Who Pays?

Ontario cities are preparing buildings for the climate crisis. The Ford government is set to make that more expensive

Municipalities have spent millions to ensure buildings can cope with extreme weather. A ban on green rules for Ontario developers could slow things down and drive costs up

By Fatima Syed

This story is part of Who Pays?, a series from The Narwhal looking at the intersection of the environment and the economy

April 30, 2026 9 min. read

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

Who Pays?

A new 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 new series, Who Pays?

View series

A man walks through a stream, dwarfed by an expansive landscape.

Inside The Narwhal

The Narwhal celebrates a slew of spring award nominations and honours

By Will Pearson

April 20, 2026(Updated April 30, 2026) 8 min. read

Top journalism award programs in Canada and the U.S. have lauded our work with 24...

A herd of cows stands in front of oil and gas infrastructure in a rural Alberta field.

Who Pays?

Alberta taxpayers are paying millions to ranchers who lease public lands. Here are 5 things you need to know

By Drew Anderson

April 30, 2026 6 min. read

Alberta allows windfall oil and gas payments to ranchers using public land. It’s a complicated...

The back of a man's jacket has the word guardian printed on it with white lettering as he looks into a crowd.

Who Pays?

Guardian programs are investments in our future — but Canada’s investment in them is uncertain

By Santana Dreaver

April 29, 2026 6 min. read

The federal government recently announced $230M for Indigenous Guardians — but there is little information...

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Alberta Finance Minister speaks at a lectern during a news conference, with Canadian and Albertan flags behind him.

Who Pays?

Alberta’s finance minister receives public money for oil and gas wells on public land

By Drew Anderson

April 29, 2026 8 min. read

It’s a unique way the government allows ‘personal financial benefits’ from public land in a...

Who Pays?

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

By Denise Balkissoon, L. Manuel Baechlin and Jarett Sitter

April 28, 2026

Climate change is making life more expensive. Droughts and unpredictable temperatures affect farming and food...

An illustration of a board game called Lucky Leases, which resembles Monopoly.

Who Pays?

Alberta allows windfall oil and gas payments to select ranchers — on public land

By Drew Anderson

April 28, 2026 15 min. read

Our analysis found the Alberta government allows millions of dollars of taxpayer money to wind...

A close-up of a herd of brown and black cattle.

Who Pays?

Climate change is increasing northern Ontario cattle herds — and beef prices

By Leah Borts-Kuperman (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter)

April 27, 2026 6 min. read

Warmer days and longer growing seasons are making new areas more hospitable for cattle farms,...

A new analysis finds $500 million in costs directly tied to the Manitoba wildfires, including evacuations, emergency costs, insured losses, healthcare costs and many more. The true costs are far greater.

Who Pays?

Counting up receipts: one of Canada’s worst wildfire seasons cost at least $500M

By Julia-Simone Rutgers

April 24, 2026(Updated April 24, 2026) 18 min. read

Our analysis found $500 million in expenses directly attributable to last year’s wildfires in Manitoba...

A man in a grey jacket stands among vineyards, with a town, lake and hills beyond

Who Pays?

How an Okanagan deep freeze left B.C.’s independent wineries with a big tax bill

By Paloma Pacheco and Aaron Hemens (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter)

April 23, 2026 15 min. read

B.C. wineries needed foreign grapes to replace a 2024 harvest decimated by extreme weather. Now,...

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

Pipelines in Canada, explained

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