Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Welcome back to our witnesses.
I would like to start with Dr. Nemer. Your opening sentence caught my attention as it relates to your comments around citizen science and sustaining our democracy. Actually, I should reference that Dr. Quirion mentioned disinformation and misinformation in his opening. We've heard a lot of information from past witnesses in other studies about disinformation and information floating through, of course, social media—where else would we find that—with an attempt to undermine not just science but public health initiatives and information that has helped us get through the pandemic.
I was a member of the board of health on my municipal council before I arrived here. I experienced those comments and the push-back to public health professionals who were trying to assist, whether it was on the use of masks, the social distancing or the benefits of getting the vaccine. We've seen this constant trend, since the beginning of the pandemic, to try to undermine the efforts of the science that helped us get through the pandemic. Scientific initiatives have helped over the last 30 to 40 years to get us to where we are today.
With that preamble, Dr. Nemer, I want you to further elaborate on how citizen science helps us with sustaining our democracy. I think those were your comments in your first sentence.