The Year Ahead: 100 Predictions for 2026

A lot can change in a year. Who’d have guessed that our closest ally would become our closest threat? That tariffs and sovereignty would become national obsessions? That Justin Trudeau would hook up with Katy Perry? The January/February 2026 issue of Maclean’s, which you can buy now, is a cheat sheet for everything and everyone that will matter in the next 12 months. To start, the government will invest billions in defence and trade diversification, giving Canada a fighting chance on the world stage. Canada will show off its maple-leaf mania at the Winter Olympics (where Sidney Crosby will dominate) and the World Cup (where Trump, as usual, will steal our thunder). Meanwhile, AI will begin to out-think us, biohacking will go mainstream and Ryan Gosling will save the planet from climate disaster (on the big screen, at least). The next year will test our ability to turn all of our upturned elbows into tangible action. We’ve got a nation to build.

Ten Culture Predictions for 2026

Justin Bieber will bring his comeback to Coachella. A Dragon’s Den villain will crash Hollywood. And B.C. will transform into feudal Japan, ancient Scandinavia and a zombified Pacific Northwest.

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Ten Housing Predictions for 2026

High mortgage turnover will cause some scrambling (but few delinquencies). Snowbirds will go the way of the dodo. And prefab, prefab, everywhere.

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Ten Climate Predictions for 2026

Wildfire displacement will redraw the map, EV adoption will decelerate and Canada will miss its emissions targets. Throughout it all, Mark Carney will put climate on the backburner.

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Ten Education Predictions for 2026

The international-student shortfall will worsen schools’ financial woes. Donald Trump’s assault on academia will hinder and help Canadian campuses. And school boards will scramble to fill teacher shortages.

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Ten Business Predictions for 2026

Carney will turbocharge trade in the wake of Trump tariff woes, while workers will reluctantly come back to the office—that is, if they can find jobs at all

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Ten AI Predictions for 2026

As the government invests billions in AI sovereignty, Canada will become a hub for data centres and specialty chips. Ottawa will eye OpenAI’s tempting pitch—while a homegrown unicorn could finally go public.

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Ten Health Predictions for 2026

We’ll say goodbye to international med students and hello to mumps. Governments, meanwhile, will clear patient backlogs with AI scribes and private surgical centres.

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Ten Sports Predictions for 2026

Sidney Crosby will cement his legacy, while newbies like Gavin McKenna and Trey Yesavage become household names. The WNBA, meanwhile, makes its long-awaited debut in Toronto.

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Ten Politics Predictions for 2026

Ottawa will pour billions into defence, Arctic development and nation-building, all the while facing off against power-hungry premiers. Outlandish deepfakes, meanwhile, will become a mainstay on social media.

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Ten Food Predictions for 2026

“Buy Canadian” fever will give us more B.C. wine, Ontario ice cream and locally grown winter strawberries, while Indigenous cuisine will have its overdue moment

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This story appears in the January/February 2026 issue of Maclean’s. You can buy the issue here, subscribe to the magazine here or send a gift subscription here.