Some of the most complex developments of 2021 necessitated deep dives and investigative reporting
- by The Walrus StaffThe Walrus Staff Updated 9:41, Dec. 30, 2021 | Published 8:49, Dec. 28, 2021This article was published over a year ago. Some information may no longer be current.
Complex topics require a bit more breathing room and extra space to explore. This year, The Walrus published a number of deep dives: extensive features that investigated everything from immigration to medical mysteries to animal smuggling.
These meticulously reported long reads feature many different voices and, in some cases, travel across international borders. While many of these stories have global ramifications, others unpack how major Canadian institutions—be they a national police force or a provincial government—operate. Each piece is an opportunity to delve into some of the most pressing issues of the year.
These are the big-picture conversations we were having this year.
“My feature on international students is online. It’s a wide-ranging look at a massive, under-examined industry, following students from rural India, through the unregulated world of education agents, to the colleges that increasingly depend on their fees.” – @nickhunebrown READ THE FULL THREAD HERE
“Questions of accountability, timeliness, sensitivity to victims, and the RCMP’s ability to work well with other police forces have come up over and over. How has the force evolved over its nearly 150 years of existence?” – @thewalrus READ THE FULL THREAD HERE
“In September 2019, the RCMP arrested one of its own: Cameron Ortis. The arrest was the end of a mole hunt inside the upper echelons of Canadian national security that led to the country’s most senior intelligence official.” – @thewalrus READ THE FULL THREAD HERE
“What happens when you’re one of the few making a call for change? Particularly when you are coming from a community that is not represented, or misrepresented. When you criticize the system you work in there is tension, apprehension, courage. – @Nanaaba” READ THE FULL THREAD HERE
“For the past several years, a medical mystery has gripped New Brunswick. The symptoms, terrifying and incapacitating, appear to be expressions of a sickness with no name and no known provenance. So what is being done about it? ” – @thewalrus READ THE FULL THREAD HERE
“Deepan Budlakoti was born in Canada in 1989 and was automatically granted citizenship by the ‘law of soil.’ When Canada eventually learned that his parents worked for India’s diplomatic staff, they refused to recognize his birthright citizenship.” – @thewalrus READ THE FULL THREAD HERE
“Canada has one of the most complex immigration systems in the world. A radical policy innovation has been moving #immigration decisions away from the federal government and into the hands of locals, writes @ktoughill.” – @thewalrus READ THE FULL THREAD HERE
BY THE WALRUS EVENTS AND INNOVATIVE MEDICINES CANADA
@TheWalrus on Twitter
“Why don’t we have Covid-19 vaccine production in Canada? @pcfralick asserts decades of policy decisions have not encouraged the sector to thrive. There has not been an ideal relationship between Big Pharma and the federal government to work toward common objectives.” – @thewalrus READ THE FULL THREAD HERE
The Walrus uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Learn more or change your cookie preferences.
20 years ago, I came across a magazine with a striking cover photo of a harbourfront. The headline grabbed my attention: “Inside Paul Martin’s Empire.” He had just become our prime minister, so what better way to educate myself? It turns out the magazine I brought home that day was a copy of the first ever issue of The Walrus.
Two decades have passed since then. The world has changed, but I know one thing remains constant: every time The Walrus lands in my mailbox, I know I’m in for a stimulating and absorbing intellectual trek. I donate to The Walrus to ensure they continue to keep the conversation in Canada fresh and interesting without lowering the bar. Consider doing the same if you also believe in this kind of work.
Hey, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed these stories.
Before you go, did you know that The Walrus is a registered charity? We rely on donations and support from readers like you to keep our journalism independent and freely available online.
When you donate to The Walrus, you’re helping writers, editors, and artists produce stories like the ones you’ve just read. Every story is meticulously researched, written, and edited, before undergoing a rigorous fact-checking process. These stories take time, but they’re worth the effort, because you leave our site better informed about Canada and its people.
If you’d like to ensure we continue creating stories that matter to you, with a level of accuracy you can trust, please consider becoming a supporter of The Walrus. I know it’s tough out there with inflation and rising costs, but good journalism affects us as well, so I don’t ask this lightly.
Will you join us in keeping independent journalism free and available to all?
With thanks, Claire Cooper Managing Editor, The Walrus