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PODCAST

The Missing Middle Podcast

Cara Stern, Mike Moffatt, and Meredith Martin

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.

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All Episodes

17:49

The Giant Planning Error That Destroyed Housing Supply

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/03/06

For decades, housing planners have assumed that seniors would eventually downsize, freeing up family homes for the next generation. But that hasn’t happened. In this episode, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt explore why most seniors choose to stay in their homes and why that decision is often perfectly rational. High moving costs, limited housing options, strong community ties, and government policies that encourage aging in place all make downsizing far less appealing than planners expected. This...

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17:43

If We’re Not in a Recession… Why Does It Feel Like One?

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/03/04

If Canada isn’t in a recession, why does it feel like one for so many Canadians? In this episode of Classonomics from The Missing Middle, hosts Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt dig into one of the biggest contradictions in today’s economy. On paper, everything looks great. GDP is growing. Corporate profits are strong. Stock markets are hitting record highs. Yet, for millions of Canadians, life feels harder than ever. Food bank usage has doubled since 2019. Young people can’t afford homes in ...

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15:43

Is “Buying Canadian” Actually a Luxury for the Rich?

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/02/27

Is boycotting American products a patriotic duty, or a luxury belief most Canadians can’t afford? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt unpack the growing generational divide in Canada, and why older Canadians are far more likely to boycott U.S. products, while younger Canadians are stuck navigating a brutal affordability crisis. After a winter storm destroyed his car, Mike shares why he chose a Canadian-assembled vehicle, and how that decision sparked a bigger ...

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18:44

You’re “Middle Class” on Paper. So Why Do You Feel...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/02/25

If $130,000 is the new poverty line… what does that make you? In this episode of Classonomics, we tackle the viral argument that the middle class isn’t struggling — it’s being mismeasured. On paper, incomes are up and unemployment is low. So why does it feel harder than ever to afford a home, raise kids, or even stand still? We break down the hidden costs of economic participation, from housing and childcare to smartphones and “technological coercion”. We also examine the rise of the two-inco...

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23:34

The Disappearing "Third Place": Why Making Friends Is...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/02/20

Why is it so hard to make friends once you leave school? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt dive into the "Loneliness Epidemic" and the disappearing concept of the Third Place – those vital social hubs that aren't home (the first place) or work (the second place). From the 1980s mall culture and bowling alleys to the modern era of "convenience-first" coffee shops and endless doomscrolling, we explore why 60% of Canadians feel disconnected from their communitie...

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15:42

The Hidden Job Market Crisis No One Is Talking About

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/02/18

The unemployment rate says everything is fine. So why does finding a job feel impossible? Canada has added nearly 200,000 jobs and unemployment sits around 6.5%. On paper, that’s a “normal” economy. But talk to young workers, or anyone trying to switch jobs, and you’ll hear a very different story: hundreds of applications, zero callbacks, and months of silence. In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down the hidden story behind the headlines. They explain why...

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36:04

Why Canadian Transit is Failing Families (and How to...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/02/13

Does having a baby mean you're officially "car-dependent"? In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern and Reece Martin, of @RMTrasit, tackle the reality of navigating Canadian cities with kids. While many parents are told that a private vehicle is the only safe or convenient way to get around, Cara and Reece explore why our transit systems often fail families – and how we can fix them. From the "elevator roulette" at subway stations to the hidden costs of car ownership, we’re breaking do...

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22:47

Why Risky Bets Are Rational in a Housing Crisis

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/02/11

Your 20s: risky bets, crypto hype, and meme stocks. 🎲 Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt explain why being priced out of a home is turning saving into gambling — and why young men are taking the biggest swings. In this episode of The Missing Middle – Classonomics, we unpack why a generation priced out of housing is turning to meme stocks, crypto, and online sports betting instead of traditional saving. Mike and Sabrina explore how the “gamification” of investing on your phone blurs the line

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19:48

AI is Killing Entry-Level Jobs: The 13% Drop Nobody...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/02/06

Yesterday, Bank of Canada governor Tiff Mackem warned that early evidence shows AI is reducing the number of entry-level jobs available. Are we heading toward a future of mass unemployment, or is AI just the latest "calculator" to change how we work? Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt dive deep into the data behind AI's impact on demographics and the workforce. While Mike leans into historical optimism, Cara brings the receipts: a recent Stanford study showing a 13% drop in employment for youn...

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25:11

Why Condos Are Trapping a Whole Generation

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/02/04

Canada’s housing ladder is broken. In this episode of Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt explain why the starter home no longer works and how an entire generation has been locked out of moving up. They compare buying a detached home in 2004 for $168,000 with today’s reality, where condos fail as a first step and buyers are trapped with no clear path forward. The conversation explores how this breakdown affects family formation, careers, ambition, and Canada’s economic future.= ...

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26:01

Canada’s Demographic Time Bomb: What Boom, Bust &...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/01/30

Canada’s housing crisis. Youth unemployment. Immigration debates. A broken healthcare system. What if we told you a book published in 1996 predicted almost all of it? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt revisit the Canadian classic Boom, Bust & Echo to explore how demographics, especially the aging of the baby boomers, reshaped Canada’s economy, housing market, job prospects, and public policy. We break down: • Why youth unemployment was a policy choice • Ho...

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24:41

These Changes Can Help Make Homes Affordable for...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/01/28

In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux dig into why homeownership for Canadians under 40 has fallen off a cliff. Spoiler: it’s not just zoning, NIMBYs, or avocado toast. The federal government plays a much bigger role in today’s housing mess than it likes to admit. They break down how rapid population growth collided with a massive slowdown in building family-sized homes, why “dog-crate condos” became the default housing plan, and how taxes, development cha...

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23:16

You’ll Own Nothing and Be Happy: Is That Our Future?

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/01/23

Do you actually own the things you pay for anymore? In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, economist Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern explore how ownership is quietly disappearing from everyday life—and what that means for consumers, younger generations, and the economy as a whole. From streaming services and digital books to video games, cars, exercise bikes, and even housing, more and more products are shifting from one-time purchases to subscription-based access. While these models offe...

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22:38

The Hidden Tax on City Living: How Crime and Disorder...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/01/21

From breath mints and car break-ins to bouncers at the Rogers store, urban life is starting to feel a lot more “on alert.” In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux examine the rise of crime and disorder in our cities, as well as the disturbing data behind transit violence. However, this isn’t just about safety; it’s about the future of our neighbourhoods. If people don’t feel safe on the streetcar or the sidewalk, can we ever truly build the dense, walkable, “m...

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24:06

How Birth Year Shapes Your Economic Future

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/01/16

From avocado toast jokes to accusations of entitlement, every generation seems to get its turn in the stereotype spotlight. In this episode of The Missing Middle, economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern dig into where these labels come from — and, more importantly, whether generations really do experience the economy differently. They explore how major historical shocks — from the Great Depression and World War II to 9/11, the Great Recession, and the pandemic — shape our values, a...

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33:18

Did the Greenbelt Break Ontario’s Housing System?

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/01/14

Ontario’s Greenbelt is often treated as untouchable — but is it actually making the housing crisis worse?In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux tackle the question viewers keep asking: can Ontario build enough family-friendly homes without touching the Greenbelt — and what happens if it doesn’t? They unpack how the Greenbelt was sold as a social contract, why governments never delivered the missing middle housing they promised, and how policies meant to stop ...

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31:20

Ask Me Anything: Housing, Transit, and Our Podcast’s...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2026/01/07

In this special Ask Me Anything episode of The Missing Middle, the full team answers your biggest viewer questions on housing, transit, immigration, and affordability — and we share a major announcement about the future of the podcast. We also introduce our newest team member and talk candidly about why this work hits close to home for so many Canadians. The conversation dives into walkable neighbourhoods and small businesses, why governments struggle to act on housing affordability, the ta...

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11:39

Fixing Canada’s Health Data Rules Without Killing...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2025/12/17

Is Canada’s life sciences and health tech sector heading toward a code red? In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt unpack how outdated and fragmented privacy laws are slowing innovation, and why aligning too closely with European regulations could make things even worse. They explore the “Brussels effect,” where the EU’s regulatory power shapes rules far beyond Europe, and how Canada may already be feeling its impact. The conversation dives into why modern health innovation depe...

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23:23

Grading Provinces on Housing: Who Earned an A and Who...

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2025/12/12

In this episode of the Missing Middle, hosts Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt break down his latest “home score” report, grading every Canadian province on housing. Atlantic provinces like New Brunswick and P.E.I. lead the way, while Ontario struggles, with high costs forcing young people to stay home longer and many residents moving away. The grades are based on 36 indicators covering supply, affordability, suitability, and societal outcomes. Mike also explores housing policies that help, harm, o...

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18:21

Are We Ignoring a Generation of Struggling Young Men?

The Missing Middle Podcast ·

2025/12/10

In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down a major shift in Canada’s income trends: men over retirement age are now earning more than men aged 25–34. They explain how seniors’ incomes have increased through pensions, investments, and government supports, while younger workers face slow wage growth, higher living costs, and inflation. The discussion explores key issues affecting younger generations in Canada, including housing affordability, chi...

en-ca

158 results

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