The Canadian Wealth Chasm in 30,000 Seats

Have you lived a million seconds? Most likely if you are reading this as you pass a million (M) seconds during your 12^th day. You have lived a billion (B) seconds if you have lived 32 years—yes, years. We can do the math, but it is hard to grasp the magnitude of big numbers. The Oxfam report “The Rise of the Super-Rich: The State of Inequality in Canada” uses big numbers. To make these numbers tangible, let us look at using a 30,000-seat stadium.

Graphic by N Carswell

In this stadium, the 1% wealthiest Canadians, each with a net worth of around $7M, take up 300 seats. The 40% of Canadians with an average net worth of just under $87,000 occupy 12,000 seats. Move the 300 wealthy onto the field, which is 100 metres long and 60 metres wide, or 6,000 square metres (m²). They hold 25% of Canada’s wealth, giving each person about 5 m², roughly the size of a walk-in closet. You could picture them standing with room to stretch and walk around.

Now try fitting the 12,000 people from the bottom 40% onto the same field. They hold only 3% of the wealth, 180 m² in total. That is just the space of a hand spread out for each person. Even if six people squeezed into a square metre, m
ost would still have to stay in the stands, barely touching the field.

The top 0.01%, only 3 people in our stadium, occupy 3 seats but hold 5% of the wealth. On the field, they would each have 100 m², about the size of a large apartment.

As the report emphasizes, the inequality gap in Canada has become a “wide, expansive, echoing wealth chasm.” Out of the 30,000 people in our stadium, over 3,000 are living in poverty, and 7,500 are food insecure. This divide is not just numbers. It erodes trust in institutions, weakens democracy, and deepens political polarization, leaving many Canadians feeling excluded from decisions that affect their lives. A few rich people control the media, leaving many voices unheard and making inequality worse.

But inequality is not inevitable.

Canada and Saskatchewan could take decisive steps to close this gap. The report recommends a progressive wealth tax on fortunes over $10M, closing offshore tax loopholes, and supporting international efforts to curb tax avoidance. These steps could raise billions for healthcare, affordable housing, and child care making the economy fairer and giving more of us a chance to thrive.

Inequality is not just a statistic, it affects everyone every day. You can make a difference. Contact your MP and/or MLA and tell them that Canada needs fairer policies now. Speak up, demand action, and help turn these numbers into a future that works for everyone.