The Missing Middle Podcast
Welcome to the Missing Middle, a podcast about why the middle class in Canada is disappearing. We hope to help you understand why life is becoming unaffordable for so many in this country, and what can be done to reverse course.
Episodes
188 episodes
"Wait Until 2060": Canada's Housing Plan for Young People
Canada's Federal Housing Advocate says it could take until 2060 for all Canadians to have access to an affordable home. Is that just a realistic target? And is it reasonable to ask an entire generation to give up on their homeownership dreams f...
This Court Ruling Could Change Property Ownership in Canada: Steve Saretsky
Canada’s housing market is entering a major shift. In this episode, Mike Moffatt sits down with Vancouver realtor and Loonie Hour host Steve Saretsky to break down the growing cracks in Canada’s real estate market — from falling condo prices an...
Will Baby Boomers Leave Behind a Housing Glut?
Many Canadians believe that when Baby Boomers leave their homes, a flood of houses will hit the market and solve the housing crisis. In this episode, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern explore why that outcome is far from certain, examining the roles ...
Toronto’s Housing Crisis Explained with Ron Butler | Live Event
Toronto’s housing crisis is no longer just about buying a home, it’s reshaping who can afford to build a future in the city at all. In this special live taping of The Missing Middle Podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux, Mike Moffatt, Cara Stern, and speci...
Why Strong Communities Don’t Happen by Accident
Why does modern life feel so disconnected? In this episode, Cara Stern sits down with journalist and Scout leader Harrison Lowman to talk about the decline of community in Canada, and what it takes to rebuild it.From scouting and volunte...
Answering Your Biggest Questions About Canada’s Housing Crisis
Why are young Canadians leaving cities? Why are seniors staying in homes that are too big for them? And can Canada lower housing costs without cutting quality of life even further?In this listener Q&A episode of The Missing Middle, S...
The Story Behind Canada’s Collapsing Fertility Rate
Canada’s fertility rate has fallen to just 1.25 children per woman, one of the lowest in the developed world. But what’s actually driving the decline? Are fewer Canadians having children, or are the ones having kids simply choosing to have fewe...
Why Canada Will NEVER Tax Your Home Profits
Why are Canadians allowed to sell their homes tax-free while profits from stocks and investments get taxed? And is that policy making Canada’s housing crisis even worse?In this episode of Classonomics Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt br...
The Hidden Algorithm Deciding What You Pay
What if companies could figure out the exact maximum you’re willing to pay, and charge you exactly that?That’s the promise of surveillance pricing: using your personal data, purchase history, location, online behavior, and even financia...
Why Mark Carney Wants Canada’s Own “Norway Fund”
Canada is launching a new sovereign wealth fund, but what exactly is it, and why is Prime Minister Mark Carney betting big on it?In this episode of Classonomics, Mike Moffatt and Meredith Martin break down the proposed Canada Strong Fund...
Development Charges Are Finally Being Cut. What Happens Next?
Ontario has started cutting development charges. But is this the breakthrough Ontario’s housing market needs, or just the first step?In this episode of The Missing Middle Podcast, Mike Moffatt sits down with Kim Fairley, President of
Canada vs. U.S.: Why Young Workers Are Choosing to Leave
Why are so many young Canadians leaving and why are some people suggesting they should be punished for it?In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux break down the growing “brain drain” from Canada ...
The Hidden Wealth Transfer from Young to Old - Explained
Why does it feel like young Canadians can’t get ahead anymore?In this episode, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt break down the growing generational divide in Canada, and why Millennials and Gen Z are being squeezed from both sides. From skyro...
Did Canada Ignore Immigration Fraud on Purpose?
Canada’s international student program is under fire and the numbers are hard to ignore.In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down a shocking Auditor General report that uncovered major enforcement failures inside Cana...
The War Over Upzoning Just Escalated
Cities across Canada are backing away from upzoning. After agreeing to allow fourplexes and other missing middle housing, municipalities like Calgary, Toronto, Markham, and Windsor are scaling back — or reversing — reforms altogether. What’s be...
Carney’s Canada After 1 Year: What’s Working (and What’s Not)
One year after Mark Carney’s stunning rise to power, how is his government actually performing?In this episode, we break down the biggest political upset in recent Canadian history, from the collapse of a presumed Conservative victory t...
Did Housing Affordability Kill Climate Action?
Climate change isn’t topping Canadians’ priority lists anymore, but that doesn’t mean people have stopped caring.New polling shows only 13% of Canadians now rank climate change as a top personal issue, down sharply from 2019. With affor...
Rents Are Dropping… So Why Expand Rent Control?
Rents are finally falling across Canada. But will it last? In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down new data from the CMHC showing rising vacancy rates, record rental supply, and the f...
What’s Making Young Canadians So Unhappy? The Data Is Brutal
Young Canadians are now less happy than seniors, and the gap is getting worse.The latest World Happiness Report shows Canadians under 30 have fallen to 71st in the world for life satisfaction, while Canada’s overall ranking has dropped f...
Greed Vs. Fear: The Economic Policy Killing Canadian Innovation
Canada has a massive problem: our national productivity is near the bottom of the G7. Decades of government policies, from free trade to tax cuts, haven't worked.Why? Because policymakers are focused on greed (incentives) and ...
The "Zombie Myth" About Why Birth Rates Are Dropping
If birth rates are falling, is it really because people want fewer kids—or because they feel like they can’t afford them?In this episode, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt unpack the growing gap between “preference” and “choice” when it comes...
The Sneaky Tax Hike Nobody Voted For
Are provincial governments raising your taxes in secret? Economist Mike Moffatt and columnist Sabrina Maddeaux expose the hidden mechanism of bracket creep, a stealth tax increase impacting millions of Canadians.
How to Save $130,000 on Your New Home in Ontario
For years, the Missing Middle team has advocated for reducing the tax burden on new construction. With pre-construction sales down 95% in some GTA markets, the industry has hit a wall where it simply makes no financial sense to build.
The Inflation Number You Hear vs. The One You Feel
If inflation is only around 2–3%, why does everything feel so much more expensive?In this episode, we break down how inflation is actually measured, and why your personal experience can feel completely disconnected from the of...
Paige Saunders: Why the US and Canada are Trapped (and how New Zealand escaped)
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern sits down with YouTuber Paige Saunders to discuss the one structural glitch that is sabotaging Canada’s economy, healthcare, and housing market: our electoral system.While most d...
