Isaac Peltz
(They/Them)
Canada, Montreal, Québec
As seen in:
On the Trail with Isaac Peltz,
On the Trail with Isaac Peltz (Podcast),
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC),
Substack,
Radio-Canada Première,
The Walrus Magazine,
Canadian Dimension,
J-Source,
Ricochet Media,
The Independent (Newfoundland and Labrador),
Islington Now,
Présence - information religieuse
and
Covers:
Housing. Corruption. Labour.
Articles by Isaac Peltz
Les syndicats et les partis politiques tiers remettent en question l’engagement de Carney envers le bilinguisme.
« Nous sommes nombreux aujourd’hui », a déclaré Nathan Prier, devant une douzaine de personnes, allant du Bloc Québécois à des syndicats représentant des milliers de personnes. « Pour vous prevenir que le gouvernement Carney est hypocrite. » Le gouvernement envisage actuellement de tailler dans les effectifs du Bureau de la traduction à hauteur de 25 %, ce qui pourrait entraîner d’importantes difficultés dans la fourniture de services en français.
Unions and third parties question Carney’s commitment to bilingualism
*Update: This morning a new report came out from Radio-Canada showing that AI translators, addressed at length in this report, are making major mistakes in translation. Later in the article we talk about the failings of AI translation, using our own experience as a bilingual journalist as an example. This is a good example of that, coming out at a time when it is pertinent to the discussion. Here is the Radio-Canada report.
Two major electoral campaigns in Canada are being run by former Airbnb and real estate lobbyists
Both Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford and B.C. Premier David Eby’s campaigns are being staffed by former Airbnb and real estate lobbyists, an investigation by Ricochet has revealed.
What would Quebec look like under proportional representation?
The election in Quebec this week was a perfect example of how poorly designed Canada’s first-past-the-post system is for a complex, diversified electorate in 2026. That being said, it isn’t the worst we’ve seen in the past few years. That goes to Ontario 2022, 2025, and Quebec 2022. The Parti Quebecois won 46 percent of seats with 28 percent of votes.The Liberals received a major advantage as well. With 24 percent of the vote, they received 31 percent of seats.
Carney Wants to Privatize Airports. It’s a Terrible Idea
Around 2,000 people gathered in Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square on September 14, preparing to march to the Art Gallery of Ontario, where Prime Minister Mark Carney’s much hyped Canada Investment Summit was holding a gala dinner to open the event.
Commissioner of lobbying covered up 32,000 violations
The Commissioner of Lobbying has let off 99.99 percent of all lobbyists that she has caught violating the Act or Code. Only 3 out of 31,806 violations have been penalized. Of those, she let off 5,054 significant violations. Significant violations can be failing to register as a lobbyist for more than 30 days, or filing inaccurate registrations, or not correcting inaccurate registrations. Some of these violations lasted more than 6 months before they were fixed.
Le Journal de Montréal pousse une étude médicale truffée de désinformation
Malgré les affirmations contraires d’un article du Journal de Montréal (JdM), les interventions chirurgicales dans le système de santé privé sont nettement plus coûteuses que dans le système public. Une nouvelle étude publiée par l’Institut de recherche et d’informations socio-économiques (IRIS) a révélé la mésinformation contenue dans le rapport cité par le JdM, qui semble avoir été délibérément utilisée pour inciter les gens à se tourner vers le secteur privé.
Journal de Montréal pushes medical study full of misinformation
Despite a Journal de Montréal (JdM) article claiming otherwise, surgeries in the private health care system are significantly more expensive than the public system. A new study published by the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS) revealed the falsities used in the report cited by the JdM, which seem purposefully intended to misdirect people towards private care.
What Role Does Airbnb Play in Quebec City’s Housing Crisis?
77 St-Vallier E in Saint-Sauveur, Quebec City. PHOTO: Isaac Peltz As of July 19, there were 2,525 active listings on Airbnb in Quebec City, each of which generates an average of $30,643 per year for their owners. This, despite only being occupied for 114 nights a year. A renter would pay, on average, $15,324 for a full year of rent on a long-term lease. While the platform does offer longer-term reservations, 70.1 per cent of Quebec City Airbnbs are short-term.
Tous les projets à vendre au sommet des investissements
Alors que de nombreux Canadiens peinent à payer leur loyer et à faire leurs courses, les Libéraux ont organisé un mégasommet pour vendre des terres publiques et créer des projets d’infrastructure qui, selon eux, dynamiseront l’économie canadienne. Les personnes les plus riches de la planète se sont rendues à Toronto pour écouter des arguments de vente et des propositions visant à brader les terres publiques du Canada à des intérêts privés.
What Is Left for Renters in Quebec After 8 Years of the CAQ?
Protesters piled furniture in front of Montreal’s housing tribunal on July 1, 2026. PHOTO: Coalition contre le logement cher Editor’s Note: This article is part of a project to expand The Rover’s journalism into Quebec City. The Vagabond will soon exist on its own website, with its own source of funding, but until then, we’re working with journalist Nora Loreto and former municipal politician Jackie Smith to build something special in La Capitale Nationale.
L’itinérance cout l'état cher
Toc, toc, toc. Quand la police vous réveille, elle frappe à la vitre aussi fort qu’elle le peut. À chaque fois, Jay sursautait et se précipitait pour s’habiller. Je dormais par terre, sur un petit matelas gonflable que ma mère m’avait acheté. Jay marmonnait des crisses tout en enfilant ses vêtements. « La police s’acharne toujours sur moi parce que je vis ma vie », grommelait-il.
Le gouvernement fédéral affaiblit un projet de loi visant à protéger les espèces en danger.
Ecojustice, l’organisation caritative canadienne la plus importante axée sur le droit de l’environnement, tire la sonnette d’alarme sur les propositions fédérales qui menacent la survie des orques sur la côte ouest. Le gouvernement fédéral souhaite réviser la loi sur les espèces en voie de disparition de manière à affaiblir l’une de ses protections les plus importantes. Cette loi devrait empêcher l’extinction des espèces, mais, avec ces modifications, son efficacité sera amoindrie.
Prince Edward Island is a big potato farm
Prince Edward Island is a large potato farm. That's essentially the extent of its identity. It also has Anne of Green Gables and red sand. We loved the red sand. Actually, we were in love with PEI. It has one bike trail across the entire province which is in perfect condition. Charlottetown is the largest city. It's hardly a small town in any other province. Why is this place a province? It has less than half the population of Hamilton, Ontario.
Is democratic socialism innately racist?
The first half of this article came out on tuesday. Please go read it! Two halves of a whole. This article is free for everyone. Can democratic socialism exist without racism? Genuinely, I'm asking that question. Why are social democratic states so often racist? If you haven't read part one of this two part article, please check it out.
The Fabric of Quebec
Jay and I ripped through Quebec and were amazed at the fabric of this beautiful place. Amazing people were found in every corner, the French language was rich and people were welcoming, kind and interested in our journey. We felt welcomed. I'm a Quebecker, so I suppose that isn't surprising, but Jay can't speak a word of French. Every time he speaks to a francophone, he says "Je suis un stupide anglophone," because he thinks it's funny.
Ontario is Canada's Soul
Good morning everyone! Although the trip is over, there are some more articles from the trip we wanted to release. We spent 64 days on the road seeing the country, and we talked to a thousand different people across Canada, listening to their stories and learning all that we could about the country. This was an ambitious and experimental undertaking that hasn't been done in Canadian journalism, and we have a few more weeks of articles to share with you all before we call it quits.
How Canada Keeps the Conservatives Shut Out of Power
THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM OUR ARTICLE WITH THE WALRUS. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE. In April, almost a year after last spring’s federal election delivered a minority government, Mark Carney’s Liberal Party inched its way to a majority by poaching a string of floor crossers from opposition parties. The new-found majority further strengthens the hold of a party that has been in power for 60 percent of Canadian electoral history.
Willing to die
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE FOR EVERYONE - IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT TRULY INDIE JOURNALISM, TRY OUR 2 WEEK FREE TRIAL, OR SUPPORT US FOR AS LOW AS 3$ A MONTH If a tree falls in the forest, will anybody get crushed? Vasilious was flagging smoke for his crew on the front lines. Fourteen days in the trenches to stop the fires from spreading further; the worst fires in Canadian history burning as the south choked in smoke. He turned around and walked ten paces forward, when behind him he heard a crack.
Blood on the province’s hands
As we rolled into Ontario, the information centre in Kenora waved a giant flag at half mast. The thing was huge, patriotic, strikingly red and white. There were chains on the side of the flag that held it to the pole because of how windy the place could get, ripping apart the fabric and tearing it from the enormous lightning rod. It’s not that I ignore Ontario news, I don’t, but I also don’t engage with it as much as I should.
Anatomy of a Revolution
There has been one attempt at revolution in Canada. It ended with the head of Louis Riel. We biked through Manitoba, through the plains where the buffalo were driven nearly to extinction, and where I, as a history buff, spent my time thinking about the history of Louis Riel’s resistance. Perhaps the most well known Canadian outside of John A. Macdonald and Pierre Trudeau, Louis Riel was a revolutionary in the truest sense. Some see him as a madman, some see him as a tragic hero. Others, a prophet.
Liberal return to office order a “handout” to banks: CAPE
During the Pandemic, businesses and government began to adopt a remote work strategy. It allowed people to work from home, tending to their kids, their dogs, to eat healthier by cooking during lunch, and to continue getting their jobs done. Today, that reality is dead. Companies are demanding that people return to work in person, despite strong resistance. Restaurants in downtown cores are lobbying to have office workers return, as their biggest business comes from lunch goers.
What is left of union strength?
Are unions still able to change the nation? They did that once in Winnipeg, the most significant strike that was ever held in Canada. It was the largest general strike in North American history. It permanently shaped the future of the nation and the power of unions in the country. The Winnipeg General Strike is one of the greatest moments in Canadian history, and shows how Canada truly differentiated itself from the United States.
Opinion: Avi Lewis needs to get a seat in the house
Avi Lewis is a great opposition leader. So why isn’t he trying to get a seat in the house? He needs to be in the house. We all know it. Looking at the polling data on who knows Avi Lewis is painful. Lewis is a giant unknown. People would like him if he was able to get any attention outside of the left, but without the resources of Parliament and the daily media scrums, how is he supposed to get the attention that he so desperately requires to have a reputation? It‘s even worse in Quebec.
Western Ontario Just Keeps Going
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST EPISODE HERE Astoundingly, we’ve made it nearly 1500 KM into Ontario, with no end in sight. There remains another near 1000 Km to go. There are also few people in the west of the province, with a total of about 1/5 the population of the prairies in the area, despite taking up nearly as much distance. It’s challenging to create a large society when there isn’t a lot of industry to rely on. The problem is, of course, that there isn’t any farming potential west of Sault Ste Marie.
The Parti Quebecois; from Social Democratic to right wing dog whistles
*Updated because I said Jacques Parizeau was the founder of Quebecor, when I mean Jean Karl Péladeau. Big dumb mistake. “I think that the values and principles of the majority of Quebecers – they are social democrats, they want to share the wealth and take care of their neighbours and their communities,” Alexandre Boulerice said to Mike Le Couteur. Boulerice has recently resigned his seat and left the New Democratic Party at five seats in the house of commons.
A&W Is Canada’s Culture
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW A&W is clearly the dominant culture of Canada. It’s hard to believe, we know, but as we journey from place to place, it is without doubt that we have discovered the truth: A&W is the most full expression of modern Canadian culture. As the years drag on, and time lapses, Tim Hortons has been overcome by the true fast food chain. Across every town, every city, and in every corner, it’s almost guaranteed that there will be an A&W waiting for you.
A socialist in the Badlands
*Authors note, we believe that censoring words is a form of patronizing people. This article uses the word “fag” while talking about a group of people who seem to use the word liberally. We believe it is important to accurately represent discussions and be brutally honest, so we include swear words in our articles with the assumption that people will be mature enough to read these words and take it in context. With that said, content warning.
We got honourable mentions at the Digital Publishing Awards
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE That’s a fancy way to say that we lost. To Front Burner! But we still got the honourable mention, which is something that will be going in our bios and whatnot. Still, we did well with a $2000 budget against Front Burner’s millions, and the other podcasts we were up against. We’re super happy with how things are going. Meanwhile, we haven’t moved very far since last week.
The only solution to separation is proportional representation
If the central government wanted to stop separation referenda from occurring, it could do it quickly with a simple fix. It’s called proportional representation. Soon enough, me and my colleague Donal Gill will have a major article coming out on The Walrus about proportional representation. The gist? If people want Liberals to stop winning constantly, this is the only solution.
Liberals reject transparency in election spending
A new Liberal bill would open the door for individual donors, who might not be Canadian, to pay millions in order to influence elections without any transparency. Through a glaring loophole that enables anonymous donors to “third parties” (a person or group that wants to participate in or influence elections other than as a political party,) individuals, even foreign actors, could legally influence elections.
Albertans are failing both to build towards or resist separation
Both sides of the Albertan separation debate are founded in faith, trust, and pixie dust. Neither side is grounded in reality. One only needs to look at our comment sections on socials to understand how emotional a subject this is. This past week, Jay and I have been interviewing people on the streets (you’ve likely seen our first video on the subject already) and what surprised me is that neither side had any rational arguments for, or against separation.
We made a profit staying at a saloon
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE This week the two of us recount our vast journey through Alberta and the experience that we had in Calgary. In the past week we have talked to dozens and dozens of people and interviewed people from across Alberta about separatism! We stood outside on the street and conducted interviews with people who were interested in speaking with us, getting yelled at, told off, and even getting threatened here and there.
Getting F*cked
“I know politicians are going to fuck me. I'd just rather get fucked by a conservative.” Derek’s father doesn’t view politics as a good thing. He views it as a necessity. For him, it’s a cynical exercise that we all have to participate in, and it could easily be summarized in the cliche of “the devil you know”. Derek described his father’s attitude as problematic. “Don’t we want politics where we’re not getting fucked at all?” Derek asked. For him, it’s a culture problem.
Canada’s largest sector starved: Inside the financial crisis reshaping Canada’s fraying non-profits
Canada’s social sector fabric is fraying. Why aren’t governments paying attention to the crisis? (Illustration by Elisha Dacey/Future of Good)) This is the second of a three-part series exploring the relationship between Canada’s charities and the governments that ignore them. This series was funded thanks to a generous donation to our Claim-A-Story initiative, which allows our readers to help directly fund news stories that Future of Good is working on.
Reviewing BC: Is the Province good or bad?
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ON ANY PLATFORM FOR FREE This is the last 24 hours you have to sign up for the Paper Rag— this is a physical only version of the articles we’ve been publishing, with extra articles, poetry, and a ton of photo journalism. If you don’t sign up by the end of May 25th, you will never get the magazine. This magazine is a once in a lifetime, limited edition copy of our work and this trip, and a form of gonzo journalism that will never be seen again.
The failed coordination of Canada’s social good sector
Mass burnout, underfunding, and low wages all plague the social good sector. Is the sector’s failure to advocate for themselves to all levels of government to blame? (Illustration by Elisha Dacey/Future of Good) This is the first of a three-part series exploring the relationship between Canada’s charities and the governments that ignore them.
Property, not people.
Seeing every corner of the country, one thing stands out consistently. Property is more important than people. In Canada’s list of what our values are, property isn’t one of them. Still, it’s hard not to recognize. It makes sense– some 67 per cent of Canadians own a house. After 100km in 31 degrees, Jay and I were cooked. We didn’t expect to do this many hills in this level of heat. We had assumed that while in BC, we wouldn’t have summer weather. So far, we've been correct.
Bound together by democracy
We don’t get to choose our family. We don’t really get to choose our neighbours either. And the people we share choices of life and death with are bonded to you via a citizenship that you never chose. The King has say over everything “We don't even have a Constitution. It's kind of a joke in a way because really the king has say over everything,” Ray said. Sitting on the lake searching for molecules of gold, Ray and Lane opened up to me. We weren’t far from Cache Creek.
Broken tires and Broken Hearts
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST NOW Here we are, another week in. Many disasters have taken place. Many great conversations. Jay and Isaac break down week two of the trip across the country. We have encountered up to 50 people in our conversations, had interviews with the most strange (sometimes offensive) people whom you could have imagined. Above all, we’re getting tossed out of Lytton and destroyed by the wind. Here is the full story behind the stories.
The Journey Begins
Read more The first episode of the podcast— don’t miss out on the behind the scenes conversations we’re having that will never be published. By Isaac Peltz, Blue jay walker May 12, 2026, 09:00 — 1 min read paid At the airport after we struggled to rebuild Isaac’s bike. This post is for paying subscribers only Subscribe now Already have an account? Sign in
Should Canada Break Up?
Ali wasn’t African. At least that’s what he told us. He might have been born and raised in Tanzania, but people around him were racist. His skin wasn’t as dark, his family was middle eastern, and eventually he moved to Canada. Now, at 76 he drives the shuttle from Richmond to Delta while doing three days landscaping per week– he gets by, but not much more. He’s worked a lot of jobs. We asked him if he’s ever faced racism here. "When I was a bus driver, I only had four racist incidents.” Jay laughed.
BREAKING: THERE IS NO ARTICLE TODAY, FOR NO REASON, DON’T WORRY — THERE IS NOTHING SUSPICIOUS BEHIND THE SCENES
Isaac Peltz, journalist from Montreal, is not writing anything today. There is definitely no reason for anyone to think that there would be a cause for this. May 09, 2026, 09:00 — 1 min read Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Copy link Nothing questionable at all For more than five months, Isaac Peltz, a Montreal journalist, has released a major investigation or article every single Saturday.
Ubisoft Took the Subsidies. Workers in Quebec and Halifax Took the Fall
CHRIS CAME BACK FROM his winter break feeling energized. Ubisoft’s Halifax studio, where he worked, had recently unionized with 74 percent support, joining CWA Canada. On January 5, employees returned from vacation eager to prove that unionization would make them stronger workers. But two days later, it all came crashing down. Jean-Michel Detoc, chief mobile officer from the company’s France office, walked through the front door, unannounced. Dread descended upon the staff.
Ubisoft Took the Subsidies. Workers in Quebec and Halifax Took the Fall
Chris came back from his winter break feeling energized. Ubisoft’s Halifax studio, where he worked, had recently unionized with 74 percent support, joining CWA Canada. On January 5, employees returned from vacation eager to prove that unionization would make them stronger workers. But two days later, it all came crashing down.
Isaac Peltz | The Walrus
The video game titan has received as much as $2 billion in incentives. Maybe we should change where we put our money
Le procès qui pourrait redéfinir l'avenir des services de police
L’agente Geneviève Roy était soumise à un contre-interrogatoire. Ce troisième jour au tribunal, elle répondait à des questions similaires à celles des deux jours précédents. Aujourd’hui, l’atmosphère était tendue. Barbara Bedont, avocate principale de la défense, l’interrogeait sur les raisons pour lesquelles les 45 manifestants arrêtés n’avaient pas reçu d’eau ni accès à des toilettes. Aleksandra Seweryn, avocate adjointe de la défense, était assise derrière elle.
Will Canada survive the global disintegration of liberal democracy?
Welcome to the trail! Today we have a special episode for you! Instead of breaking down the news, we look backwards and forwards and look at the state of the world right now. We assess the past year— radical shifts in Quebec and Canada— and then we discuss how the election this fall will go, how Carney will continue moving forward, and finally how the war in Iran will shape the world.
The court case that will determine the future of policing in Canada
*Update to piece – the arrested got in contact with us with corrections of details throughout the piece. It has been updated to correctly identify specific timelines, and details around the event of the arrest. Officer Genevieve Roy was being cross examined. This was her third day standing in front of the court, answering similar questions to the previous days. Today, tensions were at an all time high.
We’ve been nominated for a Digital Publishing Award
Gabrielle and I have been nominated for a national publishing award for our housing podcast, Building the Crisis. The Digital Publishing awards are a well known group, with a good reputation. Alongside our nomination, The Rover was nominated for their fantastic mini documentary, Palestine on Campus, by both the CAJ awards and the Digital Publishing Awards. If you haven’t watched yet, it’s so good.
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