#ICYMI Could American Wealth Buy Canada?

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

This week from The Walrus:

Trump Revives Talk of 51st State. It’s Not Funny Anymore

The US doesn’t need tanks to take over Canada—just trade policy and chaos. Here’s how we fight back

BY WESLEY WARK

A photo illustration of a Canadian flag. The maple leap is replaced by blue and white stars from the Amercian flag.

Fighting a hybrid war on the economic front begins with building an economy that can’t be pushed around. This also means shielding ourselves from predatory foreign investment, especially from the US.

Think of it as a process parallel to espionage. A foreign spy steals secrets. In the commercial world, a foreign company might steal a Canadian company and its assets. To give a hypothetical example, say an innovative energy or critical minerals start‐up in Vancouver suddenly finds itself losing investor capital because of economic uncertainty over tariffs and is unable to sustain its customer base in the US. Fatally wounded, it needs to sell. An American buyer steps in, takes everything. Lose control of our industries and we risk becoming a tenant in our own economy, bound to decisions made in Washington rather than Ottawa.

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A photo of Bruce Fanjoy sitting against a white background.

Poilievre Ran on Anger. Fanjoy Knocked on 15,000 Doors

The new Liberal MP talks about his path to the epic election upset

BY WENDY KAUR

How Long Can This Parliament Last?

With no appetite for another vote, parties brace for uneasy co‐operation

BY DAVID MOSCROP

Overhead image of a parking lot filled with white cars in a grid.

The Economy Is One Tariff Away from a Supply‐Chain Meltdown

The cost of Trump’s trade war on cars is adding up

BY CARMINE STARNINO

A photo illustration featuring a white Tesla. The sky is split between heavenly white clouds and the fires of hell. Black-and-white illustrations of an angel and devil flank the car.

I Regret My Tesla

I wanted to be good. Then the car company fell from grace

BY PAUL ADAMS

Paramedics wheel a gurney into the back of a hospital. Several parked ambulances are visible.

A Paramedic Shortage Is Putting Lives—and Workers—at Risk

Underfunding and political neglect in Northern Ontario are fuelling burnout and high turnover

BY KUNAL CHAUDARY

How well do you know our stories?
Test yourself with our Weekly Quiz

After a string of controversial actions by Elon Musk, writer Paul Adams says he has buyer’s remorse for having purchased a Tesla. He admits he’d sell it if it weren’t for fear of financial loss and would protest outside a dealership if he didn’t already own the car. What small act of protest did Adams do instead?

Yes, I know the answer

A photo illustration of a statue of justice holding scales next to several skyscrapers. The green background fades into Canadian dollar bills.

Do Big Lawsuits against Big Companies Really Fix Anything?

When it comes to regulating corporate behaviour, legal action offers an alternative to legislation

BY LEAH BORTS‐KUPERMAN

The Death of Shopify’s Start‐up Dream, One Layoff at a Time

How the company chased scale, hit a wall, retrenched, and became the very thing it promised not to be

BY JOSH GREENBLATT

A photograph of a a large bouquet of yellow, white, and pink flowers in a small grey vase against a plain grey backdrop.

Rebels with a Vase: Meet the Florists Taking on Big Flower

Inside the movement reimagining the industry, one bouquet at a time

BY ADRIENNE MASON

A woman kisses a sleeping child on the forehead.

How Do You Know When Your Kids Are Too Old for Cuddles?

Motherhood is remembering the best days, the loudest giggles, the tightest hugs

BY CHRISTINA MYERS

Join us in Toronto or online for The Walrus Talks Power Economy, where we bridge the gap between research, policy, and the practical solutions that will define the future of energy and the Canadian economy.

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

How Social Circumstances Shape Older Adult Care

What if aging well depended less on medicine and more on having a friend nearby, access to groceries, or a safe place to live? In this episode, Dr. Jasmine Mah explores how social vulnerability and frailty shape health outcomes in older adults—and what Canada must do as its population ages.

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In this episode of What Happened Next, host Nathan Whitlock is joined by award‐winning book designer and author C. S. Richardson. His most recent book is the novel All the Colour in the World, published in 2023 by Knopf Canada and shortlisted for the Giller Prize. CS—it’s Charles Scott, FYI—and Nathan talk about the reason for the decade‐long gap between his second and third novels, about the advantages and disadvantages that come with writing a novel while working deep in the heart of publishing, and how retiring to become a full‐time writer has allowed him to push his creative ambitions even further.

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