"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." — George Orwell

We are excited to announce the winners of the 2025 Brandon Langhjelm Essay Contest. This year's submissions demonstrated exceptional thought, effort, and insight as students engaged deeply with two of Canada's most contested questions involving individual rights and freedoms.

The contest invited students to choose between two topics:

Option one: Privacy and public safety

Governments are expanding the use of surveillance and data-gathering technologies—including CCTV cameras, biometrics, AI-powered predictive analytics, digital IDs, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)—all in the name of public safety. While such tools may help prevent crime and protect citizens, they also raise serious concerns about government access to personal behaviour, beliefs, habits, and financial activity.

Question #1: What makes privacy valuable? How important is privacy in a free society? Under what conditions, if any, should the government be permitted to interfere with individual privacy for the sake of public safety? What is the appropriate balance between privacy and security?

Option two: Freedom of religion and secular spaces

Quebec's Bill 21 prohibits public employees in positions of authority—teachers, police officers, and judges—from wearing religious symbols at work. In December 2024, Premier François Legault also proposed banning prayer in parks and public spaces to preserve state neutrality. Supporters argue this legislation protects the separation of church and state; critics argue it unjustifiably violates freedoms of conscience, religion, and expression.

Question #2: Do policies like Bill 21 violate fundamental freedoms? Does the state have the right to declare public spaces neutral or secular? How should Canada balance religious freedom and freedom of expression with the principles of secular governance?

Learn more about the contest in this short YouTube video.

First place: Nina Tekavcic

Essay title: Lifting the Veil: Exposing the False Neutrality of Quebec's Bill 21

About Nina's essay

Strengths: This outstanding essay impresses immediately with its clarity, originality, and intellectual depth. The argumentation is fluid and well-supported, backed by excellent research and strong theoretical engagement. With careful attention to Canada's tradition of religious freedom and the historical foundations of laïcité, the essay distinguishes clearly between genuine secularism and Quebec's misapplied version. Its policy proposals are particularly exceptional—substantive, well-reasoned, and supported by authoritative sources.

Weaknesses: Certain points are repeated unnecessarily, and streamlining these moments would strengthen the essay's overall impact.

Biography

Nina Tekavcic is a Grade 12 International Baccalaureate student and aspiring medical doctor who blends scientific curiosity with a passion for legal and ethical issues. She approaches questions of law using the scientific method, bridging two complex fields. Outside of academics, Nina volunteers as a camp counsellor, swim instructor, and math tutor. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and playing with her cats.

Click here to read Nina's essay (PDF).

Second place: Kayenat Zaidi

Essay title: Lines We Should Not Cross: Privacy, Surveillance, and Canada's Digital Charter

About Kayenat's essay

Strengths: This essay provides a clear, well-researched, and compelling examination of why privacy is fundamental in a free society. It demonstrates strong theoretical engagement and evaluates the relationship between safety and personal liberty with insight and nuance. The policy recommendations reflect a sophisticated understanding of current Canadian and international privacy issues.

Weaknesses: Some sections, particularly the policy proposals, would benefit from additional authoritative citations.

Biography

Kayenat Zaidi is a Grade 12 student at Western Canada High School in Calgary with a keen interest in systems-design engineering. She is passionate about women's rights advocacy and plans to remain active in this area throughout her life. In her free time, Kayenat enjoys playing basketball and reading, with A Tale of Two Cities as her favourite novel.

Click here to read Kayenat's essay (PDF).

Third place: Sabrina Cordeiro

Essay title: Privacy, Power, and the Public Good: Balancing Surveillance and Liberty

About Sabrina's essay

Strengths: This essay features a strong introduction with a clear thesis that sets expectations effectively. Its disciplined structure and strong theoretical grounding support a persuasive argument concerning government limits and the fundamental value of privacy. The essay excels in addressing objections and counterarguments and concludes with a concise, satisfying final section.

Weaknesses: The essay includes some grammar and citation issues, and several paragraphs are overly long. Breaking them into shorter sections would improve readability.

Biography

Sabrina Cordeiro is a Grade 12 student who will soon begin her studies in biological sciences at the University of Lethbridge. She aspires to become a wildlife biologist and enjoys hiking, exploring nature, reading, and playing soccer. Her academic interests include ecosystems, wildlife conservation, and the complex relationships between species and their environments.

Click here to read Sabrina's essay (PDF).

Honourable mentions

We proudly recognize the following outstanding writers whose essays were top contenders:

• Hunter McNaughton
• Zakiya Abdulaziz
• Madison Grace Sylvester
• Anie Udofia
• Kit Li Xinf

Thank you for your hard work and impressive contributions. We encourage you to apply again next year. Your voices are vital to Canada's ongoing conversation about freedom, and opportunities like this help strengthen and refine them.

About Brandon Langhjelm

Despite being born with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, a significant connective tissue disorder, Brandon Langhjelm earned a Bachelor of Arts in History before obtaining his law degree from the University of British Columbia. Joining the Justice Centre in 2018, Brandon achieved a major legal victory in 2020 after challenging the City of New Westminster's decision to cancel an ethnic church's youth conference over disagreement with one of its speakers.

Brandon represented clients in court until 2021, when he was hospitalized and diagnosed with stage four cancer. He passed away on October 25, 2021. He is remembered for his legal insight, love of the NHL, compassion for vulnerable people, and the courage and conviction with which he faced his final challenge. The Brandon Langhjelm Essay Contest was created in his honour in 2021.