Our work responds to 3 core problems putting Canada’s generational bargain under pressure.
-
1. Outdated public policies are failing young people
The symptoms of this failure are all around us. Rising poverty, stagnant wages, increasing debt, unaffordable homes, delays starting families, and growing mental ill health. Decisions that made sense decades ago are no longer meeting today’s needs. Many young people believe that system is rigged against them, and that politicians are more concerned to promote the interests of older generations than building security for those who follow.
-
2. Canada isn’t living up to the legacy many older Canadians want
Older Canadians helped build this country. Their hard work and tax dollars shaped the Canada we know today. In return, public investments in medical care, retirement, and income supports helped lift many seniors to the lowest poverty rates and highest levels of wealth and home ownership of any age group. Now, many are stepping into a new role: stewards of what they’ve helped create. As they watch younger generations struggle to afford a degree, secure decent work, find a home, and start families, many are growing deeply concerned about their kids’ futures, and the kind of world their grandkids will inherit.
-
3. Canada’s public policy choices are ageist toward Millennials and Gen Z
Just as ageism against older adults can quietly shape decisions in medical clinics, workplaces and communities, a different unseen bias shapes how we allocate public resources: structural ageism against younger people. Structural ageism is rarely the result of intentional choices. It stems from policy inertia – a failure to update government systems in response to today’s social, economic, and environmental realities. Because this bias is embedded in our institutions, we need systemic solutions to correct it and build a Canada that treats all ages and all generations fairly.
