No images? Click here

Hello and welcome to Best Of Maclean’s.

Each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday we deliver the top stories from Maclean’s directly to your inbox, showcasing the most interesting people, places and stories from across Canada.

Here’s what I'm doing to fix a major problem with Canada’s foster system

Zena Chaudhry never expected to be a national leader in the social services sector. But after helping a family friend navigate a messy divorce and abusive situation, she quickly learned that there was a lack of resources available to Canada’s Muslim population. It set her on a journey to launch Sekeenah Homes, using her own savings to fund the women’s shelter.

Now, her organization has become North America’s first licensed foster care agency for Muslim children and the largest shelter system for Muslim women in the country.

Full story

My father, the criminal.

Leslie Bradford-Scott thought she was a normal kid. Her dad hid guns in every corner of their house and ‘business associates’ would come and go at all hours. In their small town of Grimsby, he was one of the only people who drove around a Rolls Royce.Years later, she found her dad’s 550-page autobiography— and with it, a criminal past she didn’t know. Read more

What it’s like to fight B.C.’s wildfires

Veteran firefighter and incident commander with B.C. Wildfire, Scott Rennick, was on the ground in Chetwynd, British Columbia earlier this month during another stretch of devastating fires. From emergency evacuations to massive controlled burns, he shares what it’s like to attempt to manage an environmental disaster—and why an already tough job is getting much worse. Full story

The Curious Case of Gina Adams

In 2019 Gina Adams joined the faculty at Vancouver's Emily Carr University as part of an effort to increase Indigenous representation at the school. But soon questions arose about her Indigenous identity. Last week, shortly after this piece was published, the school announced that Adams had resigned from her position—but the issue of “Pretendians” at Canadian institutions persists. Read More

1-on-1 with Rick Mercer

“I consider stand-up an art form. There’s nothing purer. But it’s a completely insane occupation. Who in their right mind would walk out on stage with a microphone and a glass of water and decide to entertain either 30 people in a club or 2,000 people in a theatre? They don’t have a guitar or backup singers, they just have themselves. It’s inherently exciting.” Read More

Sponsored: Students can earn a salary while they learn

York University has launched Canada’s first fully work-integrated degree program, offering students unrivaled access to earn while they learn. Read More

On newsstands now:

Big Lies On Campus

Gina Adams was hired by Emily Carr University in an effort to recruit Indigenous faculty. She rose to the role of assistant dean. Then questions arose about her identity...

Also in this issue:

Check it out

Buy the latest issue of Maclean’s here and click here to subscribe.

Want to share the Best of Maclean’s with family, friends and colleagues? Click here to send them this newsletter and subscribe.