Coyne on Democracy, Carney on Housing, Story of a Trans Athlete

Monday, May 26, 2025

This week from The Walrus:

Crisis or Reform: The Choice Facing Canada’s New Parliament

We’ve had a lovely run these past 150-odd years, but our luck may not hold much longer

BY ANDREW COYNE

A photo illustration of a cycle of three Canadian flags, blurring in and out of focus.

Trump has said he will use the powers of the presidency to “go after” his political enemies—including prosecution and jail. He has already seen to it, with the help of a friendly Supreme Court, that he cannot be prosecuted for any crimes he might commit as president, provided these are committed in his “official capacity.” His vice president has mused about defying court orders. The prospect is for a level of presidential lawlessness unknown even in Trump’s first term.

Surveying all this from our vantage point to the north, it is tempting to see our own problems as relatively mild. Whatever our democracy’s imperfections, we are in nowhere near the difficulty Americans face. And yet, because of the failings in our own democratic system, we are in a peculiarly weak position to respond.

Read or listen to the story

A photo of Mark Carney smiling and shking ther hand of a man in a construction helmet and safety vest. Behind them are other construction workers in hard hats and orange vests.

Mark Carney Promised Affordable Housing. Now Comes the Impossible Part

You can’t have it all, but the government is going to try

BY DAVID MOSCROP

A photo illustration that shows the face of Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston merging with that of US president Donald Trump.

Another Premier, Another Power Grab

In a Trump‐like move, Nova Scotia’s Tim Houston is leveraging trade‐war tensions to give his government more control

BY TREVOR CORKUM

A photo of a soldier looking facing a tall fence and watch tower of a prison. The sky is a bright blue with white clouds.

I’ve Visited Guantánamo 28 Times as a Reporter. It Still Defies Belief

The surreal gulag has a pub, a gift shop, and a McDonald’s. Now Trump is looking to fill it up again

BY MICHELLE SHEPHARD

I Was the First Transgender Player in Professional Hockey. Then I Had to Walk Away

The sports world is the newest battleground for true equality

BY HARRISON BROWNE WITH RACHEL BROWNE

A photo of Dag Aabye competing in the 2016 Death Race in Grande Cache, Alberta.

Your Summer Inspiration: The Oldest Ultramarathon Runner

A look back at our story on Dag Aabye, the octogenarian pushing his body to its absolute limits

BY BRETT POPPLEWELL

Can you find all the words?

Enjoy daily Word Search puzzles with The Walrus Games.

Themes include 2025 movies, fitness terms, words with French origins, and more.

Play now

Do Journalists Traffic in Duplicity?

Writers can bring clarity to a complicated situation without giving up their independence—or empathy

BY CARMINE STARNINO

How to Make a Living as a Writer

Horse stories in the morning, erotica in the afternoon

BY GABRIELLE DROLET

A black-and-white photo of the poet Nicholas Bradley against an orange background.

Two Runners

After, they are hoarse / and slow. They jog

BY NICHOLAS BRADLEY

Letters to the Editor: March/April 2025

Family histories, fantasies, and a bad fit

BY READERS

Canada’s energy future is electric.

The Walrus Talks Power Economy, presented by Concordia University and Volt‐Age, brings together leading voices to examine how electrification will transform industries, homes, and infrastructure.

Join us on May 29 to connect in person by joining us in Toronto for an engaging evening of ideas. The post‐event reception is a great chance to meet our speakers and community over good food and drinks.

Join us

5 Questions with the 2025 Amazon Canada First Novel Award Finalists

What inspired your first novel? Why do debuts matter? And what are you reading?

We asked each of the six finalists these questions—and more. Hear their answers in this video series.

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In this episode of What Happened Next, host Nathan Whitlock is joined by journalist and editor John Lorinc, who writes regularly for places like the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, The Walrus, and Spacing magazine, where he is a senior editor. The most recent book for which he is the sole author is the memoir No Jews Live Here, published in 2024 by Coach House. John and Nathan talk about his enduring interest in cities, about writing a Holocaust‐themed memoir after working for so long in the realm of urbanism, and about his long relationship with Coach House Books.

Listen now

THE WALRUS THANKS ALL OUR ADVERTISERS. BECOME ONE.

Canada has recently faced many political questions: How do we address ongoing tensions with the US? What is our place in the world? Is it time for a change in the Parliament?

There has been much debate on how we should respond to those questions, but many other critical issues remain: economic concerns, climate emergencies, limitations in the housing market, and an increasingly strained health care system. On all these fronts, our reporting and analysis are there for you, carefully researched as ever and paywall‐free.

If you’ve enjoyed these articles, please consider making a donation today. Your donation will help us continue to provide everyone with paywall‐free, fact‐based reporting on matters that demand Canada’s attention.

Thank you for your support.

Harley Rustad
Senior Editor, The Walrus

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