Leah Borts-Kuperman is a staff reporter with The Narwhal's Ontario bureau, based in North Bay, Ont., and focused on issues affecting what's known as the near north. She joined The Narwhal in 2026, thanks to funding from the Local Journalism Initiative, after years of freelancing for publications including Canada’s National Observer, The Walrus and Canadian Geographic on issues of environmental and public interest. She has reported on concerns around a plastics factory in North Bay and Nipissing First Nation, and a project to recover endangered bats, led by Shawanaga First Nation. Her freelance reporting for The Narwhal has won awards including Best Investigative Article and Best Feel Good Story at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards in 2025. She was also nominated for a 2025 National Newspaper Award for her investigative series into contamination on military sites across Canada.
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