Leah Borts-Kuperman
Northern Ontario reporter
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.
Stories by Leah Borts-Kuperman
Ontario’s Endangered Species Act is officially dead. Here’s what that means
7 min. readThe new Species Conservation Act will leave many plants and animals — including barn owls...
Spore loser: the DIY mushroom-growing trend invading Ontario forests
Golden oyster mushrooms are spreading fast, altering how Ontario’s forests grow, decompose and nurture important...
Ontario’s strict burial rules clash with nature lovers’ desire to rest in peace
A family’s fight for a burial without embalming chemicals or cremation illustrates the barriers grieving...
Winter road salt is threatening Lake Simcoe and Ontario watersheds year-round
Salt used to remove ice from roadways is collecting in Simcoe's watershed — a source...
Cut through a wetland: how Ontario’s losing a critical ecosystem
Neighbours cried foul when a developer built a trail through a marsh near Orillia, but...
Military’s own study finds harmful contaminants in Moose Jaw base building
The base is one of many across Canada dealing with contamination issues. Internal studies obtained...
A massive nickel mine, and the community that wants to love it
Timmins, Ont., has a long history of mining and its economy could use another boom....
Under its wing: How Shawanaga First Nation is protecting a key endangered species
A small Ontario First Nation is batting above average when it comes to protecting species-at-risk
National Defence plans to solve its housing crunch by developing contaminated sites
As Canada pledges to increase military might, National Defence says it can clean up and...
