Canada needs more housing, but building in existing neighbourhoods often faces strong local opposition. Could gentle density be a solution?

In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt discuss how infill housing, form-based zoning, and streamlined regulations could help Canada build more family-friendly homes while balancing concerns about neighbourhood character, infrastructure, parking, and density. They also examine multiplex debates in Toronto and Calgary, and whether zoning reform and condo rules are limiting new homeownership opportunities.

Topics covered:

• What is gentle density?
• Why Canada needs more family-friendly housing
• The fight over multiplexes and infill housing
• Toronto's sixplex debate
• Calgary's citywide upzoning rollback
• Form-based zoning explained
• Zoning vs. building code
• How standardized zoning could reduce red tape
• Parking, infrastructure, and neighbourhood concerns
• Creating more homeownership opportunities through gentle density
• Condo regulations and small-scale housing
• British Columbia's small-scale, multi-unit housing approach
• What Oregon is doing differently
• Should gentle density start with greenfield development?
• Can gentle density overcome NIMBY and YIMBY opposition?

Chapters:

00:00 – Canada’s Housing Problem and the Case for Gentle Density

01:25 – The Three Ways Cities Can Build More Housing

03:00 – Why Multiplexes Face Local Opposition

04:35 – Toronto’s Controversial Station Road Eightplex

06:15 – Calgary’s Upzoning Rollback

07:30 – What Is Gentle Density?

08:20 – Objection #1: Buildings Are Too Tall

09:35 – Form-Based Zoning Explained

11:05 – Zoning vs. Building Codes

12:15 – Objection #2: Buildings Are Too Large

13:05 – Objection #3: Parking and Infrastructure

14:25 – Can Gentle Density Benefit Existing Homeowners?

16:10 – Tiny Homes and Pocket Neighbourhoods

17:25 – Does Density Mean More Rental Housing?

19:00 – Making Small-Scale Homeownership Easier

20:25 – What Canada Can Learn From B.C. and Oregon

21:45 – Where Should Gentle Density Start?

23:00 – Can Gentle Density Actually Get Political Support?

24:15 – NIMBYs vs. YIMBYs: Is Gentle Density Too Mild?

25:00 – Moving Beyond Arbitrary Unit Counts

Research/links:

MMI Gentle Density Report: https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/from-policy-gridlock-to-housing-growth 

NIMBYs will Fight Even the Gentlest of Density

https://youtu.be/6WavljFV7fM?si=geir1FhAbhdgliv_

Nightmare on Craven Road: When Local Politics Derail Citywide Housing Goals

https://youtu.be/qVQ4gQRnOss?si=RFywNBKZedLERiuj

2025 Statcan Study: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2025005/article/00003-eng.htm

2026 Statcan Study: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/46-28-0001/2026001/article/00002-eng.htm

Toronto:

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/04/22/etobicoke-eightplex-site-mimico-residents-developer-toronto/

Calgary:

https://calgary.citynews.ca/2026/04/22/calgary-federal-housing-funds/ 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Canada’s growing debt isn’t just a problem for governments; it could shape the future for younger generations.

Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt explore how government debt, Old Age Security (OAS), and spending choices shift wealth between generations. They discuss whether wealthy seniors should receive full OAS benefits and how younger Canadians may be paying more through higher taxes, housing costs, and rising debt.

While not all debt is harmful, borrowing for long-term investments like infrastructure, transit, housing, and energy can be beneficial, borrowing to sustain costly programs is more controversial and raises questions about long-term fiscal sustainability.

The key question: Is Canada placing too much of the financial burden on younger generations?

Topics covered:
• Canada’s rising public debt and interest costs
• Old Age Security (OAS) and wealthy seniors
• Intergenerational wealth transfers
• Why government debt is rarely fully “paid off”
• Infrastructure investment vs. program spending
• The Gordie Howe Bridge and public investment
• Inflation, money creation, and debt
• Housing, taxes, and affordability for younger Canadians
• OAS reform and fiscal trade-offs

Chapters:

01:28 OAS: The $100 Billion Problem Hiding in the Budget

02:09 Why Wealthy Seniors Still Get Old Age Security

03:28 When Government Debt Is Actually a Good Thing

05:29 Who Should Pay for Infrastructure That Lasts 100 Years?

06:00 The Gordie Howe Bridge and the Case for Government Debt

06:53 The Truth About How Government Debt Gets Paid Off

08:49 Why Canada’s Growing Debt Still Matters

09:16 How Government Debt Can Fuel Inflation

10:18 What Happens When Governments Can’t Borrow?

11:38 Why Deficits Are Especially Dangerous for OAS

12:08 Should Canada Cut Old Age Security?

13:10 Are Younger Canadians Giving Up on Canada?

13:58 There’s No Easy Way to Fix the Intergenerational Wealth Gap

14:55 Why Younger Canadians Want Lower Taxes

16:20 Why Tax Cuts Aren’t Fixing the Generational Divide

16:46 When Government Debt Makes Sense—and When It Doesn’t

Research/Links:

As Canada faces crippling debt, it must do the unpopular thing and cut elderly benefits

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-canada-debt-cut-elderly-benefits/

Scott Gallowy Short:

https://youtube.com/shorts/PAAbLq1bJY0?si=9-Z06rW1H8tiQW-k

Canadian taxpayers face up to $3,348 each in government debt interest

https://www.wealthprofessional.ca/news/industry-news/canadian-taxpayers-face-up-to-3348-each-in-government-debt-interest/392762

The Burdens of borrowing: Government debt and intergenerational fairness

https://www.if.org.uk/2025/01/28/the-burdens-of-borrowing-government-debt-and-intergenerational-fairness/

G7 debt is now a pressure point for anxious markets

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/g7-debt-is-now-pressure-point-anxious-markets-2025-06-03/

The evolution of federal debt interest costs in Canada

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/evolution-federal-debt-interest-costs-canada

Canada’s combined federal-provincial government debt estimated to surpass $2.4 trillion in 2025/26

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/growing-debt-burden-canadians-2026-edition

Intergenerational Injustice in Canadian Public Finance

https://www.gensqueeze.ca/intergenerational_injustice_in_canadian_public_finance

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Canada’s parental leave system was built for a workforce that no longer exists. As work and family life have changed, the policy hasn’t, leaving more parents without the support they need.

In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt examine why Canada's parental leave system is increasingly out of step with today's workforce. They discuss how rising housing costs, stagnant income replacement, contract work, and outdated Employment Insurance rules are making it harder for Canadians to start or grow their families.

The conversation explores why many parents, especially freelancers, self-employed workers, and those in the gig economy, struggle to qualify for benefits, how employer parental leave top-ups are disappearing, and what Canada can learn from Quebec's parental insurance plan and Finland's family-friendly reforms.

Topics covered:

Why Canada's fertility rate has reached a record low
How EI parental leave actually works
Why one-third of Canadian mothers don't qualify for paid parental leave
The financial reality of taking parental leave today
Housing costs and the affordability of raising children
Why freelancers, contractors, and gig workers are left behind
The decline of employer parental leave top-ups
Quebec's parental leave model and its impact on fertility
Finland's parental leave reforms and shared parenting
Policy reforms that could make it easier for Canadians to have the families they want

Chapters:

00:00 Why Canada's fertility rate hit a record low
00:49 How Canada's parental leave system actually works
02:42 Why Young Canadians Are Delaying Having Kids
04:18 The Hidden Financial Penalty of Parental Leave
06:32 Why 1 in 3 Mothers Can't Access Paid Leave
08:08 The Self-Employment Trap
10:02 Why Employer Parental Leave Benefits Are Shrinking
12:37 What Quebec Gets Right About Parental Leave
14:34 Finland's Family Policy Is Changing Fatherhood
16:28 How Canada Could Fix Parental Leave
 
Research links:

Statistics Canada -- Canada's total fertility rate reaches a new low in 2024:
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/9140-canadas-total-fertility-rate-reaches-new-low-2024

Statistics Canada -- The Daily: Fertility and baby names, 2024:
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250924/dq250924d-eng.htm

The Hub / Cardus -- Stop dismissing falling fertility rates as a choice (2.2 children wanted stat):
https://thehub.ca/2026/04/14/with-a-record-low-1-25-children-per-canadian-woman-stop-dismissing-falling-fertility-rates-as-a-choice/

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives -- Support for parents in a post-pandemic world (EI reform; replacement rate, eligibility threshold proposals):
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/support-for-parents-in-a-post-pandemic-world-options-for-enhancing-federal-maternity-and-parental-leave/

Policy Options / IRPP -- Parental leave benefits need to be more practical and equitable (1 in 4 self-employed stat; top-up decline):
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2024/05/parental-leave-equity/

PMC -- Policy and Fertility: A Case Study of the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (peer-reviewed; fertility lift estimates):
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11070327/

Yle News / Helsinki Times -- More fathers taking parental leave since Finland's 2022 law change:
https://yle.fi/a/74-20162964

Fast Company -- Deloitte and Zoom cut parental leave and other benefits:
https://www.fastcompany.com/91530300/deloitte-and-zoom-cut-parental-leave-and-other-benefits

PMC -- Reconceptualizing Parental Leave Benefits in COVID-19 Canada: 
From Employment Policy to Care Policy (EI vs QPIP comparison; self-employed eligibility history):
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8229861/

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Many people assume Canada’s suburbs are destined to decline as Baby Boomers age and younger generations embrace urban living. But does the data actually support that?

In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt examine new Statistics Canada research on how immigrants’ housing choices evolve over time. While most newcomers begin as renters in urban centres, the data shows many transition into homeownership, including family-sized homes in the suburbs, as they build their lives in Canada.

They also test this prediction against several scenarios that could prove it wrong, including lower immigration, more family-sized housing in cities, rising emigration, and changing housing preferences.

Chapters:

00:00 Why Everyone Got the Future of the Suburbs Wrong
00:27 Do Immigrants Actually Want Suburban Homes?
01:54 Why Newcomers Rent First—Then Buy Houses
04:33 Are Immigrants Buying Condos or Single-Family Homes?
06:56 Why Immigration Policy Shapes Housing Demand
08:03 Will Baby Boomers Flood the Market With Homes?
09:13 What Could Kill Demand for the Canadian Suburb?
10:28 Could Better Cities Replace the Suburbs?
12:04 Will Young Canadians Leave Instead of Buying Homes?
13:09 Is the Dream of a House With a Backyard Dying?
14:21 Does Canada's Housing Market Still Attract Immigrants?
17:54 Why People Buy Homes Even When It's a Bad Investment
19:15 The Housing Lesson Policymakers Keep Missing

Research/links:

Housing use of immigrants and non-permanent residents in ownership and rental markets https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2025005/article/00003-eng.htm

The homeownership trajectories of recent immigrants
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/46-28-0001/2026001/article/00002-eng.htm

Credits:
Mike Moffatt 
https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt
https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social

Cara Stern 
https://x.com/carastern
https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social

Meredith Martin 
https://twitter.com/meredithmartin
https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social

Sean Foreman
@seanegertonforeman
https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social

Co-op Student
Kelly Hoban

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Canada has spent decades trying to curb urban sprawl through policies like greenbelts, urban growth boundaries, and higher development charges, but what if those policies are having the opposite effect?

In this episode, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux examine the rise of "leapfrog development," where families priced out of cities move beyond growth boundaries into neighbouring communities, leading to longer commutes, higher infrastructure costs, and even more sprawl. They explore real-world examples from Ottawa, London, and the Greater Toronto Area, discuss the research behind these trends, and ask whether it's time to rethink how Canadian cities grow.

Topics covered:

Why urban growth boundaries were created
What leapfrog development is and why it matters
How greenbelts and development charges affect housing affordability
Why more families are moving outside city limits
The Ottawa and Carleton Place case study
Statistics Canada's commuting data and metro boundaries
The relationship between housing costs, commuting, and emissions
Why regional planning may work better than local planning
Can cities reduce sprawl without pricing families out?
Subscribe for more conversations on housing, affordability, economics, and public policy in Canada.
#Housing #Canada #UrbanPlanning #HousingCrisis #RealEstate #Affordability #Greenbelt #UrbanSprawl #PublicPolicy #MissingMiddle

Chapters:
00:00 Is the Greenbelt Actually Causing More Sprawl?
01:33 The "Strange Pattern" of Ontario's Development 
03:11 How StatsCan Defines Metro Boundaries 
05:07 The Rise of the "Commuter Village" 
07:59 What is "Leapfrog Development" & Why Boundaries Fail 
11:02 Why the Environmental Movement Refuses to Change Its Mind 
12:51 Anti-Sprawl Politics: Virtue Signaling vs. Real Outcomes 

Research:
Did Development Charges Cause Metro Ottawa to Grow by Over 1000km in Size?
https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/did-development-charges-cause-metro 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Has having three kids become a status symbol in Canada?

In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt explore why having three children has become a luxury for many middle-class Canadian families. From the cost of family-sized housing to childcare, career sacrifices, transportation, and the changing expectations placed on parents, they break down why so many families stop at two, even when they wanted more.

The conversation also looks at Canadian and international research on fertility, Quebec's childcare experiment, why family-sized homes have almost disappeared from our cities, and what governments would actually need to change if they want Canadians to have the families they hope for.

If you've ever wondered why three kids now feels like a status symbol, this episode explains the economics behind it.

Topics covered:

• Why Canada's fertility rate has reached record lows
• Is a third child becoming a luxury good?
• How housing shortages shape family size
• Why family-sized homes are disappearing
• The hidden career costs of having children
• Does affordable childcare actually increase birth rates?
• Why cities are losing young families
• What policies could make raising larger families affordable again

Chapters:

00:00 Why 3 Kids Are Becoming a Rich Person's Luxury

00:58 When Families Become Status Symbols

03:03 The Housing Crisis is Eliminating the Third Child

05:09 Canada Stopped Building Family Homes

06:28 The Big Childcare Problem

07:55 Does Cheap Childcare Actually Boost Birth Rates?

12:15 The Real Cost of a Third Baby

15:07 Families Are Being Forced Out of Cities

17:20 How Canada Could Make Three Kids Affordable Again

Research/links:

More Crowding, Fewer Babies: The Effects of Housing Density on Fertility | Institute for Family Studies 

https://ifstudies.org/blog/more-crowding-fewer-babies-the-effects-of-housing-density-on-fertility

The ultimate status symbol? A big family

https://www.ft.com/content/a4025e93-7552-4f8f-8ce2-e785a7d950a4?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Opinion | Three Kids? You Showoffs. - The Washington Post 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/2008/04/06/three-kids-you-showoffs/6b7952ed-4547-4f9b-ae9b-cd9d2f1d8aa0/

Why are some families with children leaving the inner city and other staying? 

https://www.scup.com/doi/10.18261/njus.2.1.2

Home Alone | Cardus 

https://www.cardus.ca/research/family/reports/home-alone/

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Is 500,000 new homes a year really what Canada needs to solve the housing crisis?

In this episode of the Missing Middle’s Classonomics Podcast, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux examine whether Canada's headline housing targets still make sense now that immigration has slowed and population growth has changed. They discuss why housing starts can be a misleading metric, why the type of housing being built matters just as much as the number of homes, and what governments should actually measure if the goal is restoring affordability.

Topics covered:

• Why the 500,000-home target may no longer be necessary
• How immigration affects housing demand
• Why housing starts don't tell the full story
• The shortage of family-sized homes
• High-rise condos vs. townhomes and detached homes
• The hidden costs preventing more housing from being built
• What metrics governments should focus on instead of housing starts
• Can Canada restore middle-class housing affordability within a decade?

Subscribe for more conversations on housing, affordability, economics, and public policy.

Chapters:

00:00 - Does Canada Really Need 500,000 Homes a Year?
01:40 - Where Did the 500k Housing Starts Target Come From?
02:47 - The Metrics Governments Should Focus On Instead
04:11 - Balancing Housing Supply with Immigration Demand
05:21 - The Population Math: Why 500k is Overkill
06:40 - How Developers Bet on Future Immigration Policy
08:39 - Why the Type of Housing Matters (High-Rises vs. Townhomes)
10:12 - How Many Homes We Actually Need to Build
11:08 - Solving the Crisis by Lowering Construction Costs
13:04 - Will Baby Boomers Free Up Suburban Housing?

Research/links

The Impossible Trinity that Broke Canadian Housing

https://open.substack.com/pub/missingmiddleinitiative/p/the-impossible-trinity-that-broke?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

The Housing Trilemma: Why You Can't Afford a Home

https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/the-housing-trilemma-why-you-cant 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

When a business faces a labour shortage, the free market says they should raise wages. So why is Canada’s government stepping in to make labour cheaper instead?

In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt dive into how Canada's low-wage Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program and the explosion of international student work caps have completely disrupted the laws of supply and demand. As Canadian youth face historic unemployment rates, we break down how corporate lobbying and government policy created a cheat code that insulates businesses from capitalism, while pushing young workers off the first rung of the career ladder.

From the housing crisis in Alberta's mountain tourist towns to Tim Hortons' recent PR scramble, we expose the loop of corporate reliance on exploitable temporary labor and ask: how do we let the market actually fix itself?

Topics covered:

• Canada's rising youth unemployment rate
• The Temporary Foreign Worker Program explained
• How international student work rules affect the job market
• Why labour shortages don't always mean there aren't enough workers
• Seasonal jobs, tourism, and staff housing
• The economics of wages, supply, and demand
• Tim Hortons and the TFW controversy
• Policy solutions to improve opportunities for young Canadians

#Canada #YouthUnemployment #TemporaryForeignWorkers #Jobs #CanadianEconomy #LabourMarket #Economics #Immigration #PublicPolicy #MissingMiddle

Chapters:

00:00 - The Free Market Myth in Canada
01:24 - Gen Z vs. Gen X: The Youth Unemployment Crisis
02:12 - Why Student Jobs Suddenly Vanished
03:32 - How the TFW Program Ballooned Over 50 Years
05:39 - The Corporate Lobbying Flipping Immigration Rules
07:11 - Debunking the Alberta "Labour Shortage"
09:47 - Why Canada Insulates Businesses From Capitalism
11:11 - What "Dirty Dancing" Teaches Us About Seasonal Housing
14:06 - The Dark Side of Temporary Work Regulations
16:02 - Exposing Tim Hortons' "Local Hiring" PR Spin
18:57 - How to Break the TFW Doom Loop

Research/links:

Tourist towns ‘desperate’ for workers in Alberta

https://www.cp24.com/news/2026/03/28/i-have-to-find-at-least-35-people-before-june-1-worker-shortages-in-albertas-tourist-towns/

Tim Hortons says it will hire locals, scale back temporary foreign workers

https://globalnews.ca/news/11863474/tim-hortons-temporary-foreign-workers/

Tim Hortons is Committed to Local Hiring Launching National Campaign to Hire 10,000 Local Team Members 

https://www.news.timhortons.ca/en/articles/tim-hortons-is-committed-to-local-hiring-launching-national-camp

Youth unemployment in Canada jumped 57% in 3 years, hitting levels previously unseen outside a recession

https://thehub.ca/2026/05/07/canadas-youth-unemployment-jumped-57-in-3-years-hit-unprecedented-jobless-levels-outside-recession-by-2025/

Youth unemployment in Canada near record highs since 2022; unprecedented levels outside of a recession

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/extraordinary-increase-youth-unemployment-canada

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2026-04/extraordinary-increase-of-youth-unemployment-in-canada.pdf

Temporary ForeignWorkers in Canada:Are They Really Filling Labour Shortages?

https://cdhowe.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/commentary_407.pdf

StatsCan: Drayton Valley statistical area sees lowest unemployment in Alberta at 4.9 per cent

https://www.bigwestcountry.ca/2026/06/05/statscan-drayton-valley-statistical-area-sees-lowest-unemployment-in-alberta-at-4-9-per-cent/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20latest%20Labour,5.3%20per%20cent%20in%20April

Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Programs - The Canadian Encyclopedia

https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadas-temporary-foreign-worker-programs

Businesses face new limits on temporary foreign worker program

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tfw-program-new-limits-1.7333777

3 problems with the temporary foreign worker program and 3 possible fixes, according to experts

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/temporary-foreign-worker-program-fixes-1.7633045

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Why are so many young Canadian families leaving Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal? Even after return-to-office mandates, the exodus from Canada's largest cities continues.

In this episode of Classonomics, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux explore the data behind Canada's urban migration trends and debate why affordability isn't the only factor driving people away. They discuss housing costs, crime and public safety, mental health, community, urban planning, and whether government policies are making sprawl even worse.

Topics covered:

• Why Canadians are leaving the GTA, Metro Vancouver, and Montreal
• Why return-to-office hasn't reversed the trend
• Housing affordability and the shortage of family-sized homes
• Crime, public safety, and quality of life in big cities
• Mental health, community, and life satisfaction
• Urban growth boundaries, the Greenbelt, and sprawl
• Why smaller cities are attracting young families
• What policymakers are getting wrong about housing and urban planning

Subscribe for more conversations on housing, economics, public policy, and the future of Canada.

Chapters: 

00:00 The Great Canadian Family Exodus
01:05 Mike's Biggest Prediction Miss
03:05 Why Millennials Are Leaving Cities
04:17 Is Toronto Becoming Too Chaotic?
06:22 Does Crime Make Families Move?
09:44 Are Small Towns Better for Mental Health?
11:57 Why Community Matters More Than Ever
14:32 It All Comes Back to Housing
15:35 The Greenbelt's Unintended Consequences
17:29 When Good Environmental Policy Goes Wrong
18:40 The Case for Evidence-Based Policy

Research/links:

Housing is a large part of the story. The OECD has examined this:

https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2025/05/oecd-economic-surveys-canada-2025_ee18a269/full-report/improving-housing-affordability_3d430d2e.html

As has Statistics Canada: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/241119/dq241119b-eng.htm 

Remote Work and Employment Dynamics under COVID-19: Evidence from Canada

 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7971424/

Upjohn Institute: https://www.upjohn.org/remote-works-quiet-impact-rural-communities

C.D. Howe: https://cdhowe.org/publication/settling-new-normal-working-home-across-canada/ 

Social ties and quality of life, including lower rates of depression: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2025002/article/00003-eng.htm 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20376426/ 

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-design/article-why-some-people-are-choosing-country-life-over-the-city/ 

Though evidence is nuanced: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/184/17/E889 

Crime and disorder:

https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/urban-violent-crime-report-comparing-crime-across-canadian-cities-volume-2/

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2025001/article/00005-eng.htm 

McDonald-Laurier Report: https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Urban-Violent-Crime-Report_Final.pdf 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Thinking about taking parental leave in Canada?

In this episode of DemograFix Cara Stern talks with Jasmine Steffler (from Walkable Parenthood and Oh The Urbanity!) about her experience navigating parental leave. From understanding benefits and income replacement to finding childcare, building community, and adjusting to life with a new baby, Cara and Jasmine know what it takes to grow a family in Canada.

If you're expecting a child or planning a family, this conversation covers many of the practical questions parents have before taking leave:

✅ How parental leave and EI benefits work in Canada

✅ The difference between 12- and 18-month leave options

✅ Why Quebec's parental leave system is different

✅ How much income you can expect while on leave

✅ Finding daycare and understanding childcare costs

✅ Building community and avoiding isolation during leave

✅ Life with a baby in a walkable city without owning a car

✅ What we wish we knew before taking leave

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Canadian Parental Leave

00:48 Understanding Parental Leave Policies

02:29 Choosing the Length of Leave

02:51 The Quebec Parental Insurance Plan vs. Other Provinces

05:08 Navigating the Childcare System

06:15 Financial Challenges and Income Replacement

07:50 Walking and Cycling Without a Car

10:19 Finding Community During Parental Leave

12:50 Lessons Learned and Future Considerations

15:55 Traveling with a Young Child

16:49 Conclusion and Outro

Research/links:

The effect of leave policies on increasing fertility: a systematic review | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-022-01270-w

(PDF) Does Parental Leave Affect Fertility and Return-to-Work? Evidence from a "True Natural Experiment" 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5135837_Does_Parental_Leave_Affect_Fertility_and_Return-to-Work_Evidence_from_a_True_Natural_Experiment

The Daily — Fertility and baby names, 2024 

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250924/dq250924d-eng.htm

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/