This Week's Round-Up: January 26, 2026

• Trump calls Canada “ungrateful”

• 35% in favour of Quebec sovereignty
• Fired while pregnant
• AI and its place in the legal system
• Is there a master key to good health?

Carney’s Message to the World: The Rules No Longer Protect You

In a blunt Davos address, the prime minister warns middle powers must prepare for a harsher geopolitical reality

BY MARK CARNEY

“When middle powers criticize economic intimidation from one direction but stay silent when it comes from another, we are keeping the sign in the window. It means building what we claim to believe in. Rather than waiting for the hegemon to restore an order it is dismantling, create institutions and agreements that function as described. And it means reducing the leverage that enables coercion.

That’s building a strong domestic economy that should always be every government’s immediate priority. Diversification internationally is not just economic prudence; it’s the material foundation for honest foreign policy. Countries earn the right to principled stands by reducing their vulnerability to retaliation.

So: Canada. We have what the world wants.”

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Doctors on Call

After I read Philippe J. Fournier’s “Quebec Is a Lot More Canadian Than Sovereigntists Want to Admit,” I saw Doug Ford start publicly soliciting Quebec doctors who are furious with their government. I have a hard time feeling proud to be Canadian. He’s not using discreet recruitment tactics—he suggests people call his personal phone number as he attempts to poach doctors. What a fine example of Canadian solidarity! And too bad for those who suffer while waiting for treatment; after all, they’re just Quebecers. Canadians have an international reputation for being polite and kind. To others.

Alain Charbonneau
Montreal, QC

A MESSAGE FROM THE WALRUS LAB IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DELOITTE

Leading Canada’s Navy in a Changing World

On the first episode of the new season of Courage Inc., from Deloitte and The Walrus Lab, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, reflects on how the Navy supports sovereignty across three oceans. The conversation looks at Arctic operations, global partnerships, fleet modernization, and why readiness, people, and sustained investment matter as geopolitical and climate pressures continue to grow.

This week on What Happened Next, host Nathan Whitlock is joined by novelist, journalist, and educator Timothy Taylor. His most recent book is the novel The Rise and Fall of Magic Wolf, published by Dundurn Press in 2024. Timothy talks to Nathan about starting his writing career with a triple nomination for the Journey Prize (which he ended up winning); about not wanting to be pigeonholed as someone who always writes about restaurants and food, the subject of his most recent novel; and about the discovery of family secrets that have led to a massive podcast project with The Walrus and an upcoming book.

— Jennifer Hollett

Executive Director, The Walrus