"We end up with declining fertility not becuase women have stopped wanting families but because the math of building one keeps getting harder." @SabrinaMaddeaux speaks hard truths with @MikePMoffatt in today's podcast episdoe.
Meredith Martin 🇨🇦
@meredithmartin.bsky.social
Journalist. Producer of the Missing Middle podcast. Formerly with The Agenda with Steve Paikin https://www.youtube.com/@MissingMiddlePodcast
It's not that you run out of land; it's that you make that land artificially scarce, drive up the price, and only the richest families can afford to continue living in the city. On toay's Classonomics @MikePMoffatt & @SabrinaMaddeaux examine the rise of "leapfrog development."
What followed were years of what scouts often call Type 2 fun, the kind that is genuinely miserable while it’s happening but becomes a story you tell for the rest of your life. www.nytimes.com/2026...
“Yet another review of earaudio found that people who sighed frequently were not necessarily burdened by negative emotions.”
What Scientists Learned by Eavesdropping on Thousands of People
After researchers found that we’re speaking less and less each year, Shayla Love spent a week collecting audio recordings from her own life.
newyorker.com
New piece at the Globe. We look at who is moving out of the City of Toronto (along with Vancouver, Montreal, and Peel Region), and how it is negatively impacting our economy and productivity, and increasing political polarization:
Who are Canada’s big city leavers? Mainly 25 to 44-year-olds, with young children
Outmigration brings benefits and costs to smaller communities, but at the end of the day, we lose when cities price out their middle class
theglobeandmail.com
“My hunch was that middle-aged men are just an unsaturated market for diet information, because they haven’t been inundated with as much of it as women have been.“ www.nytimes.com/2023...
When a business faces a labour shortage, the free market says it should raise wages. So why is Canada’s government stepping in to make labour cheaper instead? Cara Stern & @MikePMoffatt explain:
Even after return-to-office mandates, people are still leaving Canada's biggest cities. Why? @SabrinaMaddeaux argues crime and disorder are an overlooked part of the story, while @MikePMoffatt points to the broader forces driving the urban exodus.
I’m not a huge fan of WFH but it does have some benefits
HAPPY CANADA DAY from everyone at the Missing Middle. On today’s episode, the entire team reflects on what makes Canada special and what gives us hope for its future. @MikePMoffatt @SabrinaMaddeaux Cara Stern
Have barely left my house because it’s too hot to breath but during a 15 minute errand I did overhear some saying that kawhi leonard was traded back to the raptors. I’m happy my jersey will see the light of day once more.
“Running is one of the most reliable forms of mood regulation that we have,” www.nytimes.com/2026...
The soccer vibes in Canadian host cities are real, but the profits are an illusion. On today's Classonomics, @MikePMoffatt & @SabrinaMaddeaux break down the economics of Canada's participation as a co-host of this year's World Cup.
Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. www.youtube.com/watc... 2/3
"Wait Until 2060": Canada's Housing Plan for Young People
Canada's Federal Housing Advocate says it could take until 2060 for all Canadians to have access to an affordable home. Is that just a realistic target? And is it reasonable to ask an entire generation to give up on their homeownership dreams for the next 3.5 decades? On this week on DemograFix, Mi
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You can't solve homelessness if the middle class is still priced out of homes, so focus on the solutions that help everyone. That's what Dr. Mike P. Moffatt argues on today's episode of the Missing Middle podcast. 1/3
In today's episode, @MikePMoffatt talks to Vancouver realtor and Loonie Hour host @SteveSaretsky to break down the growing cracks in Canada’s real estate market, including the political fallout surrounding B.C.’s controversial Cowichan land title ruling.
This weekend I took a return flight to Ottawa to visit my dad. Total flight time about 1h30. Total delays getting to/from Ottawa: over 6 hours. Not Air Canada's best weekend.
Soccer is basically just an excuse for thousands of men to hang out and sing together and still feel masculine. (I’m all for it, but you could also join a choir. Just say’n.)
"The rise of billionaires is accelerating at the same time that workers are getting a smaller share of the wealth that national economies are creating." www.nytimes.com/2026...
Tesla is worth almost five times more than Toyota, though it sells approximately one-sixth the number of cars. That’s because Tesla now says its future isn’t cars anymore, but the humanoid robots it will someday produce.
Opinion | The SpaceX I.P.O. Shows Us What’s Wrong With Our Stock Market
The SpaceX I.P.O. proves the stock market has become a hype machine.
nytimes.com
And for those who prefer reading, the transcript is available here: www.missingmiddleini... 3/3
Community Is a Machine, and We’re All Cogs
Why volunteering, shared spaces, and knowing your neighbours may matter just as much as housing and urban design.
missingmiddleinitiative.ca
Watch the full segment on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. www.youtube.com/watc... 2/3
The Secret to Building Strong Communities
Why does modern life feel so disconnected? In this episode, Cara Stern sits down with journalist and Scout leader Harrison Lowman to talk about the decline of community in Canada, and what it takes to rebuild it. From scouting and volunteering to neighbourhood pubs, churches, and “third spaces,” the
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Community is a machine, and if you participate in keeping it running, it'll be there for you when you need it. We talk about that today on the Missing Middle podcast with The Hub editor Harrison Lowman. 1/3
How does housing unaffordability and horrendous congestion affect friendships and exacerbate social isolation? It's one of the many consequences of Canada's housing crisis that @SabrinaMaddeaux and Cara Stern explore on today's episode of The Missing Middle.
🍌🍌🍌 “…a senior couple earning up to a combined $181,994 can each receive the full benefit, while a couple over 75 earning up to $308,392 can each still receive a partial benefit.” 🍌🍌🍌
Opinion: As Canada faces crippling debt, it must do the unpopular thing and cut elderly benefits
The government can reduce its spending while better targeting those genuinely in need
theglobeandmail.com
Canada’s fertility rate has fallen to just 1.25 children per woman, one of the lowest in the developed world. But what’s actually driving the decline? On today's DemograFix, @MikePMoffatt and Cara Stern break down the data behind Canada’s collapsing birth rate.
The capital gains exemption on primary residences costs Ottawa $8B a year in lost revenue, yet remains a political third rail. On today's podcast episode, @SabrinaMaddeaux and @MikePMoffatt explain how Canada taxes home profits compared with the rest of the world.
For those who prefer reading over watching, the transcript is available here: www.missingmiddleini... 3/3
Can Markets Be Fair If Prices Aren’t Transparent?
A conversation on algorithmic pricing, consumer protection, and the future of digital markets in Canada.
missingmiddleinitiative.ca
Watch the full segment on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. www.youtube.com/watc... 2/3
The Hidden Algorithm Deciding What You Pay
What if companies could figure out the exact maximum you’re willing to pay, and charge you exactly that? That’s the promise of surveillance pricing: using your personal data, purchase history, location, online behavior, and even financial information to tailor prices specifically to you. In this e
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