911³Ô¹Ï

On February 11, 2026, 911³Ô¹Ï Public Square and 911³Ô¹Ï Centre for Dialogue welcomed community members, students, researchers, and practitioners to the 911³Ô¹Ï Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue for Economics for the People: Inside Inequality, part of the Bruce and Lis Welch Community Dialogue When the Map is Useless series.

The evening centered on a question many Canadians experience through rising costs and stagnant wages: Is the problem affordability, or a deeper crisis of economic inequality? As income and wealth concentrate at the top, how is inequality shaping our economy, our politics, and our daily lives?

Led by 911³Ô¹Ï’s Mohsen Javdani, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, the event moved beyond technical economics. Through storytelling, interactive polling, compelling evidence, and open dialogue, the presentation explored how the growing concentration of income and wealth at the top reshapes everyday life, narrows long-term opportunities, and strains the foundations of democratic society.

To guide the conversation, the presentation was structured around four core questions:

• What is happening with economic inequality?

• What is wrong with economic inequality?

• Why is it happening? Is it a policy problem?

• What can be done to address it? 

These questions framed both the research presented and the dialogue that followed. Together, they offered a clearer understanding of how inequality is evolving and what it means for communities today. 

Key Themes That Emerged

1. Economic inequality is structural, not cyclical and temporary

A central theme of the presentation was that rising costs alone do not explain what many households are experiencing. While inflation is visible and immediate, the deeper story lies in long-term shifts in how income and wealth are distributed.

The analysis showed that gains over the past several decades have accrued disproportionately to those who already hold assets and economic power. Wealth has become increasingly concentrated at the top, wage growth for most workers has not kept pace with productivity and the cost of living, and housing markets have amplified disparities in asset ownership.

Rather than a short-term economic cycle, inequality was presented as the outcome of long-term institutional and policy choices, a structural shift that has reshaped economic stability and opportunities, political influence, and social mobility over time.

2. Inequality shapes opportunity and life trajectories

The presentation emphasized that inequality is not only about gaps in income and wealth. It influences opportunity, economic and financial stability, and long-term economic mobility.

When wealth is concentrated at the top, access to quality education, housing security, and opportunities for asset-building becomes increasingly uneven. This shapes life trajectories across generations.

Economic inequality was presented as a condition that affects resilience and vulnerability. Some households are positioned to withstand shocks, take risks, and build wealth, while others face compounding barriers.

3. Policy decisions matter

A strong theme throughout the presentation was that inequality is not inevitable.

Tax systems, housing policy, labour market institutions and regulation, corporate governance, and the design of social programs all influence how economic gains are distributed. While globalization and technological change play an important role, the presentation underscored that public policy choices shape their trajectories and determine how gains and losses are allocated across society.

In this framing, inequality is not simply the outcome of impersonal market forces. It reflects institutional design and shifting balance of power, the result of deliberate political and economic choices made over time.

4. Addressing inequality requires systemic thinking

The conversation did not focus on a single policy fix. Instead, it highlighted the need for structural approaches that consider taxation, labour protections, housing strategies, and public investment together.

Economic systems evolve through institutional reform and collective political engagement. The presentation suggested that reducing inequality requires long-term thinking, sustained civic participation, and a willingness to rebalance economic and political power over time. 

What We Learned From the Room

1. Affordability feels personal, not theoretical.

The conversation did not focus on a single policy fix. Instead, it highlighted the need for structural approaches that consider taxation, labour protections, housing strategies, and public investment together.

Economic systems evolve through institutional reform and collective political engagement. The presentation suggested that reducing inequality requires long-term thinking, sustained civic participation, and a willingness to rebalance economic and political power over time. 

2. Inequality and democracy are deeply connected.

Participants were concerned about how wealth concentration shapes political representation, public trust, social mobility, and community cohesion. The focus extended beyond economic statistics to what those trends mean for fairness, civic life, and the health of democratic institutions.

3. People want solutions, not just diagnosis.

Beyond understanding what is happening, attendees asked why inequality exists and what can be done. They explored policy tools, global models, and the role of governments, institutions, and citizens in building more equitable societies.

4. Economics can belong to everyone.

By making complex ideas accessible, the event positioned economics as a shared language for collective understanding of power and opportunity, rather than technical gatekeeping. Interactive elements invited thoughtful engagement and reflection, reinforcing that debates about inequality are ultimately debates about shared priorities and power.

Audience Poll Shows Strong Consensus on Inequality

In our live Kahoot poll with 88 participants, most respondents identified Distribution D as the most accurate reflection of how wealth is actually divided today, reinforcing a shared perception that wealth is heavily concentrated at the top.

However, in a separate poll about what wealth distribution should look like, the majority of participants selected Distribution A as the ideal.

Participants largely identified Distribution D as the current reality and selected Distribution A as their preferred model. This highlights a perceived misalignment between how wealth is currently distributed and the more equitable distribution participants believe would be fair or desirable.

Continuing the Dialogue

The Bruce and Lis Welch Community Dialogue series continues to convene cross-sector conversations on the issues shaping our communities. Economics for the People: Inside Inequality is part of both the When the Map is Useless: Conversations for a World in Transition supported by the Bruce and Lis Welch Community Dialogue family, bringing 911³Ô¹Ï and the wider community together to strengthen public sense-making during times of social, political, and economic change.

Co-hosted by the 911³Ô¹Ï Centre for Dialogue and 911³Ô¹Ï Public Square, the event blended research, storytelling, and interactive discussion to examine how inequality shapes everyday life and what a fairer society could look like. 

Watch the recording, explore upcoming Welch Dialogue events, and subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected to future conversations.