Generation Squeeze 101: Who we are and what we do

Generation Squeeze is a charitable Think and Change Tank promoting wellbeing for all generations

Generation Squeeze champions generational fairness to preserve what Canadians hold sacred—a healthy childhood, home and planet—so we all leave a proud legacy.

Our origins

Our story began in 2010 as a response to the unfortunate reality that younger people in Canada are facing numerous challenges. Gen Squeeze started building a movement to 'squeeze back' and brought this movement to the world of politics, advocating for governments to adapt quickly and support the wellbeing of the generations raising kids while creating a fairer generational deal.

Since that time, we have pivoted to a big tent approach: we believe that a movement to restore generational fairness will not only involve ‘squeezed’ young people, but also older folks interested in leaving a proud legacy.

The core concept at the heart of Gen Squeeze's work is generational fairness. We posit that generational unfairness is the underlying issue driving some of Canada's most significant problems—including unaffordable housing, the high cost of raising a family, a deteriorating climate, as well as age imbalances in government spending and debt.

Consider, for instance, that skyrocketing housing prices lock out aspiring (usually younger) homeowners while providing growing wealth for established (usually older) homeowners. Moreover, governments consistently prioritize spending directed at older Canadians while shortchanging younger people. The 2023 federal budget, for instance, adds $4,300 for each person over 65, nearly six times greater than the $755 of extra spending directed at each person under 45.

Who we are

The Gen Squeeze team consists of a small but dedicated group of experts and creative individuals who are committed to building a Canada that works for all generations. We are also fortunate to have the support of student research associates and dedicated volunteers whose contributions are essential to our success. As a university-community collaboration, our organization is guided and supported by a strong governance team of volunteer organizational directors and members.

Why we need you

We know that we can’t accomplish our objectives on our own. We need your support, involvement, and insight. That’s part of why we’ve decided to create this Substack newsletter. We hope to use this platform to bring together like-minded individuals who are not only interested in our work and ideas, but who also want to engage with each other to form a community that collectively seeks to tackle the problems of generational unfairness. We want you to shape our thinking in this space as much as we may be shaping your thinking!  #ShapeAndBeShapedBy

We hope you’ll show your support by joining our network and encourage others to join as well.