Katharine Lake Berz
@lakeberz.bsky.social
Journalist writing about how international issues have an impact on people's lives. Bylines include Toronto Star, The Globe, Toronto Life, The Walrus, Broadview, CBC.
What is next for DEI in Canada? Experts agree that discrimination exists and merit should matter. Beyond that, they are sharply divided. @thestar.com
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Is DEI helping Canada or holding it back?
In this Bridging the Divide conversation, Michael Bach, a diversity consultant and founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion and Pride at Work Canada, and Matthew Lau, a
www.thestar.com
January 24, 2026 at 4:46 PM
What is next for DEI in Canada? Experts agree that discrimination exists and merit should matter. Beyond that, they are sharply divided. @thestar.com
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Former senior diplomats Ben Rowswell and Louise Blais agree that the U.S. invasion of Venezuela violated international law. But they sharply disagree on what Canada should do next. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Should Canada condemn Donald Trump’s invasion of Venezuela, or stay quiet to protect trade talks?
Louise Blais, a former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, and Ben Rowswell, a former Canadian ambassador to Venezuela debate whether defending international law and sovereignty abroad strength...
www.thestar.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Former senior diplomats Ben Rowswell and Louise Blais agree that the U.S. invasion of Venezuela violated international law. But they sharply disagree on what Canada should do next. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
SPEAK, a powerful new documentary directed by my friends Guy Mossman and Jen Tiexiera gives me so much hope for the future. Premieres tonight on @cbcgem.bsky.social @lisahepner.bsky.social @guymossman.bsky.social gem.cbc.ca/speak
SPEAK. | Films | CBC Gem
SPEAK. follows five bold, young voices on a high-stakes quest to win the Super Bowl of public speaking. Against a backdrop of turmoil, these teens rise with fire, wit, and unshakable humanity.
gem.cbc.ca
January 7, 2026 at 12:27 PM
SPEAK, a powerful new documentary directed by my friends Guy Mossman and Jen Tiexiera gives me so much hope for the future. Premieres tonight on @cbcgem.bsky.social @lisahepner.bsky.social @guymossman.bsky.social gem.cbc.ca/speak
It would nice to be hopeful for 2026. Thanks Charlie Demers and Rachel Ruecker! www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Should Canadians feel hopeful about 2026? Two comedians weigh In
To ring in 2026 with a bit of levity, we asked Canadian comedians Juno-nominated standup Charles Demers and award-winning Gen Z comedian Rachel Ruecker to sound off on whether or
www.thestar.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:15 PM
It would nice to be hopeful for 2026. Thanks Charlie Demers and Rachel Ruecker! www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
A reminder of what Putin has not been able to destroy in Ukraine: courage, compassion and hope @thestar.com #UkraineConflict @hrw.org @icrc.org www.thestar.com/news/world/h...
She was pregnant when taken prisoner by Russia. This Ukrainian medic told captors her secret — and it may have saved her life
Mariana Mamonova was among the last defenders of Mariupol. She was determined to survive captivity, for the sake of her unborn child.
www.thestar.com
December 14, 2025 at 2:16 PM
A reminder of what Putin has not been able to destroy in Ukraine: courage, compassion and hope @thestar.com #UkraineConflict @hrw.org @icrc.org www.thestar.com/news/world/h...
Alberta's independence conversation is getting real. @lukaszukab.bsky.social @thestar.com www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Bridging the Divide: Is Alberta getting a raw deal? Could independence be the answer?
Alberta’s independence fight has moved from the margins to the centre of provincial politics with a potential vote on separation in 2026. Cameron Davies, the Alberta Republican Party leader, says
www.thestar.com
December 13, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Alberta's independence conversation is getting real. @lukaszukab.bsky.social @thestar.com www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
This was a tough conversation. But an important one. Should MAID be extended to include those with mental illness? @thestar.com @dyingwithdignity.ca @dignityindying.org.uk
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Should MAID be extended to include those with mental illness?
Does compassion mean giving people control over how they die — or fighting harder to help them live?
www.thestar.com
December 13, 2025 at 5:02 PM
This was a tough conversation. But an important one. Should MAID be extended to include those with mental illness? @thestar.com @dyingwithdignity.ca @dignityindying.org.uk
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Los Angeles is fighting Donald Trump’s mass-deportation efforts. My trip with an early morning patrol. @thestar.com @uniondelbarrio.bsky.social
www.thestar.com/news/insight...
www.thestar.com/news/insight...
A quiet army protecting immigrant families. Inside Los Angeles’ anti-ICE patrols
A huge American city has been a hub of grassroots resistance to Donald Trump's mass-deportation plans. Some of it involves late-night driving patrols looking for ICE.
www.thestar.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Los Angeles is fighting Donald Trump’s mass-deportation efforts. My trip with an early morning patrol. @thestar.com @uniondelbarrio.bsky.social
www.thestar.com/news/insight...
www.thestar.com/news/insight...
This innocent Canadian is being hunted by India. Canadian Sikhs, like him, worry economic interests and geopolitical pragmatism will override their safety.
thewalrus.ca/india-accuse...
thewalrus.ca/india-accuse...
India Accused This Canadian of a Terror Attack in Ottawa. Did the Incident Even Happen? | The Walrus
Amarjot Singh says he joined a peaceful Sikh protest but found himself a marked man
thewalrus.ca
November 20, 2025 at 12:39 PM
This innocent Canadian is being hunted by India. Canadian Sikhs, like him, worry economic interests and geopolitical pragmatism will override their safety.
thewalrus.ca/india-accuse...
thewalrus.ca/india-accuse...
Ontario is tearing down its speed cameras, and the fight over safety and surveillance is only getting louder. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Everyone wants safer streets. Is speed camera surveillance the best solution or overreach?
Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of Parachute, a national injury prevention charity, argues automated speed enforcement prevents death and injury on the roads where it happens most. Howard Sapers, ex...
www.thestar.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Ontario is tearing down its speed cameras, and the fight over safety and surveillance is only getting louder. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
“I didn't see any chance of surviving in the hell around me.”
How one man survived three Russian massacres — innocent, suffering, yet unwilling to surrender. With photography by the amazing Paul Conroy @reflextv. @hrw @UNOCHA @UKRcancongress www.thestar.com/news/insight...
How one man survived three Russian massacres — innocent, suffering, yet unwilling to surrender. With photography by the amazing Paul Conroy @reflextv. @hrw @UNOCHA @UKRcancongress www.thestar.com/news/insight...
He faced Russia’s brutality for years. But like Ukraine, Serhii persevered — at a price
He left his family behind at dawn. 'When your city is being bombed, and someone is suffering,' Serhii told me much later, 'there is no time to think of anything
www.thestar.com
October 18, 2025 at 3:56 PM
“I didn't see any chance of surviving in the hell around me.”
How one man survived three Russian massacres — innocent, suffering, yet unwilling to surrender. With photography by the amazing Paul Conroy @reflextv. @hrw @UNOCHA @UKRcancongress www.thestar.com/news/insight...
How one man survived three Russian massacres — innocent, suffering, yet unwilling to surrender. With photography by the amazing Paul Conroy @reflextv. @hrw @UNOCHA @UKRcancongress www.thestar.com/news/insight...
Canadian health care is failing to deliver the standard of care many Canadians expect. Should Canada open the door to a parallel, private tier of health care or dedicate itself to fixing Medicare?
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
September 30, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Canadian health care is failing to deliver the standard of care many Canadians expect. Should Canada open the door to a parallel, private tier of health care or dedicate itself to fixing Medicare?
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Military burials every day in western Ukraine. Today two young volunteer soldiers from Lviv.
September 19, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Military burials every day in western Ukraine. Today two young volunteer soldiers from Lviv.
Record Russian drone attack on civilian targets @kyivindependent.com kyivindependent.com/explosions-h...
Record Russian drone, missile attack kills at least 4, injures 44 across Ukraine, hits government building for first time
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 810 Shahed-type drones and 13 cruise and ballistic missiles during the attack.
kyivindependent.com
September 7, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Record Russian drone attack on civilian targets @kyivindependent.com kyivindependent.com/explosions-h...
Ontario still needs to talk about the Greenbelt. We want to protect the environment and also need more homes. Thanks David Crombie and Matthew Cory for starting this conversation. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Ontarians want to protect the environment and also need more homes. Can we afford to keep the Greenbelt off limits for development?
The provincial government is poised to begin a mandatory 10-year review of the Greenbelt. David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto, federal cabinet minister and urban reform advocate who led the
www.thestar.com
September 5, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Ontario still needs to talk about the Greenbelt. We want to protect the environment and also need more homes. Thanks David Crombie and Matthew Cory for starting this conversation. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Eight thousand Canadians are dying from toxic drugs every year. We need more addiction services. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Alberta has instituted a forced treatment policy for drug addiction. Should Ontario follow suit?
Michelle Green youngest daughter is struggling with addiction. Green is campaigning for Ontario to adopt legislation to allow adults and youths to be forced into addiction treatment. Dr. Leslie Buckle...
www.thestar.com
August 21, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Eight thousand Canadians are dying from toxic drugs every year. We need more addiction services. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Home ownership is out of reach for most Canadians. What should we do to solve this?
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
August 8, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Home ownership is out of reach for most Canadians. What should we do to solve this?
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
A growing number of Canadians are contemplating what once seemed unthinkable — abandoning North American free-trade agreements and joining the European Union. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Should Canada apply to become the 28th member state of the European Union?
By joining the EU, Canada would send a strong message that we are challenging Putin and Trump and that we want to be united with countries that believe in liberal
www.thestar.com
July 9, 2025 at 4:23 PM
A growing number of Canadians are contemplating what once seemed unthinkable — abandoning North American free-trade agreements and joining the European Union. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Reposted by Katharine Lake Berz
“Impossible Choice” by Katharine Lake Berz (@lakeberz.bsky.social) has won First Place for the A.C. Forrest Memorial Award at this year’s Canadian Christian Communicators Association Awards.
Revisit the story:
Revisit the story:
Stuck in a Syrian refugee camp, this mother could send her children to Canada. But she may never see them again. | Broadview Magazine
Samia's Canadian children are in danger of dying or becoming victims of violence, but she faces an impossible choice
broadview.org
May 29, 2025 at 8:48 PM
“Impossible Choice” by Katharine Lake Berz (@lakeberz.bsky.social) has won First Place for the A.C. Forrest Memorial Award at this year’s Canadian Christian Communicators Association Awards.
Revisit the story:
Revisit the story:
Grateful my article @broadviewmedia.bsky.social was recognized for a CCCA award. But Samia is still stranded in a Syrian prison with her Canadian children and losing hope. @irccnews.bsky.social broadview.org/stuck-in-a-s...
Stuck in a Syrian refugee camp, this mother could send her children to Canada. But she may never see them again. | Broadview Magazine
Samia's Canadian children are in danger of dying or becoming victims of violence, but she faces an impossible choice
broadview.org
May 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Grateful my article @broadviewmedia.bsky.social was recognized for a CCCA award. But Samia is still stranded in a Syrian prison with her Canadian children and losing hope. @irccnews.bsky.social broadview.org/stuck-in-a-s...
I am proud of Canada standing up to Trump, but could isolation become counterproductive? @TorontoStar #Canada #CUSMA www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Katharine Lake Berz: Don’t boycott the states — do this instead
Distancing ourselves from Americans over the long term could inadvertently strengthen Trump's influence. Protesting with absence blocks the free exchange of ideas that liberal democracies need.
www.thestar.com
May 16, 2025 at 7:35 PM
I am proud of Canada standing up to Trump, but could isolation become counterproductive? @TorontoStar #Canada #CUSMA www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Thank you Associated Church Press for recognizing my work with Alanna Mitchell @broadviewmedia.bsky.social broadview.org/stuck-in-a-s...
Stuck in a Syrian refugee camp, this mother could send her children to Canada. But she may never see them again. | Broadview Magazine
Samia's Canadian children are in danger of dying or becoming victims of violence, but she faces an impossible choice
broadview.org
May 8, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Thank you Associated Church Press for recognizing my work with Alanna Mitchell @broadviewmedia.bsky.social broadview.org/stuck-in-a-s...
Florida’s @LGBTQ community is in turmoil, a preview of what Trump promises to spread across America www.thestar.com/news/insight...
Florida Pride events are beleaguered — and the people they’re for say they feel the same. Here’s why
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — “Respect, kindness, compassion,” blasted the music as the “King of the Drag Queens” Kitty Meow took the stage at Florida's oldest Pride festival this past winter.
www.thestar.com
May 2, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Florida’s @LGBTQ community is in turmoil, a preview of what Trump promises to spread across America www.thestar.com/news/insight...
Long lines to vote this morning in Toronto and Liberals are smiling! @cafreeland @MarkJCarney @SophiaBerz @liberalca.bsky.social
April 28, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Long lines to vote this morning in Toronto and Liberals are smiling! @cafreeland @MarkJCarney @SophiaBerz @liberalca.bsky.social
Angry young men are a scary global phenomenon. But Canada's young men have avoided the conservative manosphere drift. www.canadianaffairs.news/2025/04/24/o...
Op-Ed: Young Canadian men are not leaning right, as media claim
Headlines continue to warn about youth radicalization, but the real story is how young Canadian men seem to be bucking these global trends
www.canadianaffairs.news
April 25, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Angry young men are a scary global phenomenon. But Canada's young men have avoided the conservative manosphere drift. www.canadianaffairs.news/2025/04/24/o...