Julia-Simone Rutgers is The Narwhal’s Manitoba reporter. Her position is part of a partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press. She joined The Narwhal after writing daily news for the Winnipeg Free Press and the Star Metro Halifax. She was also the first writer in residence at The Walrus, and has a smattering of bylines in The Globe and Mail, the Coast and the Discourse. Though she has lived on both coasts, she grew up in Calgary and feels most at home lounging on riverbanks under the wide-open Prairie skies. In her spare time, she dabbles in music making, visual art curation, writing poetry and exploring the forests, fields, lakes and rivers the province has to offer. Her role is made possible thanks to funding from The Winnipeg Foundation.