If you’ve been listening closely lately — to global headlines, to the tone of public debate, to economic threats — you might be feeling a kind of knot in your stomach.

I’ve spent decades in journalism, including 17 years hosting CBC Radio’s The Current, asking questions that cut through noise to get at what really matters. And I can tell you: consequential moments like this demand more than quick hits and simplified answers.

They demand journalism that slows down, digs deep and refuses to lose the plot.

As someone who has spent a career dedicated to the public’s right to know, I am cautious where I place my trust. The Narwhal has earned it — through rigorous, independent reporting, careful, on-the-ground storytelling and a clear commitment to the public interest.

That’s why I recently joined The Narwhal’s board of directors, and why I’m writing to you today. This month, The Narwhal has set an ambitious goal: to welcome 230 new members to help sustain the kind of reporting I’m not seeing anywhere else. I hope you’ll be one of them.

Right now, across Canada, there’s growing pressure to move fast on big decisions: around oil production, critical minerals and the landscapes that shape who we are and what futures we can hope to share. You can hear it in the urgency of the language every day: build, expand, fast-track!

But when it feels like everything is speeding up, that’s when the larger context gets lost and accountability falls behind.

That’s where The Narwhal comes in. This newsroom is doing something increasingly rare: taking the time to report deeply on the natural world — on the land, the water and the communities most affected by decisions made in the halls of power or executive boardrooms. 

It’s why I’ve become a member myself. Will you join me and more than 7,000 others who chip in regularly to sustain this work? The Narwhal needs to add 230 new members this month to keep telling these important stories. And if you join now, at any monthly or yearly amount, you’ll get a Narwhal tote bag as thanks.

The stakes aren’t abstract. They’re all around us: in the ecosystems under pressure, in the watersheds that sustain communities, in the high-impact choices we’re making in the face of a changing climate.

Good journalism doesn’t tell you what to think. It gives you the clarity to understand what’s at stake — and the context to ask better questions and hold power to account.

That’s what The Narwhal provides for me. And it’s what your support makes possible.

If you’re able, I hope you’ll consider becoming a member today — for whatever amount feels right to you. Monthly or yearly, large or small, it all contributes to keeping this kind of journalism strong and independent.

Join this month at any recurring amount and you’ll receive a Narwhal tote bag as a small gift of thanks. But the real value is in helping to ensure high-quality, fact-based reporting continues — especially when it’s needed most.

In disorienting times like these, it matters where we turn for understanding. It matters what we build.

Thank you for being part of what we’re building here.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.