Canada could be in such dire straits 15 years from now that property ownership will be generational, post-secondary education will no longer play a role in success, and impoverished Canadians will resort to illegal hunting for sustenance, a new report suggests.
Titled “Future Lives: Examining Social Mobility,” the study paints a picture in which most Canadians will never get ahead no matter how hard they work.
The majority of Canadians will “find themselves stuck in the socioeconomic conditions of their birth and many face the very real possibility of downward social mobility,” says the report says, which was first covered by Blacklock’s Reporter. “While this is neither the desired nor the preferred future, Policy Horizons’ strategic foresight suggests it is plausible.”
If Canada continues on its current economic path, Canadian society will be dominated by inter-generational wealth, slipping slowly back into times of old when land was owned and ruled by the aristocracy, the report predicts. Wealth and status will no longer be earned but passed down through generations.
“Family background—especially owning property—divides the haves from the have-nots,” the authors wrote, noting that home ownership will be an unrealistic goal for most buyers without family assistance.
Some will opt for intergenerational mortgages in which multiple generations of family members live together, while others will pursue alternative household mortgages in partnership with friends.
An increasing proportion of homeowners will own rental properties, the report suggests, adding that this group will resist initiatives aimed at increasing housing availability or implementing rent controls. That disparity will become a catalyst for social, economic, and political discord between renters and homeowners, the report says.
It also predicts that post-secondary education will be beyond the reach of everyone except the wealthy and it will be seen as a club for the “elite” rather than “a path to a successful career.”
Elitist attitudes will extend beyond the education sector with people rarely mixing with those of different socio-economic status, the report says.
As the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, more Canadians will have trouble making ends meet and may return to a live-off-the-land philosophy through small-scale agriculture, the study suggests. The poor may also resort to illegal hunting, fishing, and foraging to feed themselves and their families.
Psychological and Economic Toll
As more people struggle to afford rent, bills, and groceries, the resulting stress could cause a spike in mental health issues as frustration and indifference set in, the report says.“If people give up on attaining higher standards of living, apathy could spread to other areas of their lives,” the authors say. “Policymakers may no longer be able to take for granted that people will be motivated to better their lot.”
The value of human labour will also be diminished by 2040 because the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will be widespread, the authors say.
Fewer jobs will be available in both creative and knowledge-based fields as a result and many people will need to work more jobs or look for side hustles to make ends meet.
As Canada’s economic and social landscape deteriorates, so too will its reputation as a country where both young people and newcomers can find happiness or success.
“More people in Canada, including recent immigrants, may emigrate to jurisdictions where they perceive upward social mobility and/or higher standards of living are easier to attain – even if they are not,” the report says.
