Nature makes Canada a whole lotta money. We’ve got the charts to prove it

Conserved and protected areas in Canada are invaluable — but we have 9 charts that try to capture their economic impact

This story is part of Who Pays?, a series from The Narwhal looking at the intersection of the environment and the economy. In addition to reporting this story, Julia-Simone did the data analysis and created the maps and bar charts

May 8, 2026 7 min. read

A person holds an owl on an outstretched hand, and a camera in the other

Newsletter

Birds, and the people who love them

By Michelle Cyca

May 8, 2026

A trio of fresh stories from The Narwhal prove what you know is true: birds...

Two adult sandhill cranes dip their beaks among lily pads while their young looks up

Photo Essay

Family portraits: parenting tips from the animal kingdom

By Paul Gains

May 7, 2026 5 min. read

From sandhill cranes and eagles to bears and foxes, a photographer captures a few of...

Several white wind turbines stand tall against a vibrant blue sky.

In-Depth

Could this be the moment for offshore wind energy in the Great Lakes?

By Stephen Starr

May 7, 2026 8 min. read

Offshore wind could help Ontario and U.S. states generate clean electricity, but economic and regulatory...

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A small grey bird perched on a person's fingers.

Photo Essay

A bird in the hand: meet the people preserving the scientific practice of bird banding

By Paula Razuri

May 6, 2026 18 min. read

Birds migrate across the world; so do the volunteers who come together for annual bird-banding...

B.C. Premier David Eby pauses while speaking into a microphone.

Explainer

B.C.’s DRIPA drama — explained

By Shannon Waters

May 6, 2026 9 min. read

Premier David Eby said changing DRIPA was ‘non-negotiable.’ Then he proposed suspending the law. Then...

Industrial development alongside a river emptying into a bay with mountains in background

News

Trump has an energy ‘tiger team.’ Carney’s fast-tracking office ‘operates similarly,’ docs say

By Carl Meyer

May 5, 2026 6 min. read

Canadian officials compared the Major Projects Office to the U.S. National Energy Dominance Council in...

On the ground

On the brink of disappearing, burrowing owls are recovering in B.C. — with a little help

By Aaron Hemens (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter)

May 4, 2026 14 min. read

The Upper Nicola Band recently released 11 captive-born owls — part of a decade-long effort...

Photographed on a grey cloudy day, a gate prevents residents from entering a remediated site near Lake Nipissing where niobium mine tailings sat for decades.

In-Depth

A small northern Ontario town refused radioactive waste. It’s gone to Sarnia instead

By Leah Borts-Kuperman (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter)

May 4, 2026(Updated May 6, 2026) 9 min. read

Decades-old mine tailings in Nipissing First Nation sparked outrage after the province tried to move...

An illustration of three emojis; a house, an electrical plug and money with wings.

Who Pays?

Who really pays for B.C.’s power?

By Matt Simmons (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter) and Shannon Waters

May 2, 2026 7 min. read

In B.C., residential electricity customers pay almost twice as much as big businesses. As demand...

An illustration of Canadian loonies, toonies, and twenty-dollar bills.

Who Pays?

A series from The Narwhal

The costs of ignoring environmental protections are adding up, and chances are, you’re footing the bill. How exactly? Dive into our series, Who Pays?

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@thenarwhalca

From $25 an hour to $4,995: salaries on either side of the climate crisis

Ontario is returning to the office. What does that mean for traffic and emissions?

Shorts

A malfunctioning LNG terminal, orphan wells, Who Pays? and more: April in review

Fire for good: First Nations are bringing back cultural burns

Floods, renewables, endangered species and more: March in review

Ontario’s FOI plans threaten your right to know

Drew Anderson explains how AI Data Centres are building built by developers in Alberta thanks to a big push in funding.

Alberta’s $100-billion AI dreams

What do fluctuating oil prices mean for Canada?

AI, the Ring of Fire and more: February in review

LNG Canada burned 1.7 million cubic metres of gas on a single day in September

An update on The Narwhal’s court case against the RCMP

Why Ontario is dealing with more traffic — and emissions

Carol Linnitt is the co-founder of The Narwhal. The Narwhal is suing the RCMP.

We’re fighting for our right to report — and your right to know

B.C. is flooding, again. We explain

B.C. says 1950s-style clear-cut logging isn’t happening anymore. Is that true?

Animals are getting killed on Canada’s railways

Piping Plovers on Wasaga Beach, in Ontario

Endangered plovers love this Ontario beach. Is the feeling mutual?

Any Ontario minister could soon have the power to create law-free zones — and decide what gets built there

POV: a reporting trip to Heiltsuk territory

Pipeline opposition took centre stage at Neil Young’s Burnaby, B.C., concert

Organic is barely a starting line, chef Michael Smith says

Chef Michael Smith keeps coming back home to P.E.I.

Could refreezing the Arctic help save its melting ice?

A screenshot of a video call for a Moose Questionnaire with ShawtyAstrology.

How do you reach people who don’t believe in climate change?

A beaver lodge animation and illustration. One beaver is inside of the lodge.

Two families of beavers live in Stanley Park…

Michelle Cyca talked about Indigenous sovereignty

Some people say Indigenous Rights are “racist,” but that’s not true

A screenshot of a video call for a Moose Questionnaire, with ShawtyAstrology in the top half and Narwhal editor Denise Balkissoon below.

“Ducks are very cute,” ShawtyAstrology says

Video thumbnail featuring Patrick Johnson, a Guardian Watchman.

Canada’s conservation goals depend on this

What’s going on around Grand Forks, B.C.?

How do you undo over 100 years of pollution?

Why are we seeing wildfires already? What causes them?

Here’s how cities can prevent flooding

North of North’s Anna Lambe is open to people growing

Here’s how one Mohawk community is dealing with a hungry beetle

There’s nothing inherently “critical” about critical minerals

Marrying a polar bear seems totally reasonable

What is the carbon tax?

Watch our in-depth explainer for more on the carbon tax

Anna Lambe has been pretty far north

Six dead birds? In this economy?

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We’re suing the RCMP to fight for press freedom

In November 2021, photojournalist Amber Bracken was arrested by the RCMP while on assignment for The Narwhal. So we launched a lawsuit to take a stand for press freedom. Now, we're in the middle of our trial.

Learn more