Acclaimed investigative journalist Mike De Souza is joining The Narwhal’s pod as managing editor. 

De Souza is one of Canada’s preeminent energy and environment reporters and his journalism has been recognized by the Michener Foundation, the National Newspaper Awards, World Press Freedom Canada and the Canadian Association of Journalists. 

“The Narwhal has made a clear commitment to putting resources into journalism that matters at a time when many other media outlets in Canada either don’t have the resources to dig for the truth or they have chosen to look the other way,” De Souza said.

De Souza comes to The Narwhal from Global News, where he is currently the managing editor of enterprise and investigations. His journalism career has also included stints at Reuters, Postmedia, the Montreal Gazette and the National Observer.

“We are absolutely thrilled to add Mike’s journalistic talent and leadership skills to our growing team at The Narwhal,” said The Narwhal’s editor-in-chief Emma Gilchrist. “Mike has an exemplary track record of producing impactful investigative journalism — just the type of journalism The Narwhal is known for.”

The Narwhal, a pioneer of non-profit journalism in Canada, was launched by Gilchrist and Carol Linnitt in May 2018 and has grown from two to nine staff in three years. The publication is now supported by more than 3,100 members who voluntarily contribute whatever they can afford each month. 

“I have watched with great admiration over the past few years as Emma and Carol recruited some of the best journalists in Canada and built a scrappy, but mighty, media organization,” De Souza said. “It is a diverse, dedicated and hard-working team that is setting the agenda every day.”

In March 2021, The Narwhal became the first English-language publication in Canada to receive a new status that allows the organization to issue tax receipts for all membership contributions and donations. As a registered journalism organization The Narwhal is also able to receive gifts from registered charities, such as foundations, which represents a growing opportunity for the publication to expand nationwide from its western roots.

“I’m eager to help The Narwhal grow and ensure that the most powerful people in the country are fully aware that we will be there to hold them to account,” De Souza said.

“At a time when all the evidence shows our planet faces existential threats, The Narwhal is assembling an expanding group of journalists to confront this crisis. The growing support from The Narwhal’s audience has also been instrumental in the publication’s success and I want to thank them for making it possible for me to join this incredible team.”

In early May, The Narwhal received nine award nominations from the Canadian Association of Journalists and reporter Sarah Cox won a World Press Freedom award for her investigative reporting on B.C.’s beleaguered Site C dam. 

Canada’s independent news landscape is growing quickly. In November, The Narwhal helped launch an association of independent news organizations called Press Forward, which advocates for a stronger voice for the burgeoning sector.

“Mike joining our team at The Narwhal is yet another sign that new models for journalism are thriving and represent a promising future for Canadian journalism,” Gilchrist said.

De Souza will start at The Narwhal on June 14 and can be reached at mike@thenarwhal.ca.

Linnitt, The Narwhal’s co-founder, will now take on the role of executive editor, with an increased focus on overseeing special projects.

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.

The Narwhal has been recognized with nine Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) award nominations for work including on-the-ground coverage of the Wet’suwet’en crisis, reporting on the plight of fisheries observers and a series on nature-based climate solutions.

The nine nods announced on Monday place The Narwhal right at the front of the pack, behind only the CBC in number of CAJ selections — a feat that comes less than three years since our publication was founded.

“At The Narwhal, we often talk about how our non-profit online magazine can play a role in redefining the journalism landscape,” co-founder and managing editor Carol Linnitt said. “It’s amazing to see how our small team with limited resources can have such a big impact in our industry.”

“What’s even more rewarding is the fact that our readers, who are our single biggest source of revenue, actually helped make this possible,” Linnitt added. “We’re restoring those connections between journalists and the public they serve and producing award-worthy journalism at the same time. What a miracle.”

Those connections between journalists and the public sparked the publication of an investigation examining workplace abuse of fisheries observers in B.C.’s coastal waters, a piece that was named a CAJ finalist for labour reporting. Jimmy Thomson’s story, which included interviews with 11 current or former at-sea observers, was inspired by a tip from a member about a festering issue hiding the true impacts of the province’s trawl fishery.

Fisheries observers are responsible for monitoring bycatch on industrial trawlers off the B.C. coast. Many of these individuals feel not enough is being done to protect them from intimidation and harassment while at sea. “It’s a very dangerous thing for observers to be out there,” one whistleblower told The Narwhal. “You’re out there alone, often without cell service or contact.” Photo: Taylor Roades / The Narwhal

Thomson was also nominated in the daily excellence category for his profile of Ghanimat Azhdari, a beloved Iranian scientist studying at the University of Guelph who spent her life fighting for Indigenous voices in conservation. Azhdari was among the 176 victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which was shot down shortly after takeoff.

The Narwhal’s Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood was named a finalist for the emerging Indigenous journalist award, a recognition of exemplary journalism produced by a First Nations, Inuit or Métis journalist who is at the beginning of their career. Since joining The Narwhal in early 2020, Wood has reported on issues including the Sinixt peoples’ fight to have their rights recognized by the federal government, the impacts of logging and climate change on B.C. fish populations as well as an ecosystem that could prove to be a secret weapon against sea level rise.

Northwest B.C. reporter Matt Simmons was nominated for the APTN/CAJ reconciliation award, which recognizes reporting by a non-Indigenous journalist that has broadened the understanding of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. A profile of the life and legacy of Xenaksiala Elder Wa’xaid Cecil Paul and a piece on Canada’s first Indigenous coast guard program were among the works in Simmons’ nominated portfolio.

Sarah Cox’s investigation into problems with B.C.’s Site C dam, based on 2,247 pages of documents acquired via a freedom of information request, was nominated in the scoop category. The nod came on the same day Cox was honoured as a co-winner of the 2021 Press Freedom Award for her relentless reporting on the provincial government’s mishandling of the hydro project. Cox’s coverage of Site C has also been nominated for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Jackman Award.

Cox was also nominated by the CAJ for environmental and climate change reporting for her feature on B.C.’s looming extinction crisis. The story looked at the dire situation facing the fisher and more than 2,000 other species at risk of extinction as the province fails to follow through on a commitment to enact a standalone endangered species law.

The Narwhal’s Carbon Cache series on nature-based climate solutions earned a nomination in the online media category. The ongoing series has looked into everything from the Cree Nation’s fight to save the Broadback Forest to the fate of the carbon-rich peatlands in the development hotspot that is Ontario’s Ring of Fire.

The Narwhal’s emphasis on visual storytelling was recognized with two nominations in the photojournalism category. Aaron Vincent Elkaim’s photo essay earned a nod for its exploration of the legacy of Manitoba Hydro and the impacts of its projects on the lives and livelihoods of Indigenous communities. Amber Bracken was also nominated for her photo essay of the Wet’suwet’en matriarchs who were arrested by RCMP officers enforcing the Coastal GasLink pipeline injunction in January 2020. Bracken was previously recognized by the CAJ as one of three journalists covering the Wet’suwet’en crisis to receive the Charles Bury President’s Award, which honours those who have made outstanding contributions to journalism in Canada.

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.



The Narwhal held a special live video event on Monday to help you make sense of the climate and energy measures announced in the federal budget.

Reporter Fatima Syed — whose byline you might recognize from our explainer on the Supreme Court carbon pricing ruling — brought her scrutiny skills to the latest, greatest goings-on in the nation’s capital. She was joined by three all-star guests: Margot Hurlbert, Sara Hastings-Simon and Senator Rosa Galvez.

Hurlbert is the Canada Research Chair in Climate Change, Energy and Sustainability Policy and has helped craft numerous reports for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Hastings-Simon, a research fellow at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, brought her experience in science, business and policy to break down how we can make low-carbon energy transitions. Senator Galvez is a leading expert on the impacts of pollution on human health who, in addition to her Senate duties, works as a professor at Université Laval à Québec.

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.

The results are (partially) in and British Columbians have spoken: we’re headed for the first NDP majority government in nearly two decades.

While the record-high number of roughly 480,000 mail-in ballots means we likely won’t have the final tally for a few weeks, John Horgan’s NDP is on track to pick up 55 seats, with Andrew Wilkinson’s BC Liberals on pace for 29 seats and Sonia Furstenau’s Greens expected to win three seats.

The resounding victory will mean Horgan no longer has to count on the support of the Greens to govern. The 2017 vote, you might recall, saw the BC Liberals edge out the NDP 44 seats to 43 seats, leaving the balance of power in the hands of Andrew Weaver’s Greens. His party, which won three seats, negotiated a confidence and supply agreement with the NDP, which included several major commitments on environmental policy. 

The decision by Horgan to call an election a year ahead of schedule — and amid the COVID-19 pandemic — was criticized by his opponents as opportunistic. But the NDP Leader defended the move, saying a clear mandate from voters was needed to tackle the health crisis. 

Regardless of the motivations, the calculation clearly paid off in spades. The last time the BC NDP pulled off a majority? You’d have to go back to the 1996 election, when the NDP — under the leadership of Glen Clark — staved off future premier Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberals despite losing the popular vote. That was followed by a 16-year BC Liberal reign from 2001 to 2017.

So what do these 2020 B.C. election results mean for environment and climate issues in the province? Read on.

The B.C. Greens will have a lot less influence

Green Leader Sonia Furstenau. Photo: BC Green Party / Handout

Despite drawing about 16 per cent of the preliminary vote, the Green Party is set to win no more than three seats in this B.C. election. While that’s the same number of seats the party won in the 2017 election, the NDP no longer needs the support of the Greens to govern — resulting in a dramatic loss of influence for Furstenau’s party.

Still, the steady Green support sends a signal about the desire for action on environmental issues among British Columbians.

The fate of the Site C dam remains uncertain

When Horgan formed government in 2017, he sent Site C for an expedited review by the B.C. Utilities Commission, but ultimately decided to push ahead with the controversial BC Hydro project, saying Christy Clark’s BC Liberals had pushed the dam past the point of no return.

The NDP government proceeded to create a Site C assurance board while adding $2 billion to the project’s budget, for an estimated total cost of $10.7 billion.

But the assurance board’s work was largely kept under wraps until an investigation published by The Narwhal on Oct. 21 revealed the board was told in May 2019 that Site C faced “significant risk due to the weak foundation” of the dam.

Site C construction is seen along the Peace River in B.C. Photo: Garth Lenz / The Narwhal

Two top civil servants are among those who sit on the assurance board, raising questions about why the public wasn’t informed of Site C’s serious geotechnical problems until July of this year.

The government has tapped former deputy finance minister Peter Milburn as a special advisor to provide an independent report on the project’s geotechnical issues and cost overruns. Milburn’s findings are expected to come in November or December, but it’s not clear if the report will be made public.

During the election campaign, Horgan defended his 2017 decision to proceed with Site C, but left open room to change course depending on what Milburn’s report reveals.

“If the science tells us and the economics tells us that it’s the wrong way to proceed, we will take appropriate action,” Horgan said during an Oct. 16 leaders’ radio debate.

Some experts are estimating that the Site C budget could exceed $12 billion, and a new report from a U.S. energy economist found that B.C. taxpayers could save $116 million a year if the project is cancelled.

Full steam ahead on the CleanBC climate plan

If re-elected, the NDP has committed to enacting legislation requiring B.C. to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, meaning that any greenhouse gas emissions would have to be offset by carbon sinks, carbon capture and storage or other technology.

It’s a lofty goal given that, so far, B.C. has only released a plan to get the province to 79 per cent of its emissions targets for 2030. 

To help B.C. reach its climate goal, the NDP say they would invest in B.C. entrepreneurs working on carbon capture technology, use incentives to spur energy efficiency building retrofits, make additional investments in the CleanBC industrial emissions strategy to help mines, pulp mills, oil and gas processing plants and other industrial operations reduce their emissions, and work to reduce methane emissions. 

The NDP has also re-committed to reviewing oil and gas subsidies — handouts the Greens want to see scrapped.

George Heyman, who served as the NDP’s minister of environment and climate change strategy since 2017, said in an Oct. 15 debate that his party has “committed to put an environmental lens on all the oil and gas royalty credits and take a good, hard, comprehensive look at them.”

LNG Canada and B.C.’s liquefied natural gas ambitions

B.C. Premier John Horgan tours the site of the LNG Canada project in Kitimat, B.C., in January 2020. Photo: Province of B.C. / Flickr

B.C. has continually promoted having the “cleanest LNG in the world.” But experts have questioned whether the industry is compatible with the province’s climate plans, including a recent report which found B.C. could exceed its 2050 target by 227 per cent if it proceeds with all proposed LNG projects.

There are seven proposed LNG facilities in B.C., but so far — amid a global surplus in natural gas — LNG Canada is the only one that has seen construction move forward. 

Horgan has promised to monitor LNG Canada to ensure it falls within B.C.’s climate targets, but when it comes online in 2024, the project will be one of the country’s single largest sources of carbon pollution.

B.C. forests, logging and endangered species

The province still has no standalone endangered species legislation despite an NDP vow in the 2017 election campaign to enact a law to protect more than 2,000 species at risk of extinction.

The 2020 NDP platform only included a vague promise to develop “new strategies” that would better protect wildlife.

Meanwhile, questions linger over how far the new government will go to add further protections for old growth forests. In September, the NDP responded to a report on the dire state of B.C.’s old-growth forests by announcing it was deferring logging in nine areas. In reality, though, those areas contained very little old growth and will only be saved from logging for two years. 

The government also plans to auction off logging permits in the Kootenays, a move that threatens to destroy habitat for an endangered caribou herd said to have the best chance of survival in the region. 

And in B.C.’s Spuzzum Valley, a pair of breeding spotted owls — a species that had been presumed extinct in Canada — were recently discovered in an area slated for imminent logging.

B.C. salmon and coastal habitat

The NDP have promised to increase processing of wild fish caught in B.C., to work to double funding for the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (a joint effort with the federal government) and to develop new plans to protect wild salmon.

During the election, Horgan said that if the salmon farming industry doesn’t have support from local communities by 2022, he would look to phase out farms in the Broughton Archipelago, an important migratory route for wild salmon. 

The NDP has also promised to develop a new strategy to protect coastal habitat, specifically committing to look at freighter traffic management around southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. 

Reforming mining regulations in B.C.

Water contaminated with acid mine drainage flows into a containment pond near the Tulsequah River. Photo: Colin Arisman / The Narwhal

The NDP has said it would create a mining innovation hub to work toward stronger regulations and low-carbon approaches to mining, and has also promised to hold mining companies financially responsible for environmental clean-up if a project is abandoned.

The First Nations Energy and Mining Council said recent reforms to B.C.’s mining laws fall short in several areas, including updates to safety requirements around tailings facilities.    

Mining companies are theoretically required to pay the province money up front to cover the costs of reclamation and closure in case they go bankrupt. But according to a 2018 report from B.C.’s chief inspector of mines, the province is running a deficit of about $1.2 billion to cover reclamation costs. More than 30 mining advocacy and law organizations have lobbied the government for years to change its laws and hold mining companies financially accountable. 

Electric vehicles and entrepreneurship

The NDP has promised new incentives for both new and used zero-emission vehicles to make them more accessible to people with lower incomes and increase the number of vehicle charging stations with incentives and legislation. They’re also pledging to cut the provincial sales tax on e-bikes.

Horgan’s party also wants to make B.C. a global producer of low-carbon products and services. To get there, they’ve committed to investing in high-speed internet across the province, supporting innovative clusters that bring companies, researchers and entrepreneurs together and working with the federal government and BC Hydro to expand electrification infrastructure.

— With files from Ainslie Cruickshank, Matt Simmons and Emma Gilchrist

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.

We asked, and boy, did our pod of readers ever deliver. From Qualicum Beach, B.C., to Halifax to south of the border in Boston, dozens of kids sent in superb drawings for our narwhal art contest. Many even took care to craft high tales of the deep seas: there’s Lola the music fan, Maya the speedster, singer-dancer-Santa helper Nora — and many more.

Below are all of the entries, starting with the three grand prize winners. Rest assured, every single artist will receive a Narwhal souvenir. Thanks for participating!

The winners

Beatrice Thomson, 11, from Gatineau, Que., submitted this drawing of Sandy and her little baby Narnia. Sandy made a sea cake for Narnia’s birthday and she is bringing it to the party on her tusk.

Ethan Ezekiel, 12, from Ajax, Ont., sent in this drawing. Here’s some background on his submission: “Ethan has always been incredibly passionate about marine animals. One of his absolute favourites are the unicorns of the sea! When I told him about this contest, he got all excited and asked me, ‘Did you know they have tusks that are about 10 feet long?!’ He told me how scientists still don’t know much about these elusive creatures, and that he hoped to learn more about them soon.”

Rebecca Harty, 5, from Bawlf, Alta., sent in this drawing of Narrel. “She is going down to the bottom depths of the ocean with Ariel the mermaid. They are going to find a gem of wisdom to keep the castle safe from falling.”

Our special entrants

We couldn’t announce these winners without acknowledging the person that inspired us to launch this contest: Teddy Fribourg, 4, from Brooklyn, New York. Thanks, Teddy!

The Teddy masterpiece.

We also want to shout out these unique submissions:

Lena Desjardins, 10, of Ottawa sent in this submission. Lena also happens to be the daughter of our trusty developer, Chris, who designed The Narwhal’s logo. Talent runs in the family!

John de Groot’s daughter, Ella Rose, pained this narwhal drawing when she was 10. John liked it so much he got it tattooed on his arm!

The finalists

This submission comes from Zorza Plachta, 8, near Haines, Alaska. Zorza, whose favourite book is The Animal Encyclopedia, says: “This is a picture of a pod of narwhals swimming around. Narwhals start out mostly blueish grey, and then when they get older they get more black parts, and really old narwhals are almost entirely white. They live up in the Arctic. The picture of these narwhals is of medium young narwhals. The narwhal horn spirals, like a unicorn horn.”

Wesley Audette-Longo, 4, from Ottawa, decided to take a closer look at a solo sea traveller after learning that narwhals sometimes get closed in by shifting ice.

Teegan Walshe, 13, from Qualicum Beach, B.C., sent in this piece of singer-dancer-Santa helper Nora The Narwhal.

Sophie Quinn, 5, of Burnaby, B.C., sent in this piece with a note: “Gnarley the narwhal lives in the Arctic Ocean and she has so many friends. Gnarley loves all of them and so does her friend, Lizzie the mermaid.”

Sofia Dietrich Woods, 9, from Ottawa, wrote this lovely tale to accompany her piece: “Once there was a narwhal named Lola, she loved listening to music and playing with her friends. Once when she and her friends were playing, they saw a polar bear swimming in the water. They were so scared, Lola and her friends swam to Lola’s house. The polar bear just wanted to be friends with the narwhals because they were famous even if they did not know it. The polar bear was sad. He went home after catching a seal for dinner. The next day when Lola and her friends were playing, the polar bear came to catch some fish for lunch when he saw the narwhals playing. He started to cry because he didn’t have any friends of his own and he was jealous of the narwhals. Lola was playing tag with her friends when she heard crying. It was the polar bear that they had swam away from the previous day. She went up to the surface even though her friends warned her not to. She was a bit scared but she did it anyway. The polar bear told her how he didn’t have any friends. Lola felt sorry for him and she invited him to play, but when she went under water her friends had left. So, she played with Bruno the polar bear by herself. When a couple hours passed, Bruno had to go home. Lola had told Bruno that she would play with him tomorrow. The next day Lola’s friends came to play. They weren’t as scared of Bruno as they were the last time. They were still scared though when Lola went to the surface and they followed close behind her. They played with Bruno for hours. When Bruno had to go home, they said, ‘see you tomorrow.’ When Bruno got home, everyone was talking about him and everyone wanted to be his friend.”

Scarlett Selby, 4, from Toronto, sent in this colourful drawing. “Scarlett loves every iteration of unicorns and unicorns of the sea! Since the month of June and Pride, Scarlett has been very taken with all the rainbow flags around Toronto. They have inspired the creation of her Rainbow Narwhal.”

This sparkling gem comes courtesy of Ramona Geikie, 9, from Halifax.

Nina Mazereeuw, 12, from Boston, sent in this lovely drawing and a dark tale from the high seas.

Nikita Montplaisir, 11, from Montreal, likes narwhals because they are often pictured to represent the letter N, which is the initial of her name. This drawing, and the waffle, were inspired by the books of Ben Clanton. Nikita loves waffles too!

Nell Delay, 7, from Calgary, sent this story in to accompany her drawing: “Once upon a time, there was a narwhal named Coral. She wanted more than anything to breathe above the surface, but everybody knows that narwhals can’t breathe above the surface. ‘Maybe I can just have a peek,’ said Coral. So, she went up to the surface. She took a big breath in and peered above the surface. She saw cars and houses and people. She couldn’t hold her breath for long so she ducked back under. She couldn’t wait to tell all her friends at school what she had seen. The next day she went to school. She told all her friends at school about the surface. They wanted to see the surface so they went up to the surface and saw all the things. They ducked back under. Then they saw an adult. ‘I was watching you narwhals, narwhals can breathe above the surface!'”

This drawing comes from Mya Gushue, 7, from Halifax.

Matilda Varteniuk, 7, sent in this drawing and tale of Maria and her friends.

Lia Mosher, 8, from Halifax, sent in this sparkling piece.

Kingston Sullivan, 6, sent in these narwhals named Toadette and Toad. “They are 15 years old and are married with no baby narwhals. They live in a frosted glacier and their favourite food is super mushrooms They are special because of their tusks and Toad has two tusks.”

Kenna Zenner, 9, sent in this piece of a little narwhal family.

Kalia Klassen, 4, from Abbotsford, B.C., sent in this drawing featuring herself and her little sister, Nina, riding on top of a narwhal named Kalila. Kalila the Narwhal has a colourful tusk and long orange and red hair.

Kaitlyn Harry, 4, from Bawlf, Alta., sent in this drawing of Spotty. He is going to eat lunch — the seaweed around him.

Jimmy Ladubec, 4, from Waterloo, Ont., sketched this piece of Narcal. “Narcal has had hundreds of narwhal babies and one looked like a shark, but then it turned out just to be a crumb. Narcal is special because he is magical and even though he is a boy he can have babies. His spots make him magical.”

Isabelle Curran of Rhinebeck, New York, sent in this drawing of Mr. Willy.

Emily Audette-Longo, 7, from Ottawa, explored escape possibilities for narwhals that get caught in shifting sea ice.

Eleanor Dobson, 3, from Calgary, sketched this abstract piece. Eleanor loves narwhals — mostly reading her narwhal books, so she thought it should be wearing glasses.

Daisy Varteniuk, 9, from Kitchener, Ont, drew this piece of Maya, a “super fast” and curious narwhal.

Alexandra Pastor, 12, sent this deep-sea sketch from Alexandria, Virginia.

Alexander de Groot, 10, sent in this piece of some very classy and cool narwhals.

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.

Every few months, without fail, a Narwhal reader sends in a drawing their kid made of the famed unicorn of the sea. And so, at a time when many camps are closed and families are spending more time than ever together, we figured: why not come up with a fun activity for the dog days of summer?

Here’s the deal: we want to see your kid’s narwhal artwork, no matter the skill level, whether they’re four or 14. Once they sketch their creation, snap a picture and send it our way by Aug. 23 to editor@thenarwhal.ca, with the subject line: Narwhal art contest. Make sure to include your child’s name, hometown and, if there’s a tale, the inspiration behind the art (Does their narwhal have a name? What makes narwhals special?).

We’ll review all the submissions, and pick three winners who will receive a sweet prize pack of Narwhal swag.

We’ll also be sure to share many of the wonderful works in our newsletter, on our website and social media. Looking for inspiration? Check out the piece above by four-year-old creative whiz Teddy Fribourg.

Break out those crayons or paintbrushes and get started!

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.

The federal government has ordered an environmental assessment of the Vista thermal coal mine expansion in Alberta, reversing a decision from late last year amid mounting pressure from Indigenous peoples, environmental organizations and citizens.

In his announcement, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jonathan Wilkinson acknowledged the Vista project “may result in adverse effects of greater magnitude to those previously considered.”

Those adverse effects include the risk that the project may fail to mitigate impacts to Indigenous peoples, fish habitat and species at risk, all areas that fall under federal jurisdiction. Wilkinson also flagged the potential impacts on Aboriginal and Treaty rights, which include hunting, fishing and gathering. 

The federal government had initially stated that the Alberta Energy Regulator would be capable of addressing any concerns via a provincial review. In a letter sent to Wilkinson on May 1 requesting a federal assessment, lawyers for Louis Bull Tribe said a provincial process would not include consultation nor would it assess adverse effects on the Tribe’s rights.

Alan Andrews, a lawyer and climate program director at Ecojustice, said Wilkinson’s decision was a positive signal for Ottawa’s willingness to respect Indigenous rights. Andrews also said it sends a clear message on Canada’s climate commitments.

“I think it shows a real determination to lead on climate change and lead on the environment and show that the new impact assessment regime is fit for purpose,” Andrews said. 

Ecojustice, on behalf of Keepers of the Water, Keepers of the Athabasca and the West Athabasca Watershed Bioregional Society, also submitted its own formal request to Wilkinson requesting a federal assessment.

“It would have I think made a mockery of the new regime if this had sailed through without a federal impact assessment,” Andrews said. “And it would have smacked of hypocrisy if Canada continued to strut around on the world stage urging other countries to power past coal, while at the same time selling the stuff to them.”

Canada has committed to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030, although the proposed Vista project — which produces coal for electricity — would see the coal burned abroad. 

The cumulative emissions of the Vista project could total roughly 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, according to Ecojustice. Put another way, that’s the same as the greenhouse gas emissions from 7 million passenger vehicles for one year.

Wilkinson’s decision noted that Vista’s expansion plan amounted to just shy of the 50 per cent increase in production that would require a federal assessment. At the same time, total coal production would rise to 18,683 tonnes per day, well above the 5,000-tonne-per-day threshold outlined in regulations.

Coalspur, the company behind the Vista mine just outside of Hinton, Alta., had also submitted an application this year for a second initiative to construct new underground test mines. Ottawa will now be reviewing the expansion plan in tandem with the underground project.

Had Ottawa allowed Vista to be solely assessed on its original expansion plans, Andrews said it would have sent “a signal to project proponents that they can game the system and basically slice up a project into smaller chunks in order to avoid the statutory threshold for an impact assessment.”

Coalspur and affiliated company Bighorn Mining did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Overseas emissions and Canada’s climate commitments

Until now, any overseas emissions wouldn’t have been taken into consideration by the federal government in its assessment. But Wilkinson’s decision came in tandem with the release of a draft framework for assessing thermal coal projects that points to the need to look at downstream emissions.

“One of the major problems with how climate is addressed in Canadian law and policies is there’s an assumption that as soon as fossil fuels are sent overseas, that it’s no longer Canada’s problem,” Andrews said, adding that it’s important to consider whether overseas production is consistent with Canada’s climate obligations.

Julia Levin, climate and energy program manager at Environmental Defence, says this is the first time Ottawa has explicitly outlined considerations of downstream impacts in its assessment process.

“Research shows exported emissions are greater than our domestic emissions, so in terms of doing our fair share internationally under the Paris agreement, it is really key that we be looking at downstream,” Levin said.

“What we’d like to see going forward is all projects having their downstream emissions analyzed, but this is a start.”

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.

The Canadian Association of Journalists has recognized photographer Amber Bracken for her exceptional coverage of the Wet’suwet’en crisis in The Narwhal, praising her “moral courage” in defending the public’s right to know.

Bracken, Jerome Turner and Jesse Winter — all of whom reported on RCMP raids in Wet’suwet’en territory — were awarded the Charles Bury President’s Award for their outstanding contributions to journalism in Canada.

The three journalists were on the ground in northwest B.C. in February when the RCMP threatened to arrest reporters and implemented an exclusion zone to prohibit media from monitoring police activity. 

The police force subsequently reversed course amid widespread criticism from the Canadian Association of Journalists, Amnesty International and news organizations including The Narwhal.

Canadian Association of Journalists president Karyn Pugliese praised Bracken, Turner and Winter for their “moral courage” to report in the face of those threats, adding: “Nothing is more critical to a free and just society than the right to know.”

Photographer Amber Bracken.

In her acceptance speech, Bracken acknowledged the concerted efforts to defend press freedom.

“It would have been a much scarier place to be without the support that was shown by CAJ and without the resolute support of Emma and Carol at The Narwhal, and all of my other colleagues there who were working tirelessly behind the scenes to write and contextualize what I was seeing on the front line,” Bracken said.

“There is no minor infraction on the right to report and we really do need to stick together and we really need to have each other’s backs,” she said. “Considering the times we’re living through, it’s more important than ever that we be really tenacious about defending our right to report.”

What an incredible honour and wonderful company to be in—thank you. I can’t say enough about, @thenarwhalca @carollinnitt and @reporteremma who’s support bolstered my courage and who never once made me feel I was on my own. As a freelancer, that is a really big deal. https://t.co/V54F9Z9OQx

— Amber Bracken (@photobracken) May 31, 2020

“The crisis on Wet’suwe’ten territory goes to the heart of The Narwhal’s reporting on Indigenous rights and the management of natural resources, especially in places that are remote and often out of sight for the vast majority of Canadians,” said Carol Linnitt, The Narwhal’s managing editor.

“Amber’s bravery and commitment to tell the story through her photography — even in the face of intimidation — played an invaluable role in keeping the public informed about this critical issue.”

Bracken spent one month in Wet’suwet’en territory while on assignment for The Narwhal, producing in-depth reporting and photography on the RCMP raids as well as the cultural impacts of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet’suwet’en territory. 

The Wet’suwet’en standoff in opposition to the pipeline sparked international media coverage along with protests and blockades across Canada. Amid the backlash, the federal and B.C. governments agreed to sit down with Wet’suwet’en hereditary leaders to discuss rights and title. An agreement between the three parties was reached last month.

This year’s Canadian Association of Journalists Awards were held virtually after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the gala in Montreal. 

Beyond Bracken’s work, The Narwhal received nominations for its investigation into Alberta’s oil and gas regulator as well as a photo essay documenting a Canadian mining company’s impact on a small Mexican town.

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.

The Narwhal has received eight nominations from Canada’s Digital Publishing Awards, scoring the fourth-largest number of selections of any media outlet for its feature writing, photography and video work.

The eight nominations in digital excellence place The Narwhal, a non-profit and ad-free publication covering Canada’s natural world, right behind industry heavyweights The Globe and Mail, CBC and Radio-Canada.

Emma Gilchrist, The Narwhal’s co-founder and editor-in-chief said the nominations highlight the potential for non-profit business models to breathe new life into Canadian journalism.

“The Narwhal’s single largest source of revenue is its readers, with more than 1,200 monthly members,” she said. “Through their contributions, readers make it possible for us to produce journalism that’s now being recognized as among the country’s finest.”

Two of The Narwhal’s long-form pieces, on the clear-cutting of a Canadian rainforest and a First Nation’s fight against a mining company, received nominations in both the best feature article and best photo storytelling categories.

A long-form feature on Canada’s forgotten rainforest, written by Sarah Cox with photos by Taylor Roades, explored the risks facing British Columbia’s inland temperate rainforest — which is being logged as fast as the Amazon.

An image from The Narwhal’s trip to inland temperate rainforest in B.C. The Narwhal’s feature by B.C. Reporter Sarah Cox, Canada’s forgotten rainforest, is nominated for best feature and best photo storytelling with the Digital Publishing Awards. Photo: Taylor Roades / The Narwhal

Judith Lavoie’s story and Louis Bockner’s photography, meanwhile, highlighted the Tsilhqot’in Nation’s 30-year battle against a proposed mine that would threaten a lake of profound cultural and spiritual significance.

The Narwhal picked up four of the six nominations in the photo category, a recognition of its commitment to world-class visual journalism.

The nominations for best photo storytelling include an in-depth feature documenting the effects of aging oil and gas infrastructure on Alberta canola farmers, photographed by Amber Bracken, and the environmental legacy left behind by a Canadian-owned mining company operating in Mexico, photographed by Amanda Annand. 

Don Weiben shows journalist Sharon J. Riley and photographer Amber Bracken his canola crop near Fairview, Alberta on Tuesday, July 23, 2019. Much of the canola on the Wieben family farm is affected by the presence of pipelines underground. Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal

The latter photo essay, The pit of San Pedro, was also recently nominated for a photojournalism award from the Canadian Association of Journalists.

An article by Gilchrist on the Heiltsuk Nation’s plan to establish its own oil spill response centre in the wake of a 2016 tugboat disaster was nominated in the short feature category. A video on the same subject, produced by Jayce Hawkins of Approach Media, picked up a nomination in the video feature category. 

A portrait of Jordan Wilson, a Heiltsuk Coastal Guardian Watchman, aboard one of the nation’s monitoring vessels. Emma Gilchrist’s feature on the Heiltsuk First Nations’ efforts to create an Indigenous Marine Response Centre is nominated for a Digital Publishing Award. Photo: Louise Whitehouse / The Narwhal

Finalists for the Digital Publishing Awards, now in its fifth year, were chosen by a panel of 75 judges examining work from 150 publications.

This year’s winners will be announced online as COVID-19 forces the cancellation of the in-person awards event.

In addition to the 2020 Digital Publishing Awards nods, The Narwhal was nominated for two Canadian Association of Journalists awards this year. It won four Canadian Online Publishing Awards in 2018 and received multiple nominations for the Digital Publishing Awards and National Magazine Awards in 2019.

Want to support The Narwhal’s award-winning, non-profit journalism? Become a member for as little as $5/month to help make our independent journalism possible. 

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.

The benchmark prices for Alberta and North American crude traded in the negative for the first time on Monday as the coronavirus pandemic wipes out demand and stockpiles accumulate. 

Western Canadian Select, the measuring stick for Alberta’s oil, fell below $0 — a situation that prompted Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to weigh in.

Western Canadian Select oil is now trading at negative prices.

Killing & delaying pipelines landlocked us.#Covid19 collapsed demand.

The Russian-Saudi price war surged supply, filling up inventories.

The future of hundreds of thousands of Canadian jobs is at stake. pic.twitter.com/n2pGHsh30E

— Jason Kenney (@jkenney) April 20, 2020

The North American benchmark — West Texas Intermediate — fell even further, with futures contracts trading at minus US$37.63.

As we enter a world of negative oil prices, here’s a look at what you need to know.

Negative oil prices, explained

The pandemic has reduced demand for oil as people spend less time driving or flying and companies slow down operations, reducing the number of goods that need to be shipped.

You’d think companies could just hold on to their oil if the prices they’re fetching aren’t worth it.

But too much oversupply around the world can mean storage options simply run out. That’s exactly what’s happening now — and a key factor in why prices are now dropping into the negative.

Here’s how Bloomberg explained the unprecedented collapse: “with the pandemic bringing the economy to a standstill, there is so much unused oil sloshing around that American energy companies have run out of room to store it. And if there’s no place to put the oil, no one wants a crude contract that is about to come due.”

Those crude contracts are what futures traders traffic in as they try to turn a profit. But now, there are no buyers for those contracts that designate Cushing, Okla., as the delivery point.

Cushing is a critical storage location for crude, but available space there is filling up fast as demand plummets. According to some estimates, Cushing’s remaining storage capacity could be maxed out in a matter of weeks. 

The situation has left futures traders with nowhere to park the crude to fulfill their contracts, which has sent markets spiralling.

Alberta oilsands production is being reduced

Alberta’s major weaknesses in the oil markets — being landlocked and the quality of its crude — were already on display before this crisis. 

Western Canadian Select plunged as low as US$5.97 per barrel in December 2018, according to data from the Government of Alberta. And it hit low single digits again in March of this year.

The price drop has prompted some companies to respond by cutting some production and reducing spending.

(If you’re wondering why companies don’t just halt operations entirely, experts say that’s simply too expensive in the oilsands.)

Less spending, less production and low crude prices are all bad news for oilsands workers. That’s why the federal government has announced $1.7 billion in funding to provide jobs cleaning up old, inactive oil and gas wells. 

While that’s good news for the environment and the economy, it also raises questions about handing a bill to taxpayers that is intended for industry.

How did we get here?

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, another key factor was a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia that flooded the market with cheap oil at exactly the wrong time.

And despite a deal being reached to cut Saudi production, the aftereffects of the spat are still being felt as demand remains at record lows globally. But that reduction on the part of the Saudis failed to do enough to address the supply glut.

As stockpiles continue to accumulate, it’s clear the challenges for the oil industry aren’t going away anytime soon.

With files from Sharon J. Riley

Like what you’re reading? Sign up for The Narwhal’s free newsletter.

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.

Every day brings with it new developments on the coronavirus crisis. And while it’s critically important to stay informed, sometimes we all need a break from the bad news. Here, The Narwhal shares some of our favourite solutions-based pieces about those striving to bring about positive change. For more of these kinds of stories, sign up for our newsletter.

Meet the young Indigenous organizers working to bring together ceremony and activism in Alberta

Veronica Fuentes and Nigel Robinson are members of Beaver Hills Warriors, a youth collective working to refocus climate discussion around Indigenous perspectives. “There’s a “life sustaining nature to our worldviews,” Fuentes says. “And I think that’s something we can teach the Western world something about.” Read more.

Heiltsuk rising: inside the cultural resurgence of one B.C. First Nation

In a series of stories and videos, The Narwhal explored how the Heiltsuk members have fought to resurrect their culture and traditions. That includes the recent opening of a historic big house and a planned land-based healing centre. The First Nation also wants to create an Indigenous Marine Response Centre in order to speed up action in the event of an oil spill.

Thaidene Nëné heralds a new era of parks

For decades, establishing a park in Canada meant removing Indigenous people from their traditional territories. In Canada’s newest national park — Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve — the Łutsel K’e Dene will hunt and fish, work as guardians of the territory and show off their land to tourists. Read more.

After oil and gas: Meet Alberta workers making the switch to solar

Alberta’s oil and gas workers can be underrepresented — or even maligned — in conversations about an energy transition in Canada. The Narwhal met with three former oil and gas workers to learn more about their lives and personal reasons for transitioning to solar. Read more.

‘Beyond what our instruments can tell us’: merging Indigenous knowledge and Western science at the edge of the world

Residents of remote Tuktoyaktuk — which may become the first community in Canada to relocate due to coastal erosion and sea level rise — are taking climate data gathering into their own hands. Read more.

‘Serengeti of the north’: the Kaska Dena’s visionary plan to protect a huge swath of B.C. wilderness

The First Nations that have lived in the north for thousands of years are out to prove that a conservation economy and extractive economy can thrive side by side — but first they need the B.C. government to get on board. Read more.

Life after Chinook: a West Coast fishing community looks to reinvent itself

In the small fishing community of Port Renfrew, B.C., people who have made their livelihoods off sport and commercial fishing are coming to terms with new restrictions introduced this spring by the federal government, and thinking hard about what comes next. Read more.

Meet a Blackfoot elder who worked for 20 years to showcase Writing-on-Stone to the world

Áísínai’pi, home to the highest concentration of rock carvings and paintings on the Great Plains of North America, was designated as Alberta’s first World Heritage site in 25 years because of the Blackfoot stories that surround it. Read more.

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.