Society | The Walrus

Illustration of a doctor opening the door of a hospital so an elderly woman, pulling a suitcase, can walk outside. Beyond the door is a brightly-coloured village.

May 2020 / Society

Dementia Care Gets Its Own Village

May 11, 2020May 11, 2020 - by Karin Olafson

Inside a new housing model for managing mental decline—one that prioritizes patient autonomy

Illustration of two bottles of bleach with large red X's behind them and yellow letters saying, in all capitals, "DO NOT DRINK." The background is turquoise blue.

COVID-19 / Health

Don’t Drink the Bleach

April 29, 2020May 1, 2020 - by Justin Ling

Medical scams are bad enough in ordinary situations. During a pandemic, they can be deadly

Psychedelic-style illustration of a man wearing a white coat and large goggles to protect his eyes. In the goggles' reflection, we see two hands pouring brightly-coloured material from one into the other. His hair is a spectrum of brightly-coloured waves.

Health / May 2020

Why It’s So Hard to Legalize Recreational Drugs

April 28, 2020June 10, 2020 - by Jonah Brunet

Scientists believe that newly invented psychoactive substances might have untapped health benefits. Too bad none of us will ever get to try them

A black and white photo of a row of four empty phones mounted on a chain-link fence.

COVID-19 / Justice

Social Distancing Is Impossible in Prisons. Why Are They Still Full?

April 27, 2020May 12, 2020 - by Simon Lewsen

Bail courts have gone virtual and trials are suspended. But prisons, which pose a severe public health risk, are still open

Photograph of a young black girl sleeping at her desk in a classroom.

First Person

Race Is a Story and No Single Narrative Defines Me

April 23, 2020 - by Tessa McWatt

In a Toronto classroom, I was forced to confront how language makes one person “other” to the next

Society

Sex Ed Failed Me. Then I Was Hired to Sell Vibrators

April 20, 2020May 7, 2020 - by J. A. Cameron

Lovecraft, one of Canada’s first sex-positive stores, transformed the conversation around sexual health

Illustration of a dark haired woman, crouching to pet a rooster. Around her are two other chickens.

First Person / May 2020

We Turned Our Pet Chickens Into Dinner

April 17, 2020 - by Yasuko Thanh

First we bonded over our unusual pets. Then we bonded over butchering them

A kaleidoscopic oil painting composed of green leaves and red flower petals.

First Person / Society

Taking Hallucinogens with My Mom

April 14, 2020April 16, 2020 - by Rachel Matlow

When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, she didn’t want chemo. Instead, she tried every other potion under the sun

Health

Record of a Pandemic

April 7, 2020August 6, 2020 - by The Walrus Staff

COVID-19 has transformed our world. The Walrus explores these changes and asks what comes next

An illustration of a woman, sitting at a window inside an apartment. In front of her is a laptop with an open window that says "stay home." Outside the window is a park and a block of buildings, in which people socialize, picnic, play basketball, and talk, not bothering to maintain any physical distancing measures.

COVID-19 / First Person / Society

Family on the Front Lines of a Pandemic

April 7, 2020June 27, 2020 - by Judy Ziyi Gu

Until my uncle was sent to care for patients in Wuhan, the outbreak didn’t feel real to me. If only we had all paid attention sooner