The Walrus

On the left: a photo of a soldier climbing onto a boat with the ocean in the background. On the right: text that reads “America is bombing drug boats, killing dozens. Ottawa won’t clarify its role. Inside the legal grey zone of Canada–US military co-operation.”

The US has killed more than 150 people in the so-called counter-narco-terrorism campaign known as Operation Southern Spear. Canada is involved—but Ottawa isn’t sharing to what degree. Journalist Christy Somos investigates: https://ow.ly/WT8Z50YrzMM

On the left: a grayscale photo of a beach with a house in the distance, with a filter of erosion lines over the sky. On the right: text that reads “A coastal village embraced natural gas. Now it’s trying to outrace the consequences. Kitimat is on track to house one of the world’s largest export facilities. But ocean waters are rising.”

The Haisla Nation has fished coastal BC’s waters for generations. Today, they’re navigating cultural survival, climate threats, and the fossil fuel economy. Monica Kidd explores the trade-offs behind Canada’s expansion of liquid natural gas production: https://thewalrus.ca/lng-pipeline-canada/

At Addictions and Mental Health Ontario presents The Walrus Talks Opioids, Canada’s Fentanyl Czar Kevin Brosseau discusses how stopping the fentanyl supply doesn't stop demand, and the impact of overlapping issues. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-walrus-talks-opioids-tickets-1982207037609?aff=Social

On the left: a photo of a man on a stage in front of an audience while wearing a Hudson’s Bay point coat. On the right: text that reads Is it offensive to wear the Hudson's Bay point coat? The vintage garment commands big prices. But it’s tied to an ugly history.”

From Indigenous women sewing early versions of it in 1811 to Canadian Olympians wearing it in the 1960s, the Hudson’s Bay point coat has had a long and complicated history. How should we reckon with its legacy today? Writer Rollie Pemberton explores: https://ow.ly/6VTY50YqwgU

At Belonging Forum presents The Walrus Talks Power and Belonging find out how dignity, trust, and participation can be rebuilt when polarization is driving us apart. https://twtpowerandbelonging.eventbrite.ca/?aff=Social

On the left: a black and white photo of protesters burning a US flag. On the right: text that reads “I was a prisoner in Iran. I’ve seen the US meddle in the region for decades. Washington’s real aim in the Middle East is control, not liberation.”

In 1953, the CIA overthrew Iran’s democratically elected prime minister to protect Western oil interests. Over 70 years later, those same power dynamics continue to shape the Middle East. https://thewalrus.ca/i-was-a-prisoner-in-iran-ive-seen-the-us-meddle-in-the-region-for-decades/

On the left: a close up photo of Alberta premier Danielle Smith with one eye enclosed in a circle that has lines branching out from it toward the edges of the image. On the right: text that reads “Is Danielle Smith the most powerful politician in Canada? Or just the most dangerous?”

Alberta’s premier is playing with fire—and she knows it. Danielle Smith is using separatist anger as political leverage, but what happens if the flames get too big to control? The Walrus editorial fellow Amarah Hasham-Steele explores: https://ow.ly/32zX50YqwaJ

Careers & Fellowships | The Walrus Jobs, fellowships, and internships at the Walrus Foundation

The Walrus is hiring a TD BIPOC Art & Design Fellow. This paid, one-year position offers mentorship and production experience across print and digital. Open to early career Black, Indigenous, and racialized creatives in Canada. Apply by March 11, 2026. https://thewalrus.ca/about/careers/

On the left: a black and white image of nuclear warheads pointing at a cloudy sky. On the right: text that reads “As trust in the US fades, Canada may become a nuclear player. Europe is debating a deterrent force less reliant on Washington. Should Ottawa take part?”

The global order that shaped NATO may be fracturing. If Europe builds its own nuclear deterrent, Canada could be pulled into a new security architecture—and forced to rethink its place between Europe and the United States. https://thewalrus.ca/canada-may-become-a-nuclear-player/

On the left: an image of fighter jets flying over Canada's Parliament Hill building against an orange background. On the right: text that reads “Canada is already at war with the US—we just don’t know it yet. Conflicts don’t always start with an invasion.”

Donald Trump’s insults and threats are designed to normalize a condition of enmity between the US and Canada, writes Patrick Lennox. “They are an absurdist denial of our independent statehood—on repeat—until it begins to ring true.” https://ow.ly/o4ti50Yqw8C

Join us in Toronto, or online, for Belonging Forum presents The Walrus Talks Power and Belonging, where we will be exploring agency, purpose, and belonging in action. https://twtpowerandbelonging.eventbrite.ca/?aff=Social

On the left: a black and white photo of protesters burning a US flag. On the right: text that reads “I was a prisoner in Iran. I’ve seen the US meddle in the region for decades. Washington’s real aim in the Middle East is control, not liberation.”

In 1984, author Behrooz Ghamari waited on death row in Tehran’s Evin Prison as Iraqi missiles struck the city. Decades later, he watched the same prison be bombed on the news. Here, he reflects on war, power, and memory: https://ow.ly/g1UA50YqvVy

On the left: a photo of a brunette woman smiling with her hands in the air while surrounded by people clapping. On the right: text that reads “Quebec’s governing party is running out of time to save itself. In the leadership race, Christine Fréchette leads Bernard Drainville as the CAQ faces political collapse.”

The Coalition Avenir Québec has governed Quebec for eight years. Now, trailing in the polls, it risks losing nearly all of its National Assembly members. In the race to replace leader François Legault, one question looms: Who can stop the bleeding? https://ow.ly/Fpbt50YpZoE

On the left: a photo of a man on a stage in front of an audience while wearing a Hudson’s Bay point coat. On the right: text that reads Is it offensive to wear the Hudson's Bay point coat? The vintage garment commands big prices. But it’s tied to an ugly history.”

“What we wear is a representation of who we are, but that can get muddled by the competing contexts that come embedded in the clothes that we put on,” writes Rollie Pemberton. “When I wear my Carhartt J165 jacket in Hamilton, is it industrial cosplay?” https://ow.ly/4AVs50YpWsQ

Max Bell Foundation presents The Walrus Talks #Wildfires will be live at Remai Modern, Saskatoon, and streamed online, on April 1. Don't miss the chance to be part of this important conversation. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-walrus-talks-wildfires-tickets-1982686099496?aff=Social

On the left: a black and white image of nuclear warheads pointing at a cloudy sky. On the right: text that reads “As trust in the US fades, Canada may become a nuclear player. Europe is debating a deterrent force less reliant on Washington. Should Ottawa take part?”

Canada once had nuclear weapons on its soil. As NATO’s future grows increasingly uncertain and Europe debates a new nuclear deterrent, they may return yet. Writer and University of Ottawa professor Peter Jones explores: https://thewalrus.ca/canada-may-become-a-nuclear-player/

On the left: an image of fighter jets flying over Canada's Parliament Hill building against an orange background. On the right: text that reads “Canada is already at war with the US—we just don’t know it yet. Conflicts don’t always start with an invasion.”

“Our national unity is paramount to our survival. We are at war with the US.”

In his latest story for The Walrus, former RCMP intelligence manager Patrick Lennox warns Canada must prepare for a radically different relationship with its closest ally. https://ow.ly/1eoQ50YpWl7

On the left: a photo of men in carts being pulled by horses. The image is awash in a dusty, warm-coloured lighting. On the right: text that reads “The most accurately predicted genocide in history. There was satellite imagery, survivor testimony, and mass graves. Still, the world looked away from Sudan”

“Reporting on the war in Sudan is logistically difficult, which is why the satellite images and testimonies from survivors have been so critical,” writes Michelle Shephard “Most Sudanese journalists have been killed, have fled, or are in hiding.” https://thewalrus.ca/sudan-genocide/

Careers & Fellowships | The Walrus Jobs, fellowships, and internships at the Walrus Foundation

⚡ Design bold, creative work that sparks national conversations: submit your application for The Walrus’s TD BIPOC Art & Design Fellowship by March 11, 2026. Find out more: https://thewalrus.ca/about/careers/

Join us at Max Bell Foundation presents The Walrus Talks #Wildfires for the opportunity to hear from leading experts on the research and solutions shaping Canada's response to the wildfire crisis. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-walrus-talks-wildfires-tickets-1982686099496?aff=Social

On the left: a photo of a man on a stage in front of an audience while wearing a Hudson’s Bay point coat. On the right: text that reads Is it offensive to wear the Hudson's Bay point coat? The vintage garment commands big prices. But it’s tied to an ugly history.”

“For some, it elicits instant nostalgia and national pride. For others, it’s an enduring symbol of colonialism.”

Recognizing its complicated legacy, writer and musician Rollie Pemberton has to wonder: Is it offensive to wear the Hudson’s Bay point coat? https://ow.ly/fWhq50YpoU3

On the left: a photo of a brunette woman smiling with her hands in the air while surrounded by people clapping. On the right: text that reads “Quebec’s governing party is running out of time to save itself. In the leadership race, Christine Fréchette leads Bernard Drainville as the CAQ faces political collapse.”

When a political party chooses its new leader, it also chooses its identity. Two paths emerge: defend the past or gamble on a different future? On April 12, the Coalition Avenir Québec will face that dilemma. Poll analyst Philippe J. Fournier explores: https://ow.ly/pEuH50Ypp3c

Don't miss Belonging Forum presents The Walrus Talks Power and Belonging for fast-paced talks exploring the power to participate, be heard, and connect with others around shared purpose. https://twtpowerandbelonging.eventbrite.ca/?aff=Social

Local journalist Trent Ernst was first on the scene at the Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, high school where one of Canada’s worst mass shootings occurred. The Walrus senior editor Carine Abouseif spoke with him about covering a tragedy close to home: https://ow.ly/FgQK50YoWKx

At Addictions and Mental Health Ontario presents The Walrus Talks Opioids, experts share strategies for tackling the #OpioidCrisis, policy solutions, and more. Join us online or in Toronto. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-walrus-talks-opioids-tickets-1982207037609?aff=Social

On the left: a photo of men in carts being pulled by horses. The image is awash in a dusty, warm-coloured lighting. On the right: text that reads “The most accurately predicted genocide in history. There was satellite imagery, survivor testimony, and mass graves. Still, the world looked away from Sudan”

With the sky warmed by the setting sun, the scene at the refugee camp Michelle Shephard visits in Adré, Chad appears almost bucolic. But just five kilometres away, the war in Sudan rages on, forcing thousands into life-threatening displacement. https://thewalrus.ca/sudan-genocide/

On the left: an illustration of an outline of a brain containing a green field and blue sky on a beige background. On the right: text that reads “Meet the researchers who can engineer your dreams. The tech is called ‘targeted dream incubation’—and it changes everything we know about sleep”

New technology is enabling scientists to target different sleep stages and shape dreams. From facilitating lucid dreaming to rewriting nightmares and consolidating memories, dream engineering is here—and it’s changing everything we know about sleep. https://thewalrus.ca/dream-engineering/

At Max Bell Foundation presents The Walrus Talks #Wildfires speakers break down how fires affect public health outcomes, air quality, and the economy. Join us online or in Saskatoon. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-walrus-talks-wildfires-tickets-1982686099496?aff=Social

On the left: an image of a police barricade interacting with a crowd of protesters. On the right: text that reads “How the Freedom Convoy broke the Emergencies Act. Courts ruled Ottawa overreached in handling the capital’s siege, leaving the legal tool in limbo”

The Emergencies Act is now nearing forty years old. Its future is uncertain, its past now problematic. For The Walrus contributing writer Wesley Wark, the legislation faces two fates: modernize it to meet the moment or lock it away, key out of sight. https://ow.ly/3wWC50YomeC

On the left: a photo of a car buried underneath a pile of rubble from a destroyed building in the dark. On the right: text that reads “Why regime change by force is unlikely to work in Iran. Canada’s former ambassador to Tehran on what Trump’s strikes change on the ground—and what they don’t.”

New from The Walrus: editor-in-chief Carmine Starnino speaks to Dennis Horak, Canada’s former chargé d’affaires in Iran, about why history, insecurity, and nuclear logic matter as the US and Israel escalate military action on the regime. https://ow.ly/Ovk150Yom2g