name me a Canadian subreddit that ISN'T run by mods that staunchly control the narrative

Not just limited to Canadian subreddits, it's all local subreddits and basically all that are over 10k people. Niche hobby subreddits are basically all that's left that's still ok for actually discussion.

And quite honestly, Lemmy kinda sucks too mostly because the userbase isn't that large and politically leans significantly left of the average IRL (Reddit, other than some select (mostly American-based) subreddits also leans left of average, but not as far as Lemmy) so it's very much an echo chamber.

r/NiceVancouver.

25k+ users, we do practically zero moderation. Surprisingly it's pretty damn civil and great.

/r/waterloo was good and /r/kitchener was a fascist spawning ground.

/r/toronto is a lot like /r/ontario that way, though /r/ontario it's a little more hit-and-miss, depending on if you hurt a right-winger's feelings that day. Normally it leans left, but if you say something even slightly risque (other than cheap jokes about Doug Ford) and someone gets their nose out of joint, it'll get you banned.

I managed to a few days ago, comparing Doug Ford to the protagonist from Denis Leary's song Asshole. That got me, in no short order, a Reddit Cares email (which I report, because those really are the lowest form of harassment) and a ban for a day alter when, I suppose, that same right winger caught flak for abusing Reddit Cares.

The time defore that was a suggestion that "things won't improve in Ontario until the rich are afraid for their bank accounts, or the lives". That got me another Reddit Cares message, which I complained about, and, yup, another ban.

My local sub (/r/Peterborough) is remarkably level-headed. I'll give it credit.

/r/Canada's a whole other level, though. Yikes.