This Week's Round-Up: July 27, 2026

• Investigating the spread of child abuse images

• Elon Musk’s weird Canadian origin story

• We don’t want to live in 400 sq. ft. homes

• Time to ignore the unreads in your inbox

• A new letter from readers

How Canada Keeps the Conservatives Shut Out of Power

First-past-the-post has failed our democracy. Here’s a way to make it truly representative

BY DÓNAL GILL AND ISAAC PELTZ

The way the Liberals win so consistently is simple: Canada’s first-past-the-post system advantages them as their support is broad and across Canada, allowing them victories in a plurality of ridings, as opposed to the Conservatives, who have their vote concentrated in the west.

What would Canada’s electoral map look like under a different system? Political pundits have debated that for years. We designed an algorithm to show how a proportional representation system might transform Canada. The data is clear: this system will better represent the electorate. Our model shows that other parties would be able to consistently win federally and provincially.

Are you Team Inbox Zero or Team Inbox Infinity?

Aside from making sure you get The Walrus newsletter in your inbox, how do you handle your inbox overload? Share your tips, tricks, and disaster stories at audience@thewalrus.ca.

FROM THE WALRUS LAB IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AGA KHAN MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM WISHES TO THANK NADIR AND SHABIN MOHAMED FOR THEIR FOUNDING SUPPORT OF THIS BEING HUMAN.

Redefining Qawwali: Tradition, Innovation, and the Power of Music

Growing up in Lahore, Pakistan, Mekaal Hasan was surrounded by the sounds of South Asian music and inspired by his father, a music critic and columnist. His lifelong connection to music has shaped a career dedicated to bridging traditional musical forms with contemporary genres like rock, jazz, and fusion.

In the new episode of This Being Human, Mekaal Hasan shares his journey as a composer, performer, and founder of the Mekaal Hasan Band. The episode explores the evolution of Qawwali music, the importance of preserving cultural traditions, and how music can connect communities, uplift artists, and create new possibilities across generations.

Child’s Play

In “Leave the Kids Alone” (March/April), Simon Lewsen lays out with great care the societal shame cast on those who do not parent their children “well enough.” Yet I can’t help but assume that low-income families are more likely to suffer from this blame than families with means. Living in a lower-income neighbourhood, the level of perceived safety automatically decreases. Families who live in nicer, and therefore “safer,” neighbourhoods have an easier time allowing their kids to walk to school alone or play in the neighbourhood without facing as much backlash—and therefore have more time on their hands to complete household chores, for leisure, and to invest in their careers. Coming from Nanaimo, BC, I feel the disparity of apparent “safety” based on location is something that’s communally agreed upon. Despite Nanaimo being, overall, a pretty safe place to live, the further south you go, the less safe it is considered to be; the buildings are older, and the housing is generally cheaper. Homelessness runs a lot more rampant, and with that comes an increase in public drug use. But I just wonder how much of this danger is actually a direct threat to children versus public perception.

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Masha Zhaksybek
Nanaimo, BC

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1. We recently hired our first ever full-time staff fact checker.

2. We’ve brought on a freelance fact checker on retainer so we can publish breaking stories quickly without compromising our verification standards.

3. We train early career journalists in the craft via our editorial fellowship program.

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