John Macfarlane | The Walrus
Skip to content

The Walrus

Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation

The Walrus
  • Support The Walrus
  • Subscribe to The Walrus
    • Renew your subscription
    • Get our latest issue
    • Give a gift subscription
  • Sections
    • Who We Are Now
    • Environment
    • Current Affairs
    • Society
    • Health
    • Business
    • Technology
    • Arts & Culture
    • Fiction
    • Poetry
    • Memoir
  • Events
    • The Walrus Gala 2023
    • The Walrus Events
    • The Walrus Talks Video Room
    • The Walrus Leadership Forums
  • The Walrus Lab
    • Amazon Canada First Novel Award
    • Media Kit
    • What We Do
    • Our Projects
    • The Insider newsletter
  • Podcasts
    • The Deep Dive
    • The Conversation Piece
    • Canadian Time Machine
    • Let's Talk About the Internet
    • Bandwidth
    • What About Water
    • Courage Inc.
  •   Newsletters
  •   About The Walrus
  • Shop The Walrus
Menu
  • Sections

    Business

    Environment

    Society

    Politics

    Arts & Culture

    Health

    Fiction

    Poetry

    Memoir

    Technology

    Current Affairs

    Special Series

    Who We Are Now

    Teen Walrus

    Hope You're Well

    For the Love of the Game

    More Special Series ⇒

    NEWSLETTERS

    Weekly Newsletter

    The Events Newsletter

    The Walrus Lab Insider Newsletter

    ANNUAL REPORT

    Subscribe

    Get our latest issue:
    The cover for the September/October 2023 issue of The Walrus. Cover artwork: A collage made up of a man's silhouette, a hand giving a tarot reading, a torn envelope, and smoke. Cover lines: A legendary psychic. Forged letters. A $200 million con. Inside the greatest scam ever written. By Rachel Browne.'
    Read past issuesSubscribe to The Walrus magazineRenew or Gift a subscriptionChange your address

    Events

    The Walrus Gala 2023

    The Walrus Talks

    The Walrus Leadership Forum

    The Walrus Talks Video Room

    PODCASTS

    The Deep Dive

    The Conversation Piece

    Canadian Time Machine

    Let's Talk About the Internet

    What About Water

    Bandwidth

    Courage Inc.

    The Walrus Lab

    Amazon Canada First Novel Award

    What We Do

    Our Services

    Our Projects

    The Insider Newsletter

    SHOP THE WALRUS

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
The Walrus

John Macfarlane

John Macfarlane is the editor and co-publisher of The Walrus.
Illustration by Kellen Hatanaka
March 2015 / Media

Editor’s Note

February 12, 2015April 10, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

I signed on for six months but stayed six years because I believed in the project and enjoyed the work. As I take my leave, I want to introduce Jonathan …

Read More
Illustration by Pascal Colpron
January/February 2015 / Media

Editor’s Note

December 15, 2014April 13, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

These are troubled times for North American journalism. The organizations that fund most of it—newspapers, magazines, and radio and television networks—are distressed. The business model that made them so profitable …

Read More
Illustration by Jesse Jacobs
December 2014 / Media

Editor’s Note

November 17, 2014April 13, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

The Walrus Foundation’s mission statement asserts that our mandate is to promote debate on matters vital to Canadians. This magazine is one way we do it—but it is only one. …

Read More
Logo for The Walrus
November 2014 / Society

Editor’s Note

October 15, 2014April 13, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

Earlier this year, the Fraser Institute, a Vancouver think tank, published a study that claims Canadians spend more on taxes than on all other household necessities combined. Its authors, economists …

Read More
An old cover of The Walrus with an illustrated drawer of things
October 2014 / Politics

Editor’s Note

September 15, 2014July 1, 2016 - by John Macfarlane

In a year—or less, depending on the wishes of the prime minister—Canada will hold a federal election. While the outcome is far from certain, it seems unlikely that any party …

Read More
Illustration by Jeannie Phan
September 2014 / Sports

Editor’s Note

August 18, 2014April 14, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

I was never much of an athlete. I used to think my problem was talent, but what I really lacked was commitment. I’d have been better at sports if I’d …

Read More
A drawing of a woman with floral patterns around her
Business / July/August 2014

Editor’s Note

June 16, 2014April 14, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

The first fishermen to employ nets were soon followed by others, and likewise the first farmers to fertilize their fields. Humans are by nature copycats, driven by self-interest to emulate …

Read More
The Walrus (Volume 11, Number 5)
June 2014 / Media

Editor’s Note

May 19, 2014April 14, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

Until recently, reinventing the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation seemed merely desirable. Now it’s imperative. The public broadcaster is struggling to stay afloat in the face of a perfect storm: ongoing cuts …

Read More
An old cover of "The Walrus" with a man an illustrated laughing man
May 2014 / Media

Editor’s Note

April 14, 2014April 14, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

Some of you may disagree, but I for one welcome the return of Frank magazine, which ceased publication after nineteen years in 2008. Satire is in short supply in Canada. …

Read More
A cover of an old issue of The Walrus
April 2014 / Environment

Editor’s Note

March 17, 2014April 14, 2020 - by John Macfarlane

In Joseph Boyden’s novel The Orenda, there’s a moment when a Jesuit missionary tries to explain the Christian concept of God to a dozen Hurons huddled in a longhouse near …

Read More

Posts navigation

1 2 … 6 Next

Our Latest Issue

The cover for the September/October 2023 issue of The Walrus. Cover artwork: A collage made up of a man's silhouette, a hand giving a tarot reading, a torn envelope, and smoke. Cover lines: A legendary psychic. Forged letters. A $200 million con. Inside the greatest scam ever written. By Rachel Browne. 2023 Sep/Oct Issue
The greatest scam ever written, the war on cancer, the pursuit of perfect skin, and more!

Part of The Trust Project

Read more about The Trust Project and how this article fits in it

Part of The Trust Project

The Trust Project is a collaboration among news organizations around the world. Its goal is to create strategies that fulfill journalism’s basic pledge: to serve society with a truthful, intelligent and comprehensive account of ideas and events.

Learn more.
Behind The Story

The Walrus newsletter
Don’t miss the journalism you deserve. Get The Walrus newsletter.
View all newsletters >>

Walrus logo with tusks and Canada's Conversation

​​The Walrus sparks conversations about Canada and its place in the world through our award-winning independent journalism, fact checking, events, podcasts, and content solutions. The Walrus is a registered charity with an educational mandate.
Read more on our About Us page.

About The Walrus

  • About Us
  • Our Staff
  • Contact
  • Submissions
  • Careers & Fellowships
  • Advertise with us
The Walrus

About The Walrus

About Us Our Staff Contact Us Careers & Fellowships Submissions Advertise with Us

Events

Get Tickets The Walrus Talks The Walrus Gala Get in Touch

Subscribe

Customer Care Purchase a Subscription Renew Your Subscription Newsletters Shop The Walrus Store

Podcasts

Articles The Conversation Piece The Walrus Podcasts

The Walrus Lab

Amazon Canada First Novel Award Content Services Podcast Services Our Clients Get in Touch

Follow Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram TikTok LinkedIn

Support independent Canadian reporting and storytelling

The Walrus
Accessibility Help Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.
Learn more >>

© 2023 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved.
Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001

© 2023 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved. Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001
Accessibility Help Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Subscribe

  • Magazine Subscription
  • Weekly Newsletter
  • Events Newsletter
  • The Walrus Lab Newsletter
  • The Conversation Piece Podcast

More

  • The Walrus Talks @Home
  • The Walrus Books
  • The Walrus Podcasts
  • Magazine Archives
  • Policies and Standards
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
© 2023 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved.
Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001

​​The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

The Walrus uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Learn more or change your cookie preferences.

×

Here’s why Nick supports The Walrus

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.

Headshot of Nick Yeo

With thanks,
Nick Yeo
Reader, Toronto

Or make a one-time donation for the year

×

Our stories are rigorously fact-checked, thanks to readers like you.

Did you know it can take more than 20 hours to fact-check a feature at The Walrus? That’s because our team verifies each and every statement in a given story, not just the ones that look suspicious or require new reporting. The fact-checking team reaches out to interviewed sources and relevant experts and consults gathered research to get all the facts straight.

This is what sets The Walrus apart from many other journalism organizations, which are often battling the fast-paced demands of the modern 24/7 digital newscape. But our measured, thoughtful, and methodical fact checking wouldn’t be possible without the support of readers like you.

Make a donation to The Walrus today to support the important work of our fact checkers. Your gift will ensure we can continue to provide trusted independent Canadian reporting and storytelling for many years to come.

Headshot of Claire Cooper

With thanks,
Claire Cooper
Managing Editor, The Walrus

Or make a one-time donation for the year

×