‘We were essentially silenced’: how Ontario handcuffed its at-risk species experts

Current and former Ministry of Environment staffers say the death of the Endangered Species Act left them powerless

By Fatima Syed and Leah Borts-Kuperman (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter)

Fatima and Leah have spent the summer speaking with sources following departures from Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks species at risk branch.

Sept. 10, 2026 9 min. read

A man bending over a river and looking down into it.

On the ground

Inside the search for a mysterious salmon killer

By Julie Chadwick

Sept. 9, 2026 18 min. read

For years, scientists and First Nations couldn’t explain the rash of coho deaths that followed...

Photo from behind of two people facing an intersection with a gas station in the background.

News

Summer’s over, but the gas tax holiday is still on. Experts say it benefits rich families most

By Carl Meyer

Sept. 9, 2026 6 min. read

Carney is keeping 10 cents off a litre of gasoline to help with rising costs,...

Jars of sockeye salmon sit on a table, about to canned in a pressure cooker.

On the ground

For many B.C. First Nations, salmon are key to food security

By Santana Dreaver and Kayla Isomura

Sept. 8, 2026 10 min. read

As salmon numbers dwindle, fish camps and community workshops are providing essential services to Indigenous...

A man wearing a plaid shirt stands in a hallway looking at the camera

In-Depth

Toronto seniors are feeling the heat. Can we do a better job of keeping them cool?

By Rajpreet Sahota

Sept. 8, 2026 11 min. read

This won’t be Ontario’s last hot summer, but many vulnerable residents still lack air conditioning...

A woman crouches along a riverbank, holding a green crab in hand.

News

Ten years after a devastating oil spill, Heiltsuk Nation’s clam fishery faces a new foe: invasive crabs

By Sonal Gupta (Local Journalism Initiative Reporter)

Sept. 4, 2026 11 min. read

As invasive crabs gobble up young clams, a commercial fishery and way of life hang...

Drew Anderson stands in the bucket of a massive excavator used for coal mining in Alberta

Newsletter

Alberta coal mining — up close and personal

By Drew Anderson

Sept. 4, 2026

Coal mining in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains looks a little different when you’re...

A worker wearing a hard hat, reflective vest and jeans overlooks mine operations at the Coal Valley mine south of Edson, Alberta.

Photo Essay

A glimpse inside an active Alberta coal mine

By Drew Anderson and Amber Bracken

Sept. 3, 2026 10 min. read

In a rare move, one company gave The Narwhal a tour of its coal mine...

Two people are seen in a canoe at sunset, with beach in the foreground and a crescent moon hanging toward the top left of the frame, above the mountains.

First Person

The joys — and grief — of summer camping in Canada

By Arik Ligeti

Sept. 3, 2026 6 min. read

My canoe trip was filled with sights of waterfalls, loons, meteor showers and … charred...

Two horses stand along a marsh on a riverbank.

News

Alberta changes legislation to allow farmers to destroy many wetlands

By Drew Anderson

Sept. 2, 2026 5 min. read

The province says farmers shouldn’t need permission to destroy temporary or seasonal wetlands. One advocate...

Wildfires in Canada

More coverage

Photo: Jesse Winter / The Narwhal

Watch

@thenarwhalca

Threats to Alberta’s electricity grid, explained

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

Shorts

What can we do in a world on fire? Wildfire scientist on Canada’s 2026 blazes

What changed for Ontario’s environment after Premier Doug Ford’s third election victory?

How to make a $60 air purifier as wildfires rage in Canada, Vancouver’s abandoned boats problem and more: July in review

These photos of grizzly bears are real!

The $24 billion health care cost of Canada’s wildfires

Living with wildfire: a new normal for many B.C. communities

B.C. banned all exotic cats as pets. Where will they go?

Sexy tick checks, a push for gold near Tofino, and more: June in review

Would you swim at a beach if authorities didn’t test the water quality?

Guilbeault on Carney’s climate plan: ‘He thinks that the markets are going to do it’

Inside the push to mine gold near Tofino, B.C.

DRIPA, Indigenous Guardians, the second-sunniest province and more: May in review

A bee is photographed against a coloured backdrop.

Nature’s hardest working insects – bees – are under threat

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?

View More Videos

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. The trial recently concluded. Learn more.