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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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Donald Trump’s invasion of Venezuela isn’t just about oil—it’s about dismantling the international order that has stood since World War II. What happens now that the most powerful country in the world has stopped pretending it follows the rules? thewalrus.ca/the-united-state...
On the left: a close-up photo of United States president Donald Trump's eyes and nose. On the right: text that reads “The United States has now gone full villain. Trump's foreign policy is reviving the brutal logic of nineteenth-century conquest.”
January 12, 2026 at 11:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
Chrystia Freeland’s exit from Parliament is being called a "botched resignation." After accepting a role with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy while still an MP, she faces accusations of foreign interference. Is this a conflict of interest? thewalrus.ca/chrystia-freelan...
On the left: Photograph of Canadian politician Chrystia Freeland waving while sitting behind a table. On the right: text that reads “Chrystia Freeland’s very strange goodbye. Her biographer explains how one of Canada’s most disciplined politicians fumbled her final act.”
January 12, 2026 at 9:00 PM
thewalrus.ca
“Don’t count yourself out of the game if you haven’t met your soulmates by the second week of school,” writes Abigail McGhie. “This is everybody’s first time away from home, and they’re all overthinking it too.” thewalrus.ca/the-secret-to-ma...
On the left: a photo illustration of two female students studying STEM on university campus with generic molecule statue in background. On the right: text that reads “The secret to making friends at university? Ask introverts. Talking to new people is not my strong suit. Turns out, a lot of people feel that way”
January 12, 2026 at 3:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Journalist @markmedley.bsky.social traces Liz White’s lifelong pursuit of “improbable change”—and uses it to explore a larger question: why do humans commit to dreams they know may never come true? thewalrus.ca/why-people-set-o...
On the left: Illustration of a yellow road going over hills to the horizon with a sign at the beginning which reads "Start". On the right: text that reads ““I know I’m not going to win”: why people set out on impossible quests. I spent years documenting the lives of those who refuse to quit.”
January 12, 2026 at 1:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
As more and more AI slop dominates our feeds, some digital platforms are drawing lines in the sand. YouTube won’t monetize AI-generated content. Vine is relaunching with a no-AI policy. Spotify, on the other hand, is making no such distinction. thewalrus.ca/can-canadian-cul...
On the left: an image of the Canadian maple leaf made up of blue lights on a circuit board. On the right: text that reads “Can Canadian culture survive the age of AI slop? Synthetic content is drowning the human voices our policy was built to protect.”
January 10, 2026 at 11:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
“All of my friends lived in my phone.”

High school friendships formed behind screens can feel unbreakable—until you’re forced to start over in university. What happens when online pandemic bonds enter your real life? Writer Abigail McGhie explores: thewalrus.ca/the-secret-to-ma...
On the left: a photo illustration of two female students studying STEM on university campus with generic molecule statue in background. On the right: text that reads “The secret to making friends at university? Ask introverts. Talking to new people is not my strong suit. Turns out, a lot of people feel that way”
January 10, 2026 at 9:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Can an MP serve Canada while advising a foreign leader? Critics are sounding the alarm, warning that “foreign interference can even happen from allies.” Inside the strange, final days of Chrystia Freeland’s Canadian political career: thewalrus.ca/chrystia-freelan...
On the left: Photograph of Canadian politician Chrystia Freeland waving while sitting behind a table. On the right: text that reads “Chrystia Freeland’s very strange goodbye. Her biographer explains how one of Canada’s most disciplined politicians fumbled her final act.”
January 10, 2026 at 3:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Liz White wasn’t chasing power. She was chasing change. For decades, the Animal Protection Party leader ran knowing victory wouldn’t come—because some fights aren’t about winning, but about refusing to quit. thewalrus.ca/why-people-set-o...
On the left: Illustration of a yellow road going over hills to the horizon with a sign at the beginning which reads "Start". On the right: text that reads ““I know I’m not going to win”: why people set out on impossible quests. I spent years documenting the lives of those who refuse to quit.”
January 10, 2026 at 1:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
When did cleaning stop being practical and start being moral?

From Marie Kondo to #CleanTok, our obsession with spotless homes runs deep. In the first instalment of a new series for The Walrus, Courtney Shea reframes cleaning not as care but control: thewalrus.ca/how-to-keep-your...
On the left: Illustration of a tabletop with a bowl of cereal, keys, a plant, a coffee cup, a tea bag, and other assorted clutter. On the right: text that reads “How to keep your house clean. Your kids are sticky. Your partner leaves their shoes by the door. It’s fine.”
January 9, 2026 at 11:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Great powers have violated the sovereignty of other nations before—but never without consequence. “It is the one norm we have to protect us from predation,” writes Michael Ignatieff. If it disappears, what protections remain for vulnerable states? thewalrus.ca/after-venezuela-...
On the left: Image of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro blindfolded and wearing noise-cancelling headphones against a red background. On the right: text that reads “After Venezuela, the unthinkable enters Canadian politics. The age of predators has returned, making once-impossible scenarios suddenly real.”
January 9, 2026 at 9:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
The Walrus remembers Donald Ross, a brilliant investor, quiet philanthropist, and Officer of the Order of Canada. Donald leaves behind his wife Gretchen and their deeply loved children. The Walrus stands strong today thanks to generous support from Donald and Gretchen. www.legacy.com/ca/obituarie...
January 9, 2026 at 5:22 PM
thewalrus.ca
For sports romance author @rachelreidwrites.bsky.social, sex scenes are crucial for storytelling. @nathanwhitlock.bsky.social, host of What Happened Next, sits down with Reid to discuss why intimacy and hockey play the same narrative role in her work. thewalrus.ca/its-not-somethin...
On the left: a photo of two men in tuxedos standing in front of a window with their foreheads pressed together. On the right: text that reads “It’s not something I’m squeamish about”: Heated Rivalry author on writing explicit sex scenes. Rachel Reid talks about the hit TV adaptation and learning to be unapologetic for her steamy stories.”
January 9, 2026 at 5:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
The United States’ “Good Neighbor” era demonstrated the strategic value of employing a politics of mutual respect. Today, Donald Trump’s approach rejects even the pretense. Dan Gardner argues this shift isn’t just reckless but historically regressive. thewalrus.ca/the-united-state...
On the left: a close-up photo of United States president Donald Trump's eyes and nose. On the right: text that reads “The United States has now gone full villain. Trump's foreign policy is reviving the brutal logic of nineteenth-century conquest.”
January 9, 2026 at 3:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
“What if I got to university and everybody thought I was weird? Or even worse—what if I got there and everybody was normal?”

Teen writer Abigail McGhie reflects on introversion, friendship, and the relief of realizing that no one has it figured out yet: thewalrus.ca/the-secret-to-ma...
On the left: a photo illustration of two female students studying STEM on university campus with generic molecule statue in background. On the right: text that reads “The secret to making friends at university? Ask introverts. Talking to new people is not my strong suit. Turns out, a lot of people feel that way”
January 9, 2026 at 1:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Before we can decide what art qualifies as “Canadian,” we need to be sure that what we hear, watch, or read is actually human-made. Writer Vass Bednar explores what the rise of AI-generated music means for the next generation of Canadian creatives: thewalrus.ca/can-canadian-cul...
On the left: an image of the Canadian maple leaf made up of blue lights on a circuit board. On the right: text that reads “Can Canadian culture survive the age of AI slop? Synthetic content is drowning the human voices our policy was built to protect.”
January 8, 2026 at 11:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
“Needing a roommate should not be the default for owning or renting.”

Finance journalist and author @reneesw.bsky.social explores how outdated housing rules are colliding with modern life—and how singles are building community anyway. thewalrus.ca/the-housing-mark...
On the left: an image of three windows on a building containing silhouettes of people having wine, playing with a cat, and playing the violin. On the right: text that reads “The housing market isn’t for single people. Government policy is married to outdated expectations of how we live.”
January 8, 2026 at 9:01 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 8, 2026 at 7:03 PM
thewalrus.ca
From Venezuela to Ukraine, the rules governing geopolitics are fraying. Michael Ignatieff, former president of Central European University, traces how spheres of influence, old and new, are reshaping global power structures and leaving smaller nations exposed. thewalrus.ca/after-venezuela-...
On the left: Image of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro blindfolded and wearing noise-cancelling headphones against a red background. On the right: text that reads “After Venezuela, the unthinkable enters Canadian politics. The age of predators has returned, making once-impossible scenarios suddenly real.”
January 8, 2026 at 5:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
A sink full of dishes. Shoes strewn by the door. These are the lingering traces of a life, well, being lived.

In this intimate essay, journalist Courtney Shea reflects on what makes domestic “imperfection” feel stressful—and cleaning up feel Sisyphean. thewalrus.ca/how-to-keep-your...
On the left: Illustration of a tabletop with a bowl of cereal, keys, a plant, a coffee cup, a tea bag, and other assorted clutter. On the right: text that reads “How to keep your house clean. Your kids are sticky. Your partner leaves their shoes by the door. It’s fine.”
January 8, 2026 at 3:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
From paying $500 for a convention table to being flown out and put up in hotels. Speaking to Nathan Whitlock, @rachelreidwrites.bsky.social reflects on how life has changed in the aftermath of her novel, Heated Rivalry, becoming a breakout television hit. thewalrus.ca/its-not-somethin...
On the left: a photo of two men in tuxedos standing in front of a window with their foreheads pressed together. On the right: text that reads “It’s not something I’m squeamish about”: Heated Rivalry author on writing explicit sex scenes. Rachel Reid talks about the hit TV adaptation and learning to be unapologetic for her steamy stories.”
January 8, 2026 at 1:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
“I doubt [Donald] Trump’s administration has short-term plans to treat Canada the way it’s been treating Greenland and Venezuela,” writes Paul Wells. “But it doesn’t feel like the safest bet I could possibly make.” thewalrus.ca/canadas-best-ans...
On the left: an image of President Donald Trump looking at a construction crane. On the right: text that reads: “Canada’s best answer to Trump’s new world order? Build Faster. Our race for sovereignty runs through housing, transit, pipes, and ports”
January 7, 2026 at 11:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
CanCon emerged during a sovereignty-driven era, one concerned with protecting Canadian stories in a foreign-controlled market. Today, the threat is foreign AI—and a flood of synthetic media that collapses the very meaning of “Canadian” in the first place. thewalrus.ca/can-canadian-cul...
On the left: an image of the Canadian maple leaf made up of blue lights on a circuit board. On the right: text that reads “Can Canadian culture survive the age of AI slop? Synthetic content is drowning the human voices our policy was built to protect.”
January 7, 2026 at 9:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
A project from The Walrus Lab, in partnership with Rogers, looks at how U.S. streaming giants are undercutting Canadian broadcasters, leaving homegrown stories at risk. Outdated rules continue to tip the scales.
Protecting Canada’s Cultural Sovereignty | The Walrus
Why Canadian communications companies need a level playing field against U.S. streaming giants
thewalrus.ca
January 7, 2026 at 7:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
Six friends made headlines in Toronto for buying a $1.3-million house together. They weren't connected by romantic relationships or family ties, just trust, spreadsheets, and what original co-owner Valery Navarrete calls “financial nudity.” thewalrus.ca/the-housing-mark...
On the left: an image of three windows on a building containing silhouettes of people having wine, playing with a cat, and playing the violin. On the right: text that reads “The housing market isn’t for single people. Government policy is married to outdated expectations of how we live.”
January 7, 2026 at 5:01 PM
thewalrus.ca
The generation that survived the Second World War put sovereignty at the heart of the United Nations Charter. As the US military operation in Venezuela unfolds, Michael Ignatieff has to ask whether anything of that legal doctrine now survives. thewalrus.ca/after-venezuela-...
On the left: Image of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro blindfolded and wearing noise-cancelling headphones against a red background. On the right: text that reads “After Venezuela, the unthinkable enters Canadian politics. The age of predators has returned, making once-impossible scenarios suddenly real.”
January 7, 2026 at 3:01 PM