On demand
Now. Immediately.
Instantaneously.
There was a time when those words would come across as a bit rude. In 2026, however, moments of instant gratification are the norm.
Chatting with acquaintances this past week we pitched the question of “do you remember when?”
The point of the question was favourite television shows back in the day. Brady Bunch, Hogan’s Heroes, Leave it to Beaver, The Price is Right – even soap operas – had one thing in common: in order to watch you had to tune in at a specific time. There was no auto-record or streaming service. If you missed it, you missed it. Even the news and weather demanded eyes on at the right time or a person would have to wait for the next newscast.
As trite as it sounds now, social interactions at the office cooler, on the school bus or at local sporting events often included the question “did you see it?” We well remember the days when reality TV took root and how excited people were to chat and kibitz about the next episode. Dramas and series became part of weekly habits. “Who shot JR” was turned into a slogan for bumper stickers, playing off the story line on Dallas, which, if we remember right, was the big show on Friday nights after supper.
Saturday? Well, that was Hockey Night in Canada on CBC. From coast to coast, Canadians tuned in to watch the Leafs and Canadiens take on teams from cities in the U.S. Detroit, Boston, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia were all big names at the time. The rivalry was palpable and all of it was brought into Canadian homes by the nation’s broadcaster. The excitement built with every call courtesy of talents like Bill Hewitt or Dick Irvin Jr. Watching a game became less onerous when colour television became more commonplace in homes.
Today, everything is available at all hours of the day and night. That’s a far cry from the days of Kitchener, Toronto, Hamilton and, in a pinch, the Buffalo station that the rabbit ears caught. Hundreds of channels are morphed now by digital streaming that connects the world 24/7. We got it all and we got it now.
Channels have become specialized to the point where sports, weather, news and programming mesmerize their audience.
Are we happier? It’s a question worth considering.
Census kerfuffle
The 2026 Census forms have been taking a bit of heat online. Rage farmers have turned the exercise into another conspiracy theory.
We filled ours out without much trouble. The questions were not that significant but hopefully provide a snapshot of today’s Canada. With that information statisticians can pull together the changing makeup of its citizenry and get a sense of social wellness around issues like housing and employment.
Canadians should do their part and fill out the form. It is mandatory after all. We hazard to guess this quinquennial questionnaire pales in comparison to the data Canadians hand over every day to corporations. Yet people talk about their privacy and government bogeymen. The irony is astounding.