I recently watched the charming Canadian rom-com film Young Werther and was dazzled by its bold, romantic shots of Toronto, casting familiar landmarks in a glamorous light. Every time I see the talented actress Alison Pill, who stars in the movie, I wonder why she isn’t more of a celebrity in Canada. |
I could say the same thing about many brilliant Canadian actors and singers who don’t get the recognition they deserve. Maybe it’s a symptom of a Canadian self-deprecation syndrome? Or maybe we lack confidence in our ability to assess quality without an American stamp of approval?
Tonya Williams, a Canadian actress and producer, thinks there are systemic reasons baked into our film and TV industry that explain why Canadians are lousy at championing homegrown talent. She lays it all out in an opinion piece for Maclean’s. The good news, she says, is that it’s fixable, provided key players make the effort: “Let’s leverage this time of renewed nationalism and create a much-needed star system in our screen industry.” Visit macleans.ca for more coverage of everything that matters in Canada, and subscribe to the magazine here. —Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief, Maclean’s |
In 2019, newcomer Smriti Pratishruti left her job and founded PawzNDogz, with a focus on selling snuffle mats for dogs. Starting from scratch was terrifying—but that turned out to be the easy part. Most of their products are made in China and, until recently, a significant chunk of revenue came from the U.S. “I thought launching a business in a new country would be the hardest part,” Pratishruti writes in this essay for Maclean’s. “It turns out navigating these tariffs might be even worse.” |
When Shaw Festival executive director Tim Jennings opened the season this year, he had no idea what to expect. Shaw is located a stone’s throw from the U.S. border, and tourists make up nearly all of the festival’s audience. He’s noticed a change in American visitors. “Every conversation with them includes apologies for their government or questions about how Canadians feel about them,” Jennings writes. “This summer feels like an inflection point for trust.” |
Sharif Virani is the head of growth at Real Life Robotics, based in Waterloo, Ontario. He predicts that, in the near future, delivery robots will help move goods around Canada's cities, especially in smaller neighbourhoods and urban settings with high walkability scores. The hope is that bots will offer small-business owners a low-cost courier alternative. “Automated delivery isn’t a cute gimmick,” writes Virani in this essay for Maclean’s. “It can have a tangible economic impact at a time when small-business owners sorely need it.” |
Roberta Olsen runs what may be Canada’s homiest restaurant. Keenawai’s Kitchen is located in Olsen’s own house in Skidegate, a small community on the remote eastern shore of Haida Gwaii. Olsen, who is now 84 years old, grew up nearby, raised as a food gatherer along with her three siblings. The Haida are traditionally an oceangoing culture, closely connected to the waters surrounding Haida Gwaii, and her family spent summers gathering food from across the archipelago in her father’s small boat. Olsen serves dishes drawn from those same waters. The offerings change depending on the season, and might include k’aaw (herring roe on kelp), skuu (dried seaweed), naaw (octopus balls) and juum (halibut soup). Travellers book in advance, by phone, and Olsen opens her dining room to groups of diners that range from two to two dozen.“My home is like a museum,” she says. “I don’t even have to tell visitors a story because it’s all here.” For more homegrown restaurants, chefs and dishes to experience this summer, check out our bucket list. |
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