executive Director

My dear friends,

At the beginning of this new year, 2026, I would like to acknowledge your commitment, which gives meaning to the mission of Wikimedia Canada. In an environment where reliable and accessible information is more essential than ever, the Wikimedia movement plays a fundamental role, both in Canada and internationally. It seems to me that a project like Wikipedia acts now more than ever as a safeguard against misinformation, and it is thanks to your involvement and support that this project is possible. Wikipedia is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year—it is time to celebrate!

In 2026, we will continue to strengthen our communities (through WikiClubs across the country, among other initiatives), support contributions to our projects (by offering microgrants, for example), and build meaningful partnerships to increase the impact of our work (such as the many universities across Canada with which we collaborate). More than ever, our strength lies in this collective mobilization.

Finally, I would like to invite you to join us next September in Edmonton for WikiConference North America. This annual gathering will be an extraordinary opportunity to exchange ideas about what drives us, and to better understand how the world is evolving around us and what that means for our movement.

I wish you an inspiring, supportive, and invigorating year, both personally and collectively. I look forward to continuing this journey with you.

Louis Germain
Executive Director
Wikimedia Canada