A Baby? In This Economy?

Monday, November 25, 2024

This week from The Walrus:

Want to Raise a Kid in Canada? That’ll Be $293,000

… and climbing

BY CHANTAL BRAGANZA

In a photo illustration, a baby in diapers sucking his thumb lies on a pile of money. Some of the bills are floating away.

What’s become clear is that the confluence of expense and expectation—the cost of living coupled with how this generation would like to raise their kids—has muddled our understanding of luxury. The research available tells us that millennials who’d otherwise want kids aren’t stalling or forgoing parenthood entirely due to the cost of strollers, or because they can’t afford a second car to drive these future children to hockey practice. Instead, they’re thinking about affordable housing, reliable child care, and sometimes the cost of in vitro fertilization. None of these things is a luxury.

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A school separated by a sidewalk with an orange fence and pile of gravel.

Cuts to Toronto Schools Are Carving into Bone

Mice and rat infestations, leaky roofs, a lack of staff and class supplies. Inside the gradual erosion of public education in Ontario

BY WENCY LEUNG

A police offer looks at a town square while in the background, two men in black hoodies raise a Union Jack flag.

Blaming Immigrants Is a Gateway to Far‐Right Extremism

As Canada cuts down on the number of newcomers, anti‐immigration rhetoric could fuel something more sinister

BY SHEIMA BENEMBAREK

Donald Trump, darkly silhouetted against American flags.

Will Trump Teach Us to Care about Democracy Again?

Organizing is now the only way forward

BY MARSHALL GANZ

A photo illustration featuring an orange background and a smartphone with two x's and a straight line that looks like an unhappy or dead face.

“Yukoners Are Pissed”: The Outcry over Telecom Failures

Starlink’s popularity surges as Northern residents search for reliable internet

BY RHIANNON RUSSELL

Should the Arctic Really Brace for an Invasion from China or Russia?

The people who live there would rather see more housing and maybe some dentists

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY PAT KANE

Malala Yousafzai, wearing a deep pink dress and head scarf, gestures while speaking to someone off camera.

Malala Yousafzai Wants to Call What’s Happening to Afghan Women Apartheid

The Nobel Prize winner discusses her new documentary, Bread and Roses, and the Taliban’s escalating attacks

BY WENDY KAUR

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“The old quote ‘If you want peace, prepare for war’ applies well to health security, which is the preparation and response of a nation to a public health threat. Larger and more dangerous wildfires impact Canada every year, and we don’t have the resources to combat them effectively. COVID‐19 may feel ‘over,’ but the threat of another deadly infectious disease is never far away. I hope you’ll join us to hear our speakers share their plans for improving Canada’s health security. While this moment in history may not feel very peaceful, as far as health threats are concerned, it is the calm before the storm. It is a window of opportunity now to plan for our safety for years to come.“ — Emma Mackenzie Hillier, Senior Events Manager

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This week marks 150 years since the birth of Lucy Maud Montgomery. In the latest episode of Canadian Time Machine, her granddaughter Kate McDonald Butler shares family stories and reflects on preserving Montgomery’s legacy. Dr. Jessica Katz also joins to explore how Anne of Green Gables continues to resonate with neurodivergent audiences, highlighting Montgomery’s enduring impact.

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This week on What Happened Next, host Nathan Whitlock is joined by writer and visual artist Alison McCreesh, author of the graphic memoir Degrees of Separation: A Decade North of 60. They talk about how Alison’s mostly eliding her own artistic career in her memoir, the miracle of family‐friendly artist residencies, and the new graphic novel she isn’t sure she’ll ever complete.

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THE WALRUS THANKS ALL OUR ADVERTISERS. BECOME ONE.

On US election night, I stayed up late with the TV playing and the New York Times Presidential Election page open on my laptop, refreshing constantly for the ballot counts. Odds are, you were glued to the updates too. You know what happened: the stunning comeback of Donald Trump, a convicted felon who tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

What made this political season especially exhausting, aside from Trump’s incendiary rhetoric, was the tidal wave of misinformation. As we brace for Canada’s own national election, the need for reliable information is more urgent than ever. If you want a fearlessly independent media source you can trust amidst the bots and billionaires with agendas, you’ve come to the right place.

At The Walrus, we’re committed to delivering fair and fact‐checked reporting that informs, engages, and provokes conversation. But we can’t do it alone. Stand with us to support a future where truth and integrity come first. Donate today.

Carmine Starnino
Editor‐in‐Chief, The Walrus

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