The Toronto Debating Society Meetup Group

Welcome to the Toronto Debating Society!

The Toronto Debating Society has a simple idea: there's a certain type of person that is always looking for a good debate on a thought-provoking topic with interesting people. It's not always easy to find this kind of outlet, so we invite you to "get your fix" with a great evening of debating. Our debates are always an entertaining spectacle as our new and experienced members sharpen their skills in persuasion and presentation.

We are a non-profit public community organization; a group of people interested in words, ideas and the power of quick thinking. We meet every other Tuesday from September to May to tackle issues as suggested by our membership. We are not necessarily debating our own feelings and beliefs; rather we are intrigued by the prospect of defending any side of any issue to challenge even our own viewpoints.

No experience necessary

Absolutely no public speaking or debating experience is necessary! We welcome members and guests of all ages and backgrounds.

Debating is a great way to develop skills applicable to all aspects of life. Members learn how to debate through peer mentorship, by watching other experienced debaters and by preparing and delivering their own team debates.

Connect with us

Discover what you can expect to see at one of our meetings by browsing our previous debates, educational seminars and special events on our YouTube channel. You can also connect with us on Facebook, here on Meetup or follow our Twitter feed.

Admission is always free to any of our events.

We hope you'll join us.

Join us

Who do I know here?

Be the first to hear about our new Meetups

By creating a Meetup account, you agree to the Terms of Service

Welcome Debaters!

Join and suggest a new Meetup

Meetup

Featured Meetup

Debate: Proportional representation should replace First-past-the-post
- Tue Feb 21
  7:30 PM
- RSVP 7 days
  left
- 18 attending
- 0 comments
Swansea Town Hall

95 Lavinia Ave, Toronto, ON (map)
View the official agenda for this debate: http://www.debating.ca/index.php/proportion... In a first-past-the-post electoral system a candidate wins a local electoral district by getting the most votes in that district. The party with the greatest number of electoral districts won gets to form the government. In a proportional representation... Learn more

Hosted by: Toronto Debating Society (debating.ca)

Recent Meetups

February 7 at 7:30 PM, 20 debaters attended
Debate: Romance is overrated
They rated it 5.001 (1 ratings)

View the official agenda for this debate: http://www.debating.ca/index.php/romance-overrated/ Romance is overrated. Enough said? At the Toronto Debating Society,... Learn more
January 24 at 7:30 PM, 20 debaters attended
Debate: Criminals are entitled to profit from their intellectual property
They rated it 5.003 (3 ratings) and uploaded 3 photos

“
Fascinating discussion - interesting topic - fun night! :-)

—Michelle Warren

“
Well done, debaters!

—Toronto Debating Society
January 10 at 7:30 PM, 30 debaters attended
Debate: We should work to live rather than live to work.
They rated it 5.003 (3 ratings) and uploaded 3 photos

“
One of our best-attended events! Excellent work, debaters! The debate continued at the pub - as usual!

—Dave H

“
Great turnout!

—Margie
December 6, 2011 at 7:30 PM, 22 debaters attended
Cross-Examination Debate: Canada needs a flat income tax
They rated it 5.003 (3 ratings) and uploaded 4 photos

“
Excellent and enjoyable debate!

—Dave H

“
Congratulations to all of the debaters for pulling off a very colorful cross examination debate! Well done.

—Toronto Debating Society
November 22, 2011 at 7:30 PM, 21 debaters attended
Random Roles Debate: It is better to be an optimist than a realist.
They rated it 5.005 (5 ratings)

“
very fun, the entire debate was very thorough: education, intro, the improptu topics, looking forward to making it out to more meetings!

—Amie

“
It rocked! And I am in no way biased. ;)

—Margie