The Missing Middle Podcast

Canada needs more housing, but building in existing neighbourhoods often faces strong local opposition. Could gentle density be a solution?
In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt discuss how infill housing, form-based zoning, and streamlined regulations could help Canada build more family-friendly homes while balancing concerns about neighbourhood character, infrastructure, parking, and density. They also examine multiplex debates in Toronto and Calgary, and whether zoning reform and condo rules are limiting new homeownership opportunities.
Topics covered:
What is gentle density?
Why Canada needs more family-friendly housing
The fight over multiplexes and infill housing
Toronto's sixplex debate
Calgary's citywide upzoning rollback
Form-based zoning explained
Zoning vs. building code
How standardized zoning could reduce red tape
Parking, infrastructure, and neighbourhood concerns
Creating more homeownership opportunities through gentle density
Condo regulations and small-scale housing
British Columbia's small-scale, multi-unit housing approach
What Oregon is doing differently
Should gentle density start with greenfield development?
Can gentle density overcome NIMBY and YIMBY opposition?

Chapters:
00:00 – Canada’s Housing Problem and the Case for Gentle Density
01:25 – The Three Ways Cities Can Build More Housing
03:00 – Why Multiplexes Face Local Opposition
04:35 – Toronto’s Controversial Station Road Eightplex
06:15 – Calgary’s Upzoning Rollback
07:30 – What Is Gentle Density?
08:20 – Objection #1: Buildings Are Too Tall
09:35 – Form-Based Zoning Explained
11:05 – Zoning vs. Building Codes
12:15 – Objection #2: Buildings Are Too Large
13:05 – Objection #3: Parking and Infrastructure
14:25 – Can Gentle Density Benefit Existing Homeowners?
16:10 – Tiny Homes and Pocket Neighbourhoods
17:25 – Does Density Mean More Rental Housing?
19:00 – Making Small-Scale Homeownership Easier
20:25 – What Canada Can Learn From B.C. and Oregon
21:45 – Where Should Gentle Density Start?
23:00 – Can Gentle Density Actually Get Political Support?
24:15 – NIMBYs vs. YIMBYs: Is Gentle Density Too Mild?
25:00 – Moving Beyond Arbitrary Unit Counts

Research/links:

MMI Gentle Density Report: https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/from-policy-gridlock-to-housing-growth 

NIMBYs will Fight Even the Gentlest of Density
https://youtu.be/6WavljFV7fM?si=geir1FhAbhdgliv_

Nightmare on Craven Road: When Local Politics Derail Citywide Housing Goals
https://youtu.be/qVQ4gQRnOss?si=RFywNBKZedLERiuj

2025 Statcan Study: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2025005/article/00003-eng.htm

2026 Statcan Study: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/46-28-0001/2026001/article/00002-eng.htm

Toronto:
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/04/22/etobicoke-eightplex-site-mimico-residents-developer-toronto/

Calgary:
https://calgary.citynews.ca/2026/04/22/calgary-federal-housing-funds/ 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Canada’s growing debt isn’t just a problem for governments; it could shape the future for younger generations.
Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt explore how government debt, Old Age Security (OAS), and spending choices shift wealth between generations. They discuss whether wealthy seniors should receive full OAS benefits and how younger Canadians may be paying more through higher taxes, housing costs, and rising debt.
While not all debt is harmful, borrowing for long-term investments like infrastructure, transit, housing, and energy can be beneficial, borrowing to sustain costly programs is more controversial and raises questions about long-term fiscal sustainability.
The key question: Is Canada placing too much of the financial burden on younger generations?
Topics covered:
• Canada’s rising public debt and interest costs
• Old Age Security (OAS) and wealthy seniors
• Intergenerational wealth transfers
• Why government debt is rarely fully “paid off”
• Infrastructure investment vs. program spending
• The Gordie Howe Bridge and public investment
• Inflation, money creation, and debt
• Housing, taxes, and affordability for younger Canadians
• OAS reform and fiscal trade-offs

Chapters:
01:28 OAS: The $100 Billion Problem Hiding in the Budget
02:09 Why Wealthy Seniors Still Get Old Age Security
03:28 When Government Debt Is Actually a Good Thing
05:29 Who Should Pay for Infrastructure That Lasts 100 Years?
06:00 The Gordie Howe Bridge and the Case for Government Debt
06:53 The Truth About How Government Debt Gets Paid Off
08:49 Why Canada’s Growing Debt Still Matters
09:16 How Government Debt Can Fuel Inflation
10:18 What Happens When Governments Can’t Borrow?
11:38 Why Deficits Are Especially Dangerous for OAS
12:08 Should Canada Cut Old Age Security?
13:10 Are Younger Canadians Giving Up on Canada?
13:58 There’s No Easy Way to Fix the Intergenerational Wealth Gap
14:55 Why Younger Canadians Want Lower Taxes
16:20 Why Tax Cuts Aren’t Fixing the Generational Divide
16:46 When Government Debt Makes Sense—and When It Doesn’t

Research/Links:
As Canada faces crippling debt, it must do the unpopular thing and cut elderly benefits
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-canada-debt-cut-elderly-benefits/
Scott Gallowy Short:
https://youtube.com/shorts/PAAbLq1bJY0?si=9-Z06rW1H8tiQW-k
Canadian taxpayers face up to $3,348 each in government debt interest
https://www.wealthprofessional.ca/news/industry-news/canadian-taxpayers-face-up-to-3348-each-in-government-debt-interest/392762
The Burdens of borrowing: Government debt and intergenerational fairness
https://www.if.org.uk/2025/01/28/the-burdens-of-borrowing-government-debt-and-intergenerational-fairness/

G7 debt is now a pressure point for anxious markets
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/g7-debt-is-now-pressure-point-anxious-markets-2025-06-03/
The evolution of federal debt interest costs in Canada
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/evolution-federal-debt-interest-costs-canada
Canada’s combined federal-provincial government debt estimated to surpass $2.4 trillion in 2025/26
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/growing-debt-burden-canadians-2026-edition
Intergenerational Injustice in Canadian Public Finance
https://www.gensqueeze.ca/intergenerational_injustice_in_canadian_public_finance

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Canada’s parental leave system was built for a workforce that no longer exists. As work and family life have changed, the policy hasn’t, leaving more parents without the support they need.

In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt examine why Canada's parental leave system is increasingly out of step with today's workforce. They discuss how rising housing costs, stagnant income replacement, contract work, and outdated Employment Insurance rules are making it harder for Canadians to start or grow their families.

The conversation explores why many parents, especially freelancers, self-employed workers, and those in the gig economy, struggle to qualify for benefits, how employer parental leave top-ups are disappearing, and what Canada can learn from Quebec's parental insurance plan and Finland's family-friendly reforms.

Topics covered:

Why Canada's fertility rate has reached a record low
How EI parental leave actually works
Why one-third of Canadian mothers don't qualify for paid parental leave
The financial reality of taking parental leave today
Housing costs and the affordability of raising children
Why freelancers, contractors, and gig workers are left behind
The decline of employer parental leave top-ups
Quebec's parental leave model and its impact on fertility
Finland's parental leave reforms and shared parenting
Policy reforms that could make it easier for Canadians to have the families they want

Chapters:

00:00 Why Canada's fertility rate hit a record low
00:49 How Canada's parental leave system actually works
02:42 Why Young Canadians Are Delaying Having Kids
04:18 The Hidden Financial Penalty of Parental Leave
06:32 Why 1 in 3 Mothers Can't Access Paid Leave
08:08 The Self-Employment Trap
10:02 Why Employer Parental Leave Benefits Are Shrinking
12:37 What Quebec Gets Right About Parental Leave
14:34 Finland's Family Policy Is Changing Fatherhood
16:28 How Canada Could Fix Parental Leave
 
Research links:

Statistics Canada -- Canada's total fertility rate reaches a new low in 2024:
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/9140-canadas-total-fertility-rate-reaches-new-low-2024

Statistics Canada -- The Daily: Fertility and baby names, 2024:
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250924/dq250924d-eng.htm

The Hub / Cardus -- Stop dismissing falling fertility rates as a choice (2.2 children wanted stat):
https://thehub.ca/2026/04/14/with-a-record-low-1-25-children-per-canadian-woman-stop-dismissing-falling-fertility-rates-as-a-choice/

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives -- Support for parents in a post-pandemic world (EI reform; replacement rate, eligibility threshold proposals):
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/support-for-parents-in-a-post-pandemic-world-options-for-enhancing-federal-maternity-and-parental-leave/

Policy Options / IRPP -- Parental leave benefits need to be more practical and equitable (1 in 4 self-employed stat; top-up decline):
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2024/05/parental-leave-equity/

PMC -- Policy and Fertility: A Case Study of the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (peer-reviewed; fertility lift estimates):
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11070327/

Yle News / Helsinki Times -- More fathers taking parental leave since Finland's 2022 law change:
https://yle.fi/a/74-20162964

Fast Company -- Deloitte and Zoom cut parental leave and other benefits:
https://www.fastcompany.com/91530300/deloitte-and-zoom-cut-parental-leave-and-other-benefits

PMC -- Reconceptualizing Parental Leave Benefits in COVID-19 Canada: 
From Employment Policy to Care Policy (EI vs QPIP comparison; self-employed eligibility history):
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8229861/
Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Many people assume Canada’s suburbs are destined to decline as Baby Boomers age and younger generations embrace urban living. But does the data actually support that?

In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt examine new Statistics Canada research on how immigrants’ housing choices evolve over time. While most newcomers begin as renters in urban centres, the data shows many transition into homeownership, including family-sized homes in the suburbs, as they build their lives in Canada.

They also test this prediction against several scenarios that could prove it wrong, including lower immigration, more family-sized housing in cities, rising emigration, and changing housing preferences.

Chapters:

00:00 Why Everyone Got the Future of the Suburbs Wrong
00:27 Do Immigrants Actually Want Suburban Homes?
01:54 Why Newcomers Rent First—Then Buy Houses
04:33 Are Immigrants Buying Condos or Single-Family Homes?
06:56 Why Immigration Policy Shapes Housing Demand
08:03 Will Baby Boomers Flood the Market With Homes?
09:13 What Could Kill Demand for the Canadian Suburb?
10:28 Could Better Cities Replace the Suburbs?
12:04 Will Young Canadians Leave Instead of Buying Homes?
13:09 Is the Dream of a House With a Backyard Dying?
14:21 Does Canada's Housing Market Still Attract Immigrants?
17:54 Why People Buy Homes Even When It's a Bad Investment
19:15 The Housing Lesson Policymakers Keep Missing

Research/links:

Housing use of immigrants and non-permanent residents in ownership and rental markets https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2025005/article/00003-eng.htm

The homeownership trajectories of recent immigrants
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/46-28-0001/2026001/article/00002-eng.htm

Credits:
Mike Moffatt 
https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt
https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social

Cara Stern 
https://x.com/carastern
https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social

Meredith Martin 
https://twitter.com/meredithmartin
https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social

Sean Foreman
@seanegertonforeman
https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social

Co-op Student
Kelly Hoban
Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Canada has spent decades trying to curb urban sprawl through policies like greenbelts, urban growth boundaries, and higher development charges, but what if those policies are having the opposite effect?

In this episode, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux examine the rise of "leapfrog development," where families priced out of cities move beyond growth boundaries into neighbouring communities, leading to longer commutes, higher infrastructure costs, and even more sprawl. They explore real-world examples from Ottawa, London, and the Greater Toronto Area, discuss the research behind these trends, and ask whether it's time to rethink how Canadian cities grow.

Topics covered:

Why urban growth boundaries were created
What leapfrog development is and why it matters
How greenbelts and development charges affect housing affordability
Why more families are moving outside city limits
The Ottawa and Carleton Place case study
Statistics Canada's commuting data and metro boundaries
The relationship between housing costs, commuting, and emissions
Why regional planning may work better than local planning
Can cities reduce sprawl without pricing families out?
Subscribe for more conversations on housing, affordability, economics, and public policy in Canada.
#Housing #Canada #UrbanPlanning #HousingCrisis #RealEstate #Affordability #Greenbelt #UrbanSprawl #PublicPolicy #MissingMiddle

Chapters:
00:00 Is the Greenbelt Actually Causing More Sprawl?
01:33 The "Strange Pattern" of Ontario's Development 
03:11 How StatsCan Defines Metro Boundaries 
05:07 The Rise of the "Commuter Village" 
07:59 What is "Leapfrog Development" & Why Boundaries Fail 
11:02 Why the Environmental Movement Refuses to Change Its Mind 
12:51 Anti-Sprawl Politics: Virtue Signaling vs. Real Outcomes 

Research:
Did Development Charges Cause Metro Ottawa to Grow by Over 1000km in Size?
https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/did-development-charges-cause-metro 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/