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Progressive politics, ideas & culture.
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Hi, Bluesky!
We're This Magazine, a Canadian-based national magazine reporting on a little bit of everything: feminism, LGBTQ+ issues, politics, mental health, pop culture, and more!
*This* is the place to go for hard-hitting journalism and arts and culture with a uniquely Canadian voice.
We're This Magazine, a Canadian-based national magazine reporting on a little bit of everything: feminism, LGBTQ+ issues, politics, mental health, pop culture, and more!
*This* is the place to go for hard-hitting journalism and arts and culture with a uniquely Canadian voice.
"The deep disconnect many of us have from food sources has deleterious effects on mental and physical health. Joining a community garden is one way to stitch our relationships with food, ourselves, and the earth back together." From Emesha Boyko:
this.org/2024/05/27/g...
this.org/2024/05/27/g...
Growing community
Kevin Sidlar’s garden has been a refuge for the past two decades, if not quite a major source of sustenance. For much of his adult life, he’s grown annual flowers, peas, and tomatoes in his backyard.
...
this.org
November 27, 2025 at 2:16 PM
"The deep disconnect many of us have from food sources has deleterious effects on mental and physical health. Joining a community garden is one way to stitch our relationships with food, ourselves, and the earth back together." From Emesha Boyko:
this.org/2024/05/27/g...
this.org/2024/05/27/g...
Did you know that This Magazine has a monthly newsletter? And that our November newsletter comes out this week? There's still time to subscribe! You won't want to miss This!
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Subscribe to our newsletter!
Every month, our newsletter delivers fresh content from This Magazine straight to your inbox. Read web exclusives and your favourite stories from the mag, and learn what's happening behind the scenes ...
this.org
November 26, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Did you know that This Magazine has a monthly newsletter? And that our November newsletter comes out this week? There's still time to subscribe! You won't want to miss This!
this.org/newsletter/
this.org/newsletter/
“Step zero is the general population believing that folks with intellectual disabilities have a sexuality at all,” explains Real Talk project developer Kelsey Savage. Writer @robertkuanghome.bsky.social tells us about a group advocating for disability-inclusive sex ed:
this.org/2025/11/24/l...
this.org/2025/11/24/l...
Let's talk about sex
Photo Courtesy of Kelsey Savage & John Woods, Real Talk
On paper, Alison Klein is a serious academic with a master’s in interdisciplinary studies focused on adult education and disability. Meet her a...
this.org
November 25, 2025 at 3:09 PM
“Step zero is the general population believing that folks with intellectual disabilities have a sexuality at all,” explains Real Talk project developer Kelsey Savage. Writer @robertkuanghome.bsky.social tells us about a group advocating for disability-inclusive sex ed:
this.org/2025/11/24/l...
this.org/2025/11/24/l...
It’s no secret that live music has become increasingly—and often exorbitantly—expensive. So how do we resist this commercial exploitation and still enjoy good live music? According to @rosield.bsky.social, the DIY scene might be the way to go.
this.org/2023/12/19/s...
this.org/2023/12/19/s...
Something done right
In 2016, Felix Viton Ho showed up at La Vitrola on St. Laurent in Montreal, not sure what to expect. An undergraduate looking to feel involved in something, Ho had Googled “Montreal concerts” and come...
this.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:52 PM
It’s no secret that live music has become increasingly—and often exorbitantly—expensive. So how do we resist this commercial exploitation and still enjoy good live music? According to @rosield.bsky.social, the DIY scene might be the way to go.
this.org/2023/12/19/s...
this.org/2023/12/19/s...
"I feel critical of the AI arms race helmed by tech leaders who are hell-bent on enhancing creative arts but forget that these AI generators can erode trust in photography, the medium that sanctified truth-telling," writes Sarah Samuel.
this.org/2023/08/29/d...
this.org/2023/08/29/d...
Drawing a line
A picture may not be worth a thousand words anymore. Generative AI art tools like DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, which rely on artists’ existing work to generate images through textual promp...
this.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:19 PM
"I feel critical of the AI arms race helmed by tech leaders who are hell-bent on enhancing creative arts but forget that these AI generators can erode trust in photography, the medium that sanctified truth-telling," writes Sarah Samuel.
this.org/2023/08/29/d...
this.org/2023/08/29/d...
When @conyerclayton.bsky.social stopped drinking, they went in search of a new, sober community for connection and support. But it's not easy to find the right fit—and they're still looking.
this.org/2023/12/14/a...
this.org/2023/12/14/a...
A sober thought
The last time I drank I was surrounded by family. I’d just returned from a solo trip to Scotland where I drank heavily every day for several weeks. When I got home I put my foot down. Okay, only on sp...
this.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:17 PM
When @conyerclayton.bsky.social stopped drinking, they went in search of a new, sober community for connection and support. But it's not easy to find the right fit—and they're still looking.
this.org/2023/12/14/a...
this.org/2023/12/14/a...
Curious about what goes on at This Magazine? Want curated stories delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! 📰 You won't want to miss This!
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Subscribe to our newsletter!
Every month, our newsletter delivers fresh content from This Magazine straight to your inbox. Read web exclusives and your favourite stories from the mag, and learn what's happening behind the scenes ...
this.org
November 19, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Curious about what goes on at This Magazine? Want curated stories delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! 📰 You won't want to miss This!
this.org/newsletter/
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"Artists like myself are being pushed to the margins, and don’t know where to go: how to get from A to B. Whether to flee the city or stay and fight," writes Adebe Derango-Adem. As affordability threatens stability, she calls for more housing for Black artists:
this.org/2024/12/21/m...
this.org/2024/12/21/m...
Move us out and we’ll move on over you
I am a professional writer and spoken word artist. I’ve been sharing my work—and making space for other artists to create and share their work—in Toronto for nearly 20 years. I am of East African desc...
this.org
November 18, 2025 at 5:36 PM
"Artists like myself are being pushed to the margins, and don’t know where to go: how to get from A to B. Whether to flee the city or stay and fight," writes Adebe Derango-Adem. As affordability threatens stability, she calls for more housing for Black artists:
this.org/2024/12/21/m...
this.org/2024/12/21/m...
Using skateboarding as a conduit for connection, Rosie Archie and her co-founders set the stage of vulnerability by sharing their own stories at Nations Skate Youth, a program created to empower Indigenous kids. Learn more about it from Ayesha Habib:
this.org/2024/08/12/s...
this.org/2024/08/12/s...
Skate culture
Rosie Archie knew she wanted to be a skater when she was 12 years old. Her older sister Charmie was already good enough to land tricks, and Archie was not far behind. There were no skate parks in Cani...
this.org
November 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Using skateboarding as a conduit for connection, Rosie Archie and her co-founders set the stage of vulnerability by sharing their own stories at Nations Skate Youth, a program created to empower Indigenous kids. Learn more about it from Ayesha Habib:
this.org/2024/08/12/s...
this.org/2024/08/12/s...
"Will my child’s world be plagued with wildfires, floods, and rapidly declining air quality? Will their favourite animals be extinct, and will rural landscapes be covered by skyscrapers and freeways?" asks writer Laura O'Connor:
this.org/2022/05/20/p...
this.org/2022/05/20/p...
Pregnant pause
Illustration by Julia Galotta
I’m a young woman, who can, to my knowledge, get pregnant and has long-held dreams of being a mother. When I was a child, I spent my days dutifully caring for my dolls—wh...
this.org
November 13, 2025 at 5:50 PM
"Will my child’s world be plagued with wildfires, floods, and rapidly declining air quality? Will their favourite animals be extinct, and will rural landscapes be covered by skyscrapers and freeways?" asks writer Laura O'Connor:
this.org/2022/05/20/p...
this.org/2022/05/20/p...
"The thing I dreaded most about my own coming out moment was having to explain to my family what asexuality means," writes @i-am-grell.bsky.social. "In its delicate handling of my identity, BoJack provided the crash course on asexuality that I dreamed of."
this.org/2025/05/29/a...
this.org/2025/05/29/a...
All about that ace
It’s the late 2010s and I’m a teenager carefully watching my mom out of my peripheral. She’s paying attention to the TV and the animated man on the screen in a hilarious combination of suit, tie, and ...
this.org
November 12, 2025 at 6:44 PM
"The thing I dreaded most about my own coming out moment was having to explain to my family what asexuality means," writes @i-am-grell.bsky.social. "In its delicate handling of my identity, BoJack provided the crash course on asexuality that I dreamed of."
this.org/2025/05/29/a...
this.org/2025/05/29/a...
Winter may be on its way, but annual mean temperatures in northern Canada have increased by 2.3 C from 1948 to 2016, with temperatures rising most rapidly in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Asha Swann reports on what this means for the North:
this.org/2025/05/05/t...
this.org/2025/05/05/t...
The cold, hard truth
Arctic Canada is filling with puddles.
Springtime in the Yukon looks astonishingly similar to June in Ontario. The days are long. Deer bite the heads off flowers deep in the forest. Icy mountains sti...
this.org
November 11, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Winter may be on its way, but annual mean temperatures in northern Canada have increased by 2.3 C from 1948 to 2016, with temperatures rising most rapidly in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Asha Swann reports on what this means for the North:
this.org/2025/05/05/t...
this.org/2025/05/05/t...
Want to keep up with This Magazine between issues? Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter for curated stories, updates from behind the scenes, and more!
this.org/newsletter/
this.org/newsletter/
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Every month, our newsletter delivers fresh content from This Magazine straight to your inbox. Read web exclusives and your favourite stories from the mag, and learn what's happening behind the scenes ...
this.org
November 10, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Want to keep up with This Magazine between issues? Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter for curated stories, updates from behind the scenes, and more!
this.org/newsletter/
this.org/newsletter/
"The only time he could really be honest with himself was when he sat out there in the quiet of the morning. Then, he could finally admit that this was never the way he saw his life going." Happy Friday, readers! Enjoy some lovely fiction from @sofiaosborne.bsky.social 🦀
this.org/2025/05/15/a...
this.org/2025/05/15/a...
An Offering
The crab trap was neon orange. He whipped it like a frisbee, far out, and watched it sink below the dark blue of the sea. It was early and he was the only one on the pier, cold in his camping chair. T...
this.org
November 7, 2025 at 7:08 PM
"The only time he could really be honest with himself was when he sat out there in the quiet of the morning. Then, he could finally admit that this was never the way he saw his life going." Happy Friday, readers! Enjoy some lovely fiction from @sofiaosborne.bsky.social 🦀
this.org/2025/05/15/a...
this.org/2025/05/15/a...
The rising cost of living is making it harder for Canadian Chinatowns to attract young families. Michael Koy reports on the shifting demographics we're seeing in these cultural urban hubs.
this.org/2025/05/16/a...
this.org/2025/05/16/a...
A changing Chinatown
In Toronto's Chinatown, an average morning goes on as usual, with longtime business owners setting up shop and elderly residents chatting loudly in local bakeries. But underneath the mundanity lies ch...
this.org
November 6, 2025 at 7:32 PM
The rising cost of living is making it harder for Canadian Chinatowns to attract young families. Michael Koy reports on the shifting demographics we're seeing in these cultural urban hubs.
this.org/2025/05/16/a...
this.org/2025/05/16/a...
While looking for a place to live, @rachelcairns.bsky.social realized that housing is increasingly becoming a privilege, and it seems tenants are the only ones working to correct that in a meaningful way.
this.org/2024/12/21/h...
this.org/2024/12/21/h...
Housing handcuffs
“This is not a scam,” I read the email aloud to my partner. “We are seniors looking to move to Nova Scotia and have a 2-bedroom plus den.”
The sender had reached out after reading an opinion piece I ...
this.org
November 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM
While looking for a place to live, @rachelcairns.bsky.social realized that housing is increasingly becoming a privilege, and it seems tenants are the only ones working to correct that in a meaningful way.
this.org/2024/12/21/h...
this.org/2024/12/21/h...
Catering is the quintessential gig economy, but temp-worker agencies and the informalization of labour in the sector pose new challenges for workers’ rights in a precarious industry, writes Lital Khaikin.
this.org/2024/10/28/c...
this.org/2024/10/28/c...
Catering to capitalism
A pharmaceutical company reportedly linked to tax evasion to the tune of over $4 million through offshore Cyprian accounts gathers for a lunch and cocktail at Montreal’s Old Port. Initiation into the ...
this.org
November 4, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Catering is the quintessential gig economy, but temp-worker agencies and the informalization of labour in the sector pose new challenges for workers’ rights in a precarious industry, writes Lital Khaikin.
this.org/2024/10/28/c...
this.org/2024/10/28/c...
Reposted by This Magazine
"I am a fallen tree limb caught in the arms of
another, still-attached limb."
#TodaysPoem #poetry
Impossible Dream by Leigh Nash (@nashls.bsky.social) (2017 @thismagazine.bsky.social) this.org/2017/02/16/t...
another, still-attached limb."
#TodaysPoem #poetry
Impossible Dream by Leigh Nash (@nashls.bsky.social) (2017 @thismagazine.bsky.social) this.org/2017/02/16/t...
Two poems by Leigh Nash
RAM
Forehead smooth as bone china,
you are the witness, clinging
to opinion as though it were fact,
convinced of your own divinity.
Your voice reverberates against empty streets.
Streetlights pick ...
this.org
November 2, 2025 at 3:16 PM
"I am a fallen tree limb caught in the arms of
another, still-attached limb."
#TodaysPoem #poetry
Impossible Dream by Leigh Nash (@nashls.bsky.social) (2017 @thismagazine.bsky.social) this.org/2017/02/16/t...
another, still-attached limb."
#TodaysPoem #poetry
Impossible Dream by Leigh Nash (@nashls.bsky.social) (2017 @thismagazine.bsky.social) this.org/2017/02/16/t...
🚨Reminder for Writers!🚨 Today is the LAST DAY to get your pitches in for our next issue of This Magazine! We're looking for features, news pieces, columns, and back page letters. Information on how to submit can be found at the link below:
this.org/contribute/
this.org/contribute/
Contribute to This Magazine
Our themes for 2026 will be announced soon!
Writers’ Guidelines
This Magazine welcomes queries only, not already written pieces. A good This Magazine article offers background and context to ongoin...
this.org
November 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM
🚨Reminder for Writers!🚨 Today is the LAST DAY to get your pitches in for our next issue of This Magazine! We're looking for features, news pieces, columns, and back page letters. Information on how to submit can be found at the link below:
this.org/contribute/
this.org/contribute/
Happy Halloween, readers! 🎃 This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Religious themes are an intrinsic part of most horror films. Ideas of pure evil, seeing the light, and lost souls are immediately tied to religious ideas.
this.org/2014/11/14/o...
Religious themes are an intrinsic part of most horror films. Ideas of pure evil, seeing the light, and lost souls are immediately tied to religious ideas.
this.org/2014/11/14/o...
Oh, The Horror: Holy horror
Thanks to horror movies, I could probably perform a perfect exorcism. I know exactly what demons to look out for, the ways in which they can deceive you during an exorcism, and how to request permissi...
this.org
October 31, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Happy Halloween, readers! 🎃 This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Religious themes are an intrinsic part of most horror films. Ideas of pure evil, seeing the light, and lost souls are immediately tied to religious ideas.
this.org/2014/11/14/o...
Religious themes are an intrinsic part of most horror films. Ideas of pure evil, seeing the light, and lost souls are immediately tied to religious ideas.
this.org/2014/11/14/o...
Happy Halloween, readers! 🎃 This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Religious themes are an intrinsic part of most horror films. Ideas of pure evil, seeing the light, and lost souls are immediately tied to religious ideas.
this.org/2014/11/14/o...
Religious themes are an intrinsic part of most horror films. Ideas of pure evil, seeing the light, and lost souls are immediately tied to religious ideas.
this.org/2014/11/14/o...
Oh, The Horror: Holy horror
Thanks to horror movies, I could probably perform a perfect exorcism. I know exactly what demons to look out for, the ways in which they can deceive you during an exorcism, and how to request permissi...
this.org
October 31, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Happy Halloween, readers! 🎃 This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Religious themes are an intrinsic part of most horror films. Ideas of pure evil, seeing the light, and lost souls are immediately tied to religious ideas.
this.org/2014/11/14/o...
Religious themes are an intrinsic part of most horror films. Ideas of pure evil, seeing the light, and lost souls are immediately tied to religious ideas.
this.org/2014/11/14/o...
This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Horror does not do disability well. Most “good” characters are able-bodied, whereas many villains in horror wear masks to cover birth defects, which the audience is supposed to find frightening.
this.org/2014/12/15/o...
Horror does not do disability well. Most “good” characters are able-bodied, whereas many villains in horror wear masks to cover birth defects, which the audience is supposed to find frightening.
this.org/2014/12/15/o...
Oh, The Horror: Filming Physical Disabilities
Grotesque deformities and burlap sack masks: these are the faces of physical disabilities in horror.
Horror does not do disability well. Most "good" characters are able-bodied, whereas many villain...
this.org
October 30, 2025 at 5:21 PM
This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Horror does not do disability well. Most “good” characters are able-bodied, whereas many villains in horror wear masks to cover birth defects, which the audience is supposed to find frightening.
this.org/2014/12/15/o...
Horror does not do disability well. Most “good” characters are able-bodied, whereas many villains in horror wear masks to cover birth defects, which the audience is supposed to find frightening.
this.org/2014/12/15/o...
This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
One characteristic of demonic possession always stays the same: the insatiable lust of the demon, now acting through its female host—and it’s almost always a female character.
this.org/2014/09/12/o...
One characteristic of demonic possession always stays the same: the insatiable lust of the demon, now acting through its female host—and it’s almost always a female character.
this.org/2014/09/12/o...
Oh, The Horror: Demons and women's sexuality
Exorcisms are a distinct, massive subgenre in horror films for good reason. There’s just something about watching a good ol’ demonic possession movie that always hits the spot for horror movie craving...
this.org
October 29, 2025 at 2:26 PM
This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
One characteristic of demonic possession always stays the same: the insatiable lust of the demon, now acting through its female host—and it’s almost always a female character.
this.org/2014/09/12/o...
One characteristic of demonic possession always stays the same: the insatiable lust of the demon, now acting through its female host—and it’s almost always a female character.
this.org/2014/09/12/o...
This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Horror breaks so many boundaries, smashing through our comfort zone, and pushing our perspective on what crosses the line. And yet the boundaries of mainstream body image stand as strong as ever.
this.org/2014/11/07/o...
Horror breaks so many boundaries, smashing through our comfort zone, and pushing our perspective on what crosses the line. And yet the boundaries of mainstream body image stand as strong as ever.
this.org/2014/11/07/o...
Oh, The Horror: Body image
The last place I expect to feel bad about my body is when I’m curled up on the couch watching a horror film. Guts being ripped out of peoples stomachs and demon vomit splashing across the screen shoul...
this.org
October 28, 2025 at 11:43 AM
This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Horror breaks so many boundaries, smashing through our comfort zone, and pushing our perspective on what crosses the line. And yet the boundaries of mainstream body image stand as strong as ever.
this.org/2014/11/07/o...
Horror breaks so many boundaries, smashing through our comfort zone, and pushing our perspective on what crosses the line. And yet the boundaries of mainstream body image stand as strong as ever.
this.org/2014/11/07/o...
This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Providing actual historical or scientific context is an excellent way in bumping up a horror movie’s credibility, but sometimes the reuse of the same time periods can feel lazy—or even racist.
this.org/2014/10/03/o...
Providing actual historical or scientific context is an excellent way in bumping up a horror movie’s credibility, but sometimes the reuse of the same time periods can feel lazy—or even racist.
this.org/2014/10/03/o...
Oh, The Horror: Historical horrors
Providing actual historical or scientific context is an excellent way in bumping up a horror movie’s credibility. Throw in some real science, or something spooky that actually happened, and suddenly e...
this.org
October 27, 2025 at 5:24 PM
This week, we're revisiting our 2014 Oh, The Horror column!
Providing actual historical or scientific context is an excellent way in bumping up a horror movie’s credibility, but sometimes the reuse of the same time periods can feel lazy—or even racist.
this.org/2014/10/03/o...
Providing actual historical or scientific context is an excellent way in bumping up a horror movie’s credibility, but sometimes the reuse of the same time periods can feel lazy—or even racist.
this.org/2014/10/03/o...