The Meritocracy Myth: Is Canada Still the Land of Opportunity?

Is Canada still a “land of opportunity,” or has your success become a function of who your parents are?In this segment, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt dive into the uncomfortable reality of meritocracy in Canada. While Boomers largely believe hard work still pays off, Millennials and Gen Z are seeing a different story. We break down the latest Ipsos polling data and Statistics Canada research that shows social mobility is eroding.From the "Housing Theory of Everything" to the widening gap between equal opportunity and equal outcomes, we explore why the rules of the game have changed, and what we need to fix to make Canada fair again.Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:46 Defining Meritocracy1:12 Is Canada a Meritocracy? 02:41 Measuring Meritocracy Income and Polls04:23 Generational Divide in Ipsos Poll05:54 Fairness Equal Opportunity vs Outcomes07:15 Economists on Eroding Social Mobility09:07 Increasing Distrust in Institutions & Distrust of Politicians09:47 Changing Minds Understanding New Realities11:13 Housing Crisis and Social Mobility12:45 The Role of Effort combined with EnvironmentResearch/links:Generational Disconnect In Canada Ipsos Equalities Index 2025 - A 31-country Global Advisor Studyhttps://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/publication/documents/2025-08/generational-disconnect-in-Canada.pdfTrends in Intergenerational Income Mobility and Income Inequality in CanadaTrends in Intergenerational Income Mobility and Income Inequality in CanadaInternational Fairness Day 2024: Canada’s commitment to fairness for every generation is more than an empty slogan – but it’s not yet a realityhttps://www.if.org.uk/2024/11/18/international-fairness-day-2024-canadas-commitment-to-fairness-for-every-generation-is-more-than-an-empty-slogan-but-its-not-yet-a-reality/A retreat from opportunity: Is the Canadian dream still alive?https://thehub.ca/2025/11/10/deepdive-a-retreat-from-opportunity-is-the-canadian-dream-still-alive/Intergenerational income mobility in Canada: Research highlights from two recent studieshttps://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2023012/article/00001-eng.htmHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina MaddeauxProduced by Meredith MartinFunded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/