What went wrong, and right, in Canada’s handling of the pandemic

This deeply reported piece, written by Stephen Maher and edited by Sarmishta Subramanian, is the most comprehensive accounting yet of what went wrong, and right, in our nation’s handling of the pandemic.

The story challenges ideas and actions, untethering them from political party affiliation.

It illuminates moments of heroism and exceptional leadership; shines a light on policy failures and planning; exposes shortcomings and uncovers the thinking that made a difference.

It brooks no excuses.

In publishing this piece, Maclean’s rejects the argument, prevalent in this country, that good enough is good enough. Hindsight is 20/20, the argument goes. We’ve done better than Italy and France; not as well as Australia and Japan. We’re middle of the pack. What’s to complain about? Pandemics are hard.

We reply: More than 21,000 Canadians are dead. More die every day.

To mark this extraordinary and tragic moment, we are giving our entire magazine over to a single piece—invoking, with humility, the New Yorker’s spirit in doing so with its 1946 Hiroshima issue.

There are lessons to be learned. Let’s learn them.