Show Notes
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 fer...
More from The Missing Middle Podcast
How did hundreds of millions of dollars in Ontario student aid end up at the centre of a major funding scandal, and why did it take so long for the government to act? In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern sits down with Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates and author of the annual State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada report, to investigate the OSAP funding scandal and the Ontario Provincial Police’s criminal probe into alleged fraud at private career colle...
Why is it getting so hard to afford a night out? From $200 dinners and sky-high concert tickets to the disappearance of cheap bowling alleys and dinner parties, having fun is becoming a luxury. In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down how soaring housing costs, stagnant wage growth and rising entertainment prices are changing the way we socialize. As affordable third spaces disappear and young Canadians spend more time alone, are we facing a loneliness cri...
With election day approaching across Ontario, are mayoral candidates offering real solutions to the housing crisis, or just slogans? Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt examine housing platforms from candidates in nine Ontario cities to see which proposals could actually make homes more affordable for middle-class families, renters, and first-time homebuyers. They break down the policies that could make a difference, the promises that need more scrutiny, and the municipal decisions that are shaping t...
In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down why political promises to give "more money to seniors" actually enrich Canada's wealthiest demographic, the myth that retirees "paid into" Old Age Security, how brutal child benefit clawbacks contrast with generous senior write-offs, and how taking money from young workers is quietly hurting the economy. Chapters: 00:00:00 The Problem with “More Money for Seniors” 00:02:53 How OAS Works & Why Income Thre...
In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down whether creating brand-new cities can actually solve Canada’s housing affordability crisis, how our metropolitan numbers compare globally, the failed history of planned-city experiments like Ontario's Townsend and Australia's Monarto, and why central planning can't replace the organic economic realities that make cities thrive. Chapters: 00:00 Why Doesn’t Canada Build New Cities? 01:23 Canada Is Already Creating Ne...