This is what's going to happen... - The Chaff with Scott Stephenson

Enclosed herein are The Chaff’s predictions for the remainder of 2025. Based on careful consideration and robust instinct, these forecasts are as reliable as any that could be offered under current conditions.

 

Events will continue to occur. This is not mere speculation but a statement of near-universal consensus. The second half of the year will unfurl as the first did, albeit subtly altered by accumulating circumstance. Days will arrive, proceed and conclude. Weeks will form from them. Months will present themselves with names and holidays. Some of these holidays will be observed. Others will be privately acknowledged with a vague sense of obligation. A handful may pass unnoticed, and this too is natural.

 

Weather patterns are expected to remain active and atmospheric. Canadians from coast to coast can anticipate conditions that are regionally appropriate, except when they are not, in which case they will become topics of conversation. Humidity will rise in certain areas while receding in others. Wind will traverse various corridors. Meteorologists are united in their belief that something will be happening in the sky nearly every day.

 

Politically, the latter half of 2025 will be marked by developments of varying consequence. Statements will be made, either firmly or with rhetorical elasticity, and the public will interpret them with a mix of enthusiasm and suspicion. Leadership will be tested, affirmed, critiqued and occasionally explained. Governance will continue, likely with the aid of meetings, communiqués and procedural documents. At least one scandal will emerge, though it may prove difficult to define. Responses to said scandal will range from “measured” to “swift,” depending on tone and timing. 

 

Economically, the country is expected to experience conditions. Indicators such as employment, inflation, trade, productivity and household confidence will point in particular directions. Some markets will cool while others warm. The cost of goods may stabilize, fluctuate or appear to do both simultaneously. 

 

Culturally, the nation will maintain a complicated relationship with its own identity. Artists will produce, audiences will receive and critics will locate meaning somewhere in between. What is trending today may lose steam tomorrow or, in a surprise twist, become retroactively beloved. The notion of “content” will continue to evolve, occasionally confusing those who once used the word to describe a state of quiet satisfaction. 

 

Socially, interactions between individuals will persist. Old friends will reconnect, new acquaintances will be formed and long group chats will be muted indefinitely. Relationships will enter phases. Some will deepen into a rich companionship. Others will settle into a kind of polite inertia. A select few may combust. People will try to be better. Some will succeed. Some will not. 

 

In sports, the remainder of 2025 promises competition, achievement and heartbreak, sometimes all in a single match. Teams will face each other in a series of contests, the outcomes of which will be both decisive and vigorously debated. Athletes will amaze us with feats of strength, agility and resolve. Fans will respond with loyalty and disbelief. A rookie will emerge. A veteran will retire. Commentators will declare a moment historic before correcting themselves with a more measured assessment. There will be upsets, comebacks and post-game interviews in which everyone says the right thing.

 

In terms of health, people will try to live well. Hydration will continue to be recommended. Sleep will once again prove elusive for some, restorative for others. Diets will be adopted, abandoned, then reinterpreted as “lifestyle choices.” At least one superfood will rise to prominence before being exposed as fairly ordinary. Mental health will remain a serious topic, with most people agreeing that something should be done. Fitness classes will be attended in person, online, or not at all.

 

Across communities, local issues will be addressed at local speeds. Council meetings will be held. Decisions will be deferred. Residents will attend, speak and eventually leave with a sense that something may have occurred. New signage will be proposed. Public consultations will be scheduled for times that are technically accessible. A bylaw will be misunderstood.

 

And so, as we peer into the soft-focus fog of the not-too-distant future, The Chaff stands behind these predictions with the utmost confidence. We are certain that things will happen. Some of them will matter. Many will not. Each will be accompanied by feelings. These feelings may contradict one another, but each will feel true in its moment. People will laugh, worry, hope, stew, observe and reach for their phones.

 

The year will continue, until it doesn’t. And then, if or when it ends, another will begin.