The Missing Middle Podcast

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 suppl...

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 housin...

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...

Happy Canada Day! In this special Canada Day episode of The Missing Middle Podcast , the team takes a break from focusing on Canada's challenges to share what makes them optimistic about the country's future. From housing reforms and immigration to education, community, nature, and Canadian values, each member reflects on what they love most about Canada and why they remain hopeful. Topi...

For years, Canada's housing strategy focused on increasing the number of housing units built. But even during periods of record apartment construction, family-sized homes became increasingly scarce. In this episode of the Demografix, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern unpack a major problem hidden inside Canada's housing statistics: the country is building fewer family-sized homes than it did 2...

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here and Canada is on a roll! But as the excitement builds on the pitch, we're asking the tough questions: will this massive event actually deliver the economic win that was promised? In this episode, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux dive into the real costs of hosting the world's biggest party. They break down the billion-dollar price tags, FIFA'...

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 for the next 3.5 decades? This week on DemograFix, Mike and Cara dive into the idea of “housing triage”: should governments focus on ending homelessness...

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 and rising vacancy rates to investor selloffs, rent control, and the political fallout surrounding B.C.’s controversial Cowichan land title ruling. They also...

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 of immigration, population growth, housing supply, and changing housing preferences in shaping Canada's future. Topics Covered: • Baby Boomers and the...

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 special guest Ron Butler unpack why young families are leaving Toronto, how policy failures created a city of “dog crate” condos and unaffordable homes, and what...

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 volunteering to neighbourhood pubs, churches, and “third spaces,” they explore why strong communities don’t happen automatically, how urban design shapes social connecti...

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, Sabrina Maddeaux and Cara Stern answer audience questions on housing affordability, immigration, downsizing, social isolation, wage stagnation, the Greenbelt, and...

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 fewer of them? In this episode of DemograFix, ⁠Mike Moffatt and ⁠Cara Stern break down the data behind Canada’s collapsing birth rate. They explore why more wom...

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 break down Canada’s capital gains exemption on primary residences, why it exists, why politicians are terrified to touch it, and whether it’s contributing to skyroc...

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 financial information to tailor prices specifically to you. In this episode, Cara Stern talks with Vass Bednar, managing director of the Canadian Shield Institute and auth...

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, how sovereign wealth funds work, and why comparisons to Norway’s famous $2 trillion oil fund may not tell the full story. They explore whether debt-financed inf...

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 Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) , to unpack what Ontario’s new development charge reforms mean for homebuyers, builders, and municipalities – and what still n...

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 to the United States and the shocking proposal that young people who leave should pay a $500,000 exit fee. They dig into what’s really driving this trend: unaffordable ho...

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 skyrocketing housing costs to rising taxes and massive government spending on programs like Old Age Security (OAS), the financial pressure on younger Canadians has nev...

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 Canada’s immigration system. With over 153,000 potentially non-compliant students flagged and little follow-up from authorities, this isn’t just a bureaucratic slip-u...

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 behind the pushback, and are YIMBYs losing the as-of-right fight? In this segment, we break down: Why cities are rejecting upzoning after agreeing to it What...

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 to the Liberals’ unexpected dominance. Is Carney delivering where it counts? We grade the government’s performance across the issues that matter most to Canadians:...

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 affordability, housing, and the economy dominating attention, it’s easy to think climate action has fallen off the radar. But the data tells a more complicated story. I...

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 first meaningful relief for tenants in years. They explore why an influx of new housing and slower population growth are pushing rents down, and what that reveals about how housin...

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 from 5th to 25th. In this episode, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern break down what’s driving the decline — from housing affordability and falling “option freedom” to e...