On May 26, Alberta signalled its entry into the book-banning business. Here, Ira Wells unpacks how the government is determining what books should be allowed in school libraries and the consequences of sanitizing what students read:

What does it mean to be Canadian in the shadow of a powerful neighbour?. The Baldwin Collection of Canadiana offers a glimpse into how Canadian identity has transformed since shedding British control and navigating American economic pressures.

We have a crisis in Canadian history, one fuelled in part by our national archives. Author and lawyer @MarkBourrie reports on the secrecy, delays, and underfunding plaguing Library and Archives Canada, and what it means for our collective memory:.

“Banning books won’t preserve childhood innocence,” writes Ira Wells. It will, however, rob young people of enriching stories and teach others that censorship is the solution to ideas you find challenging or contrary to your personal values.

"As a sentiment and a commitment, it’s important to examine and understand nationalism since it’s also a kind of currency that can be spent, or a force that can be mobilized, and not necessarily for good," writes @David_Moscrop.

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Over the course of 2024, Luc Rinaldi asked a wide array of artists, label heads, and industry executives: what can possibly restore music’s middle class? He heard one answer more than any other: the government should introduce universal basic income.

The RCMP has long been adept at hiding behind the red serge to protect individual officers from facing accountability, says Paul Palango. The consequences: a police force less than the sum of its parts.

“I don’t inherently hate ads. I hate being constantly bombarded with them.”. As companies capitalize on Canada’s nationalist sentiment, @David_Moscrop questions whether Canadians realize they are being sold a manufactured sense of belonging.

For Maia Wyman, understanding romantic loss as a form of grief came with the acceptance that the experience may be traumatic. Knowing that memories can be torture during a breakup, she wondered: “If I had the opportunity to forget him, would I take it?”

Canada’s attempt to shape its identity didn’t begin with recent threats of annexation but rather the First World War. Writer @arthurdhamdani uncovers how wartime cultural campaigns were instrumental in efforts to assert economic independence:

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The rise in nationalist sentiment since Donald Trump’s inauguration has been extraordinary. One of @David_Moscrop’s takeaways? The nationalist ad frenzy that ensued has proven that just about anything can—and will—be hijacked and commodified for profit.

Inside the latest edition of The Walrus Reads: fast bills, fake studies, and funny bones.

“The once-mighty CAQ and once-beloved Legault are on the verge of an electoral wipeout,” writes poll analyst @338Canada. “They have one year to prove the (many) doubters wrong.”

Tucked inside a library are the remnants of the Baldwin Collection of Canadiana. In this visual essay, @arthurdhamdani highlights the ads, posters, and other ephemera that capture the evolution of Canadian identity:

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Reeling from the aftermath of a failed relationship, watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind reminded writer Maia Wyman of what love felt like and allowed her to sit in her sadness.

“Be SURE your money goes into Canadian pockets.”. These words sound like a response to the threats posed by Donald Trump this year, but they were printed more than a century ago. @arthurdhamdani traces the history of the “buy Canadian” movement:

Looking for something to do this weekend? The new crossword from The Walrus Games is up. Tell us how you did.