We Need to Figure Out How to Save Canada

Monday, April 14, 2025

This week from The Walrus:

How to Save Canada

We're going to have to work hard—and fast—to avoid becoming Trump’s fifty‐first state

BY WESLEY WARK

An illustration featuring black-and-white repeating images of barrels, ships, missiles, phones, and a woman looking through a pair of binoculars.

Canadians, with a cherished mythology as the world’s peacekeepers, are going to have to get used to a radically new outlook on national security and defence, one that pivots toward an unprecedented threat to our sovereignty. This threat is no longer confined to some distant set of authoritarian states but now comes from our closest neighbour and long‐time friend. The United States president, Donald Trump, and his top advisers have repeatedly made annexationist and imperial threats against Canada, with the stated endgame of turning the country into the “fifty‐first state.” Trump aides have advised Canadian officials, including visiting “Team Canada” premiers and territorial leaders, that the president means what he says.

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A collage featuring Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, US president Donald Trump, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, Argentinian president Javier Milei, and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.

India’s Meddling in the Poilievre Campaign Reflects a Dangerous New Alliance

The world’s authoritarians are networking. That’s bad news for Canada’s sovereignty

BY SUSHANT SINGH

A group of young men line up, clapping as one of them shakes Pierre Poilievre's hand.

The Kids Are Leaning Right: How the Manosphere Is Shaping Voters

The polls look good for the Liberals now, but the Conservatives have been winning over young men

BY OLIVIA BOWDEN

A photo illustration featuring a black and white image of Pierre Poilievre in front of an abstract cityscape rendered in the colours of the transgender pride flag.

Anti‐Trans Narratives Are Creeping into This Election

Conservative politicians seem content to let misinformation fester

BY MEL WOODS

A photo of Pierre Poilievre in a black buttoned-up coat, his eyes closed, with the word 'stop' from a campaign poster seen in the backdrop.

Poilievre Bragged That He Has Never Changed His Mind. That’s the Problem

The ground beneath the country has shifted, but he hasn’t moved an inch

BY PAUL WELLS

A photograph of Prime Minister Mark Carney next to a picture of Yves-François Blanchet, MP and the leader of the Bloc Québécois.

Carney’s Surge in Quebec Could Wipe the Sovereigntist Party Off the Map

A Liberal comeback is rewriting the province’s political future, polls suggest

BY PHILIPPE J. FOURNIER

A martini glass tips over, spill over an olive and the cocktail in an arch.

Quebec Gin Was Having a Moment. Then the SAQ Killed the Buzz

The Crown corporation controls all spirit sales in the province. That’s bad news for small distilleries

BY SHEIMA BENEMBAREK

Exclusive: Robert Land Academy Is Closing for Good

Facing multi‐million‐dollar lawsuits alleging decades of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, the military‐style private boarding school is shuttering after nearly fifty years

BY RACHEL BROWNE

A woman sorts plastic bottle covers in Manila, Philippines.

A Canadian Company Says It’s Fighting Pollution in the Philippines. Is It Cashing In Instead?

Paying plastic‐waste pickers might just be a licence to pollute

BY RÉMY BOURDILLON

A photo illustration featuring a black-and-white close up of RFK Jr. Red cells stack up against a black backdrop behind him.

RFK Jr. Is Bad for Canada’s Health Too

The health secretary has gutted core agencies that safeguard the US’s well‐being. The fallout won’t stop at the border

BY TAYLOR C. NOAKES

In a photo illustration, a hand holds a phone with a screen showing the CN Tower. Several speech bubbles pop off the screen.

The Toronto Accent Is Real

It’s been called an act and “the worst accent in the world.” Why can’t locals see it for what it is?

BY MAIA WYMAN

A mixed-media illustration of women's profiles, bodies and pieces of their faces, including one made of newsprint and words as well as a line drawing against pinks, purples and orange. The backdrop is burgundy.

The Secret Language We Share with Our Children

Spanish was the first language I was shown love in. It’s shaped my understanding of parenthood

BY CHANTAL BRAGANZA

A black-and-white portrait of Sue SInclair against a red background.

Darlings

They’re tall, they’re overdressed

BY SUE SINCLAIR

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Test yourself with our Weekly Quiz

Multicultural Toronto English (MTE), more commonly known as the “Toronto accent,” reflects the city’s rich diversity and is spoken predominantly by young, racialized Torontonians across multiple ethnic groups. According to linguistic experts, MTE’s key features are most influenced by which diasporic community?

Yes, I know the answer

We're in Toronto tomorrow for The Walrus Talks Reimagining Volunteerism, where speakers look at the power of volunteerism to build shared purpose, individual agency, and community cohesion.

Our post‐event receptions are always buzzing with discussion and connection. Join us for the chance to meet our speakers and community over good food and drinks. It’s a relaxed networking atmosphere where you can build new relationships, collaborate on fresh ideas, and be among fellow Canadians all working toward the common goal of making our country the best place it can be.

Join us

In this episode of What Happened Next, host Nathan Whitlock is joined by author Shawn Micallef. His most recent book is a fully updated version of Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto, originally published by Coach House Books in 2010 and re‐released by Coach House in 2024. Shawn and Nathan talk about Shawn’s decision to finally abandon his X account, which had been a big part of how he explored cities, about how updating Stroll turned out to be a more onerous task than he’d originally thought, and about how writing a weekly newspaper column and becoming a parent has a funny way of delaying big new book projects.

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THE WALRUS THANKS ALL OUR ADVERTISERS. BECOME ONE.

The events of the last few weeks have been dizzying. We’ve read war plans shared over text messages, heard ongoing threats to Canadian sovereignty, and have felt the ripple effects of axed international aid and public health and immigration changes well beyond our borders. On the cusp of a federal election, our country faces significant questions as to how we should respond to these issues.

At The Walrus, we’re keeping up with all that is happening in Canada, the US, and beyond. Our editors are working hard to bring you fresh insights and reporting every single day on the issues that matter. The Walrus was built for this moment, but we cannot do this alone.

If you enjoyed these stories, please make a donation today to help us continue this work. With your support, we can ensure that everyone has access to responsible, fact‐based coverage of the very issues that will shape our collective future.

Thank you for your support,

The Walrus