That's the question I found myself asking after several years of living here.

Since arriving in Canada, much of my work has focused on international issues. Over time, I realised that while I understood a great deal about places elsewhere, I still didn't fully understand the country I now call home.

Who keeps it running? Who makes the things we use? Who takes the risks? What do people value? What pressures are shaping their work, their communities and their lives? And who are the everyday, often unsung people doing all of it?

Growing up in the UK, and later travelling across it as a press photographer, I gradually developed an instinctive understanding of how the country worked: its institutions, industries, characters and contradictions. Here, I'm still building that understanding.

CanMakes is how I'm learning — by listening to the people who know this country best.

It tells the stories of people across Canada's economy and society, from Indigenous communities whose relationship with this land long predates the country itself to the newest arrivals building lives here. It's about what they build, what they protect, what they sacrifice, what drives them, and what their experiences can tell us about the country we share.

If you have a story like that, or know someone who does, I'd love to hear from you.

Who Produces CanMakes?

CanMakes is produced by Michael Hughes, a Toronto-based producer, photographer and strategist.

His editorial work has been commissioned by the Financial Times, The New York Times, Bloomberg and AFP, and he has produced award-winning content for the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom.