Join our Early Access Program to participate in co-design sessions, be the first to see feature previews, and get first dibs on beta invites by opting in to help us test the platform. Closed Beta Intake form coming soon! gandersocial.ca#early-access

In June we ran our first participatory design activity with the Early Access Program. We explored four topic areas with you: Canadian identity & inclusion, ads & monetization, trust & autonomy, and engagement & participation. Read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/highlig...

See you at Elevate in October! Jennifer and Alison (our COO and Head of Community respectively) will be running a workshop on building a tech stack that runs on Canadian values (and servers). They'll be joined by @vassb.bsky.social from the The Canadian SHIELD Institute.

Canadians log on to platforms built under American rules where hate speech is protected. In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and another school shooting in Colorado, days before a nationalist 'Canada First' rally in Toronto, it’s time to enforce our Charter and laws online.

Here’s the DigSov letter to the PM in full for those that haven't seen it yet. Taylor Owen signed so you know it’s legit. While we always suggest reading the full thing for yourself, we've pulled some choice highlights that are pertinent to our work. Letter: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont... ^Good to see this getting attention. We’ve had a number of promising meetings with supportive officials, but we’re still navigating old support programs while pressing on with our own limited funds (with help from friends and family). More 👇

Where’s Gander? We’re on it! Been a busy, heads down kinda summer, but this is a quick update. August Closed Beta has moved to September, but we still have plans to open up more broadly end of October. More to come!

Happy Canada Day. We’re all about small-p patriotism: recognizing there’s plenty of work to be done, but also that we’ve got something worth building on here. Another thread 👇

We’ve decided there are too many people to thank for a single Gratitude Week. The list keeps growing. So let’s just call it Gander Gratitude, period, and let it ride. On the eve of Canada Day, here’s one of many great Canadians who’ve stepped up: Arlene Dickinson.

We were searching for someone to help us navigate community impact in Canada. "Oh, you mean Peter Dinsdale" came the reply. (You can follow him here: @peterdinsdale.bsky.social) Ben explains:

Meet Melody, our Lead Software Engineer. She wants to leave this world better than she found it. We'd say she's well on her way. Over to Ben for more: It’s Day 2 of Gander Gratitude Week 💛 Today, I want to talk about Melody L., our Lead Software Engineer.

Ben talks about meeting Taylor Owen (@taylorowen.bsky.social) for the first time, having his eyes opened, and the power of (consensual) hugs. A thread. Over to Ben:

Busy day for our Early Access Program yesterday. Lots of sign-ups (thank you!) and also some error messages (sorry). We've fixed the issue. If you didn’t get through yesterday, please give it another try by following this link: gandersocial.ca#early-access More details below 👇

In the spirit of saying thanks to the people (that's you) who have helped us get here, we’re showing our gratitude this week. Here’s a thread on what’s coming up👇

It’s not lost on us that a new social platform isn’t exactly top of mind. Tech execs joining the U.S. military. More war. And here we are, grateful for everyone with us in this moment. A social platform isn’t all that social without good people supporting it.

This is exactly why we’re intentionally designing Gander to align with the Canadian Charter. Not because the law says we have to but because being free from hate speech is a universal human right. Tackling hate speech is a process. One we hope you'll be part of. #CharterInspired #CanadianTech

Spinning in circles trying to find your audience on platforms that reward views over value, are foreign-owned, and don’t get Canadians? Come hang at the Gander Social Creator Jam! Meet the team, demo the platform, help shape our tools. June 25, 6-9PM, TO. Register: lu.ma/9ibyo92a #TorontoTechWeek

Sometimes you get mentioned by @techcrunch.com. And in good company too. Adding a sprinkle of ketchup chip dust to the ATPro to surface Canadian voices and protect digital sovereignty.

Being online is cool. So is logging off to read some books. Here’s what some of us at Gander are reading this weekend: data gaps in everyday life, smart forests, radical queer history, the future of the internet, and the enduring appeal of fancy vampires.

Hear from Jennifer, our COO, about crying through Come From Away (as you do), finding kinship in Canada and why she joined the Gander team. #GetToKnowGander #HinterlandWhosWho

We’re not always the experts—and while we’re consulting with them, we believe it’s vital to build with you. If you rely on accessible design or advocate for those who do, what do you wish more platforms got right? Share your thoughts below. 🦆❤️ #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibleCanada

At Web Summit Vancouver? We are too. Keep an eye out for Alison and say hi if you see her. We’d love to hear more about what you’re up to. #WebSummitVancouver

Big moment for Canada. There’s energy behind us to create new and exciting things: AI, space infra—and yes, social platforms too. If you’ve got a bold idea go for it. Hear from Ben on Canadian resilience and responsibility: https://startupcan.pulse.ly/olymjcqedy

Creators build community online but rarely get a say in how the platforms they use work. Let’s change that. Join us June 25 @ Beauchamp Art Gallery for a free Creator Jam as part of Toronto Tech Week. RSVP and shape the tools you need to reach your people. Space is limited. lu.ma/9ibyo92a

Nice way to wake up today. Thanks @nadrescher.bsky.social @thelogic.co for the article. It’s paywalled (but free with a trial). Happy to answer questions. Thanks @bmann.ca @blaine.bsky.social @walkah.social @bad-example.com for the support! thelogic.co/news/gander-...

I usually say Gander started with Mike Myers and digital sovereignty—but the real “why” hit me again thanks to an email from Erin, a Canadian mom who just wants a kinder internet for her kids. Posted on our blog (with her permission) gandersocial.ca/blog/en/home...

Crazy week(s), but things are really coming together for Gander. We’re on our way to releasing a high-level, digestible roadmap (more depth to come), along with team bios and more. @bmann.ca has been a HUGE help. Can’t thank him enough.

Thank you to everyone for all of the interest, questions, encouragement and feedback. It’s been a crazy 24 hours. More to come soon! 🇨🇦

After a long bit of toiling, we're proud to announce the launch of Gander Social—a project to bring a new kind of social to Canadians. Canadian owned and hosted, a feed you control, privacy-first, consent-based, respectful by default. Join the Early Access program: gandersocial.ca