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The Walrus
@thewalrus.ca
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Canada's Conversation. Award-winning independent journalism, fact checking, and national ideas-focused events. Stay connected: http://thewalrus.ca/newsletters
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Quebec’s election year is heating up—but the sovereignty question remains ice cold. Voters are volatile, history shows late swings, yet today’s numbers suggest steep headwinds for a first-mandate referendum. https://thewalrus.ca/few-quebecers-support-sovereignty-and-even-fewer-want-a-referendum/
On the left: Photograph of a crowd of people on a white background walking away from a lone person with a speech bubble containing a Quebec fleur-de-lis. On the right: text that reads “Most Quebecers oppose sovereignty. Even more reject another referendum. New polling suggests independence is a losing bet.”
January 22, 2026 at 11:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
As sociologist Anne Martin-Matthews notes, longevity has reshaped daily life: “We all personally know a seventy-three-year-old with a ninety-five-year-old mother.” Living longer is now common. Living well is the challenge science is racing to meet. https://ow.ly/Kwxt50Y10lF
On the left: Image of colourful, oblong microbes with the markings of a white clock face in the centre of the image. On the right: text that reads “What do microbes have to do with how we age? Everything, Actually. Living longer, healthier lives starts with understanding the oldest life forms on Earth.”
January 22, 2026 at 9:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
If we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.

In Davos, Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected a world of national “fortresses.” Shared resilience, he argued, is cheaper—and stronger. His pitch: a third path led by coordinated middle powers. https://thewalrus.ca/carney-speech-world-economic-forum/
On the left: Photograph of Canadian prime minister Mark Carney. On the right: text that reads “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.”
January 22, 2026 at 5:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
“Like a private nightclub, this bright ambulance. / Modular interior, glitter-futuristic fitted jewel box kitted out with drugs / (theirs, yours in a bag grabbed from home).”

Read “Harmonics,” a new poem from Kateri Lanthier: https://thewalrus.ca/harmonics/
On the left: a portrait of poet Kateri Lanthier against a yellow background. On the right: text that reads “Harmonics. I stroke your tripping head / while we ride backwards / to the cancer choir.”
January 22, 2026 at 3:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
It’s legal to fire someone on parental leave—but only if the reason for the firing is unrelated. Unfortunately, no employer will ever admit a connection, so how do courts decide when discrimination has occurred? Writer Amirah el-Safty investigates: https://thewalrus.ca/fired-on-maternity-leave/
On the left: an image of a visibly pregnant person carrying a box filled with office supplies against a blue background. On the right: text that reads “Yes, you can be fired while on maternity leave. Employers get their way despite legal protections for pregnant workers and new mothers.”
January 22, 2026 at 1:01 PM
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“Having to repeatedly retell the worst day of my life seemed revictimizing, but they wanted me to tell it again, this time on camera,” writes Lisa Banfield. “I obliged. It’s an ongoing nightmare I cannot forget.” https://thewalrus.ca/lisa-banfield-portapique/
On the left: a torn sepia photograph of a road with a sign that reads "Portapique Beach Rd." against a red background visible at the top of the image. On the right: text that reads “I survived Canada’s deadliest mass shooter. Then I had to prove it. After authorities cast doubt on my account, I returned to Portapique to relive the harrowing night I fled for my life.”
January 21, 2026 at 11:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
After the United States’ intervention in Venezuela, Canada’s response was familiar: build more pipelines. But pro-pipeline arguments hinge on the assumption that Venezuela’s oil will quickly rebound under US control. History tells a different story. https://ow.ly/RWPX50Y0SKq
On the left: a photo of Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump. Oil pipeline infrastructure and barrels are in the fore- and background. On the right: text that reads “Face it, one more pipeline won’t save us from Trump. There are other nation-building projects that offer better paths to independence.”
January 21, 2026 at 9:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
If you know a teen who loves to write, encourage them to submit their story to the Youth Short Story category of the 2026 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. For details, visit: thewalrus.ca/afna.
January 21, 2026 at 7:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
Donald Trump is threatening eight European NATO allies with tariffs unless a deal is reached for “the complete and total purchase of Greenland.” While they push back, Canada’s military plans for the region remain stalled, waiting for political approval. https://ow.ly/QRua50Y0oiZ
On the left: a photograph of a military boat in the arctic. On the right: text that reads “Canada’s cowardice on Greenland will come back to haunt us. Trump’s Arctic fixation is accelerating a confrontation with a far more exposed neighbour.”
January 21, 2026 at 5:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
The old order is not coming back.

At the World Economic Forum, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the global order is in rupture, not transition. Canada’s response: value-based realism, strategic autonomy, and new coalitions among middle powers. https://ow.ly/QQqP50Y0ofq
On the left: Photograph of Canadian prime minister Mark Carney. On the right: text that reads “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.”
January 21, 2026 at 3:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Aging isn’t just about wrinkles or time—it’s biology, environment, and unseen ecosystems within us. As we rethink longevity, we may need to start thinking about our relationship with microbes. https://thewalrus.ca/what-do-microbes-have-to-do-with-how-we-age-everything-actually/
On the left: Image of colourful, oblong microbes with the markings of a white clock face in the centre of the image. On the right: text that reads “What do microbes have to do with how we age? Everything, Actually. Living longer, healthier lives starts with understanding the oldest life forms on Earth.”
January 21, 2026 at 1:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
“We have had an opportunity, over the past five years, to redesign higher education in ways we never have before,” says Jay Dolmage, professor and founding editor of Canadian Journal of Disability Studies. That opportunity has been largely squandered. https://ow.ly/UFq450Y0834
On the left: Illustration of a door that reads lab with a person wearing a face mask looking through the window on the other side. On the right: text that reads “How universities are shutting out disabled students and staff. Some administrators treat accommodations as a favour—and those requesting them as problems.”
January 20, 2026 at 11:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
Would you spend six months in a stretch of remote wilderness enclosed by an electric fence? Trina Moyles did. But her fourth season as a fire tower lookout brought about an encounter that made her realize the boundaries of the wild are never truly fixed. https://ow.ly/HRS250XZTIr
On the left: A black-and-white illustration of a black bear in a forest. On the left: text that reads “What a standoff with a black bear taught me about life in northern Alberta. Working as a fire tower lookout meant regularly confronting wildlife.”
January 20, 2026 at 9:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
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, discusses sovereignty across three oceans, Arctic security, and preparing for a changing world. 🎧 lnkfi.re/courageinc
January 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
“I needed to show them the truth.”

Six months after her partner murdered thirteen of his neighbours in Portapique, Nova Scotia, author Lisa Banfield returned to the scene to walk police through the night that changed everything: https://thewalrus.ca/lisa-banfield-portapique/
On the left: a torn sepia photograph of a road with a sign that reads "Portapique Beach Rd." against a red background visible at the top of the image. On the right: text that reads “I survived Canada’s deadliest mass shooter. Then I had to prove it. After authorities cast doubt on my account, I returned to Portapique to relive the harrowing night I fled for my life.”
January 20, 2026 at 5:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
We could be in for Greenlandization.

Wesley Wark warns that Donald Trump’s focus on Arctic security weaknesses could soon turn toward Canada—and staying quiet on Greenland now could put ourselves in the firing line sooner than we think. https://thewalrus.ca/greenland-today-canada-tomorrow/
On the left: a photograph of a military boat in the arctic. On the right: text that reads “Canada’s cowardice on Greenland will come back to haunt us. Trump’s Arctic fixation is accelerating a confrontation with a far more exposed neighbour.”
January 20, 2026 at 3:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Pipelines have a vice grip on our national imagination, writes Arno Kopecky “They collapse a vast range of options for diversifying Canada’s economy and reducing our dependence on the US to a single question: Who else can we sell our oil to?” https://ow.ly/OKX550XZTC4
On the left: a photo of Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump. Oil pipeline infrastructure and barrels are in the fore- and background. On the right: text that reads “Face it, one more pipeline won’t save us from Trump. There are other nation-building projects that offer better paths to independence.”
January 20, 2026 at 1:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
“A flag is certain the wind admires it / —the breeze flaunting it so its crowns, leaves, crosses, / bands of colour, or stars float in air, / ready to be honoured, deferred to.”

Spend some time with “The Flag,” a new poem from Tom Wayman: https://thewalrus.ca/the-flag/
On the left: a black-and-white photo of Tom Wayman against a blue background. On the right: text that reads “The Flag. The coloured cloth / means only one thing / although that one thing depends on who / beholds it”
January 19, 2026 at 11:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
In a culture that rarely allows its former leaders to become ordinary people again, Justin Trudeau's relationship with Katy Perry was destined to become a shared spectacle. Wendy Kaur considers what draws famous figures together when formal power fades: https://ow.ly/KIpk50XYhOZ
On the left: a photo of singer Katy Perry kissing the cheek of former prime minister Justin Trudeau with the sun setting behind them. On the right: text that reads “The strategic romance of Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry. What their love story tells us about modern fame”
January 19, 2026 at 9:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
As of this moment, the Canadian Armed Forces are not initiating any new operations in Greenland, but other NATO nations are stepping up. Canada’s position? Unclear—and for an Arctic nation, that silence carries weight. https://thewalrus.ca/greenland-is-on-the-brink-canada-is-nowhere-in-sight/
On the left: a photo of an image of Greenland containing an American flag displayed on a phone screen with soldiers in the background. On the right: text that reads “Greenland is on the brink. Canada is nowhere in sight. As NATO allies mobilize to deter Trump, Ottawa remains conspicuously absent.”
January 19, 2026 at 5:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Environmental journalist Trina Moyles recalls the upwelling of wonder she felt when she first touched a bear cub as a child. Years later, face-to-face with a much bigger bear in the Alberta bush, that wonder turned into a primal battle over space: https://ow.ly/NNhY50XYhyP
On the left: A black-and-white illustration of a black bear in a forest. On the left: text that reads “What a standoff with a black bear taught me about life in northern Alberta. Working as a fire tower lookout meant regularly confronting wildlife.”
January 19, 2026 at 3:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
She loved him. She feared him. She survived him.

Lisa Banfield writes about life with Gabriel Wortman—and the aftermath of escaping a man who would go on to become Canada’s deadliest mass shooter. https://thewalrus.ca/lisa-banfield-portapique/
On the left: a torn sepia photograph of a road with a sign that reads "Portapique Beach Rd." against a red background visible at the top of the image. On the right: text that reads “I survived Canada’s deadliest mass shooter. Then I had to prove it. After authorities cast doubt on my account, I returned to Portapique to relive the harrowing night I fled for my life.”
January 19, 2026 at 1:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
When politics meets pop stardom, who gains more? Justin Trudeau may still be enjoying his post-office glow, but conventional politics are a bit boring. Coupling with Katy Perry puts him in proximity to the kind of capital that could shape public life. https://ow.ly/PU2f50XYhIp
On the left: a photo of singer Katy Perry kissing the cheek of former prime minister Justin Trudeau with the sun setting behind them. On the right: text that reads “The strategic romance of Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry. What their love story tells us about modern fame”
January 17, 2026 at 11:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
35 percent of graduating university students identify as disabled, but only 10 percent are actually able to access services. On their campuses, they describe a system of delays, denials, and quiet exclusion. Writer Lygia Navarro (she/ella) ♿️ + 🏳️‍🌈 💜 🏳️‍⚧️ explores: https://ow.ly/4Qhg50XYhGA
On the left: Illustration of a door that reads lab with a person wearing a face mask looking through the window on the other side. On the right: text that reads “How universities are shutting out disabled students and staff. Some administrators treat accommodations as a favour—and those requesting them as problems.”
January 17, 2026 at 9:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
Looking for something to do this weekend? The new crossword from The Walrus Games is up. Tell us how you did. https://thewalrus.ca/games/
January 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM