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Editors’ picks: Our favourite long reads of 2014

Meaningful acts of journalism. Rich, multimedia experiences. Here’s 20 of Maclean’s best longreads from the year that was

Close examinations of vanguards and villains. Long, rich, thoughtful reads. Multimedia experiences that brought you into Ottawa’s tragic day; a broken system in Alberta; the new warfare in the Middle East. Incisive examinations of how trends affect everyday Canadians, using the latest research.

Here’s a look back on the year that was, with our 20 favourite longreads that we told in 2014.


  • JIAN GHOMESHI: HOW HE GOT AWAY WITH IT

    Jian Ghomeshi’s behaviour was an open secret, going back to his university days. Not that anyone took action. In fact, the CBC made him a star. By Anne Kingston and others.


  • GET READY FOR GENERATION Z

    They’re smarter than Boomers, and way more ambitious than the Millennials. Are we ready for them? By Anne Kingston.


  • INSIDE CANADA’S NEW WAR
    The fight against Islamic State has brought together unlikely allies and old enemies. Victory will be neither easy, nor easily defined. By Michael Petrou.


  • THE END OF NEIGHBOURS

    How our increasingly closed-off lives are poisoning our politics and endangering our health. By Brian Bethune.


  • BIGSTONE’S LOST OPPORTUNITY

    A poor, bedraggled reserve in the oil sands is next door to one of Alberta’s richest Aboriginal communities. Why Opportunity works and Bigstone doesn’t. By Tamsin McMahon.


  • THE UNTOLD STORY OF JUSTIN BOURQUE

    He was a middle-class kid from a devout Christian family. Two years ago, his disturbing descent began and now three Mounties are dead. By Tamsin McMahon, Michael Friscolanti, and Martin Patriquin.


  • BEARING WITNESS

    From hearing the first shots and running to the fallen soldier, to barricading the doors on Parliament Hill, the women and men who confronted danger on Oct. 22 tell the story of that terrible day.


  • THE TRUTH ABOUT LYME DISEASE

    Lyme disease can masquerade as MS, ALS, even dementia, and its numbers are growing. So why is Canada lagging behind in treating it? By Anne Kingston.


  • CONDO HELL

    Thanks to neighbour disputes, crazy restrictions and incompetent boards, condo dwellers are increasingly finding themselves boxed in. By Tamsin McMahon.


  • GLAZED AND CONFUSED

    The Canadian icon is selling out to Burger King and its ruthless Brazilian owners. Why that’s a dangerous move. By Jason Kirby, Michael Friscolanti and Chris Sorensen.


  • THE NO-BABY BOOM

    Social infertility, baby regret and what it means that shocking numbers of women aren’t having children. By Anne Kingston.


  • WHEN YOUR SON’S A GIRL

    Inside the families embracing the new world of gender variance. By Cathy Gulli.


  • SENIORS AND THE GENERATIONAL SPENDING GAP

    Why are we doing so much to try to help seniors when they’re already the wealthiest generation in history? By Tamsin McMahon.


  • THE GIRL WHO MAY HOLD THE SECRET TO AGING

    Mackenzee Wittke, a five-year-old Alberta girl with the body of an infant, might just hold the genetic key to how we age. By Kate Lunau.


  • THE SEX OFFENDERS NO ONE SUSPECTS

    How the treatment of female teachers who sexually exploit male students reflects society’s legal and cultural double standards. By Anne Kingston.


  • DEATH BY SUGAR

    How the sweet killer is fuelling the biggest health crisis of our time. By Kate Lunau.


  • THE NEW MINOR HOCKEY FIGHTS

    Inside the madness that is driving kids, volunteers and referees out of Canada’s game. By Charlie Gillis.


  • THE UNTOLD STORY OF KEYSTONE

    How one Nebraska farmer killed the pipeline. By Luiza Ch. Savage.


  • NEW GIRL, GO GIRL

    Teenage girls are taking on social stereotypes and a sex-saturated culture. Ignore them at your peril. By Anne Kingston.


  • THE NEW WORRY EPIDEMIC

    Experts now argue it can have devastating effects on work, health and children. By Anne Kingston.

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