There’s an exciting new development in the world of social media: Canadian social media sites. So far I have discovered and joined Hey.Café and Eh! Both have groups that cater to my interests: photography, cats, crafts, and more.
EH!
EH! is similar to Threads or how Twitter used to be in the old days. It also has no ads, and it uses hashtags to find content. It also has groups and all the other features you’d expect. I also like the local feature which allows you to find content in your hometown. You have to verify your account with your phone number, so you can only create one account.
Hey.Café
Hey.Café is similar to Facebook, in that it has groups called cafés, and a main friends feed, and a “fresh and hot” feed. It is very easy to use, and I like that it has no adverts (the way they are making money off it is having the option of Pro accounts). It doesn’t appear to select or present content algorithmically either. And you can use multiple emojis to react to posts, including a maple leaf, the rainbow flag, and the trans flag.
Spaces
Spaces is a very local social network, based on interest groups, and run by local newspapers. I’m in the Cambridge space, and there are spaces for other Ontario communities.
Other Canadian social media
I haven’t joined all of these but they are Canadian, which means your data will be stored in Canada. They all have the option to create a profile, use hashtags, post photos, videos, and links.
- Gander – looks a bit like TikTok or Twitter, and you can set your preferences for mainly text or mainly video content. You can also post events and join groups.
- NorthSocial.ca – looks a bit like Twitter, but you cannot create threaded posts (as far as I can tell). You can create private or public posts, and comment on other people’s posts.
- Qlub – a Québec based social network, mostly in French. I might join this one just to practice my French. It looks a bit like Twitter or Threads.
- Pixelfed – this is an alternative to Instagram. It is a Canadian social network according to Wikipedia.
Qlub and Pixelfed are part of the Fediverse, a group of social media sites that all use the same underlying structure, so that you can follow an account on one Fediverse site from another one.
Reasons to use Canadian social media
- Your data is hosted in Canada
- You’re supporting Canadian companies
- You can post links to news articles (unlike on Facebook or Instagram)
- You can connect with other Canadians
- You can read updates about what is happening in Canada
- You can find Canadian products and services (both Eh! and Hey.Café have groups for Canadian products and services)
Business groups on Canadian social media
- Buy Canadian, Eh! – – a group for sharing businesses, products and services
- Canadian Products & Creators on Hey.Café – a café to share businesses, products and services
- Small business on Cambridge Spaces – a space for local small businesses to post news and updates
- Virtual Market – Canada’s answer to Etsy: an online solution for side-hustlers and creative small business owners who need a website but don’t want the hassle of maintaining it themselves. Their vendors sell handmade or locally sourced products to their neighbours and community members.
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