The Walrus

Political scientist Dónal Gill writes that Canada “was never designed to be a full-bore democracy.” The debate around Alberta’s potential separation referendum is exposing a deep crisis in Canadian politics: a fundamental distrust in popular will. https://thewalrus.ca/alberta-separatists-democracy/

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Canada’s spy agency has a warning: Chinese military intelligence is recruiting Canadians through fake job postings on LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork. Writer Sushant Singh on what this reveals about the growing intersection of trade, politics, and espionage: https://thewalrus.ca/chinese-spies-are-recruiting-canadians-on-linkedin/

More than a quarter of Montreal’s roads are in poor or very poor condition, with an estimated $3.3 billion backlog of repairs. Writer Caitlin Walsh Miller examines how decades of deferred maintenance left the city playing a game of reactive whack-a-mole. https://thewalrus.ca/montreal-potholes/

Over 3 million hectares of land have burned—but Canada’s wildfire season isn’t over yet.

In this new Q&A, Jesse Winter—author of Wild Fire: Dispatches from a Country Ablaze—speaks to The Walrus’s Samia Madwar about what’s driving our wildfire crisis: https://thewalrus.ca/more-firefighters-and-water-bombers-wont-solve-canadas-wildfire-crisis/

The Great Antonio was mourned by more than 3,000 people, but “the most repeated narrative of Antonio Barichievich’s life” leaves much unsaid. Here, Daniel Allen Cox pieces together forgotten archives to uncover the man behind the myth: https://thewalrus.ca/the-great-antonio/

Inside the latest edition of our Substack newsletter: smart homes, Saskatchewan, and extra votes for the rich.

Smart Homes, Saskatchewan, and Extra Votes for the Rich Plus: Bannock on the menu

Dónal Gill says Alberta’s upcoming vote to pursue a separation referendum is largely about Danielle Smith’s effort to hold together a fracturing UCP. But what concerns him more is how opposition to separatism has slipped into anti-democratic territory. https://thewalrus.ca/alberta-separatists-democracy/

When monogamous couples struggle, they ask: Is this a good fit? When polyamorous families struggle, they ask: Can this structure even work? Author Alex Alberto reflects on what it means to build a family on their own terms: https://thewalrus.ca/polyamorous-family/

Snitch-shaped Timbits holder, anyone?

Tim Hortons is gearing up to roll out Harry Potter–themed items across Canada to mark the first film’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Journalist Mel Woods argues that, in 2026, it’s a partnership that’s hard to justify. https://thewalrus.ca/nobody-asked-for-harry-potter-donuts/