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

Mar 20, 2026

15:35

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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 Introduction

00:46 Defining Meritocracy

1:12 Is Canada a Meritocracy?

02:41 Measuring Meritocracy Income and Polls

04:23 Generational Divide in Ipsos Poll

05:54 Fairness Equal Opportunity vs Outcomes

07:15 Economists on Eroding Social Mobility

09:07 Increasing Distrust in Institutions & Distrust of Politicians

09:47 Changing Minds Understanding New Realities

11:13 Housing Crisis and Social Mobility

12:45 The Role of Effort combined with Environment