Canada’s new passport is too boring to be angry about
Of course it’s bad, but honestly I was expecting worse. I was almost relieved when it turned out to be just offensively inoffensive, rather than actively offensive.
Culture
This section of our reporting explores the culture across Canada and how this is represented within our public policy and government.
There is no single Canadian culture, but rather a rich tapestry of diverse customs and traditions that have been woven together over the centuries. Canada is home to many different ethnic groups, each with their own unique heritage. As a result, Canadian culture is constantly evolving, adapted to the ever-changing demographics of our country. Across the provinces, there are also significant regional differences in culture. In Quebec, for example, French is the predominant language and many of the customs and traditions have roots in French culture. In contrast, English Canadian culture has been heavily influenced by the British.
These differing cultural traditions help to make Canada a truly dynamic and vibrant country.
There's no getting around politics
Not everything is political—in fact, in our frustration at what feels like a broken system, we too often stick politics where it doesn’t belong. But non-political social and community activities form the backdrop for our politics and are essential to solving society’s problems.
We can learn a lot from Gordon Lightfoot’s vision of Canada
It’s easy to forget how big Canada is. The country looks a lot different when you’ve left the beaten path. There’s a whole spectrum of cities, towns, villages. One isn’t better than the other. Gordon Lightfoot saw that. I hope that we can too.
Is smoking cool again?
Old habits die hard, apparently. While it may not be as ubiquitous a habit as it once was, smoking cigarettes appears to be the new retro, taboo-flouting trend of Gen Z’s It crowd.
Scaling up Canada: Professor Joseph Heath on immigration, injustice, and finding cooperative solutions to society’s problems
This episode of Hub Dialogues features Sean Speer in conversation with 2022 Donner Book Prize nominee and University of Toronto professor Joseph Heath about his nominated book, Cooperation and Social Justice.
Why Mister Rogers still matters today: Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski on his enduring lessons for raising kids
This episode of Hub Dialogues features host Sean Speer in conversation with child advocate Gregg Behr and award-winning writer Ryan Rydzewski about their poignant book, When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids.
Do we live in a civilisation?
We live in the valley between civilisations, in the shadow of a peak still visible behind us but unable yet to see the peak in front of us. This should not be cause for despair. Although the history of man has been the story of the rise and fall of civilisations, the most important thing is that civilisation has never yet died out altogether; it has always been preserved somewhere.
It's time to stop panicking about parenthood
The tidal wave of toxic, conflicting parenting advice and the pervasive (but biologically false) notion that a woman’s thirties are her new twenties feels almost impossible to reverse. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Why is democratic capitalism in crisis? Don't underestimate the corrosive effects of the culture wars
After World War II, liberal democratic countries rose rapidly, even more so after the collapse of the Soviet Union. That trend is now in reverse. What is causing this crisis? Inequality is to blame, sure, but don’t count out the culture wars too.
Creating the tomorrow we want to live in: James Pethokoukis on being a conservative futurist
This episode of Hub Dialogues features James Pethokoukis in conversation about the causes and consequences of the “Great Downshift” in economic growth and technological progress, the prospects of a conservative futurism, and the possible salience of a renewed “politics of progress.”
