https://thenarwhal.ca Deep Dives, Cold Facts, & Pointed Commentary en-US Copyright 2026 The Narwhal hourly 1 https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-species-conservation-act-enforced/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:31:22 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=158020 The new Species Conservation Act will leave many plants and animals — including barn owls and red-headed woodpeckers — largely unprotected, experts say Leah Borts-Kuperman News Bill 5 biodiversity Endangered Species Ontario Photo: Judit Dombovari / iStock A closeup image of a barn owl, with a blurry green background. https://thenarwhal.ca/golden-oyster-mushrooms-invasion/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=157462 Golden oyster mushrooms are spreading fast, altering how Ontario’s forests grow, decompose and nurture important native ’shrooms Leah Borts-Kuperman News biodiversity Great Lakes Ontario Photo: Aishwarya Veerabahu Yellow golden oyster mushrooms grow in tight clusters on a tree stump. https://thenarwhal.ca/green-burial-barriers-ontario/ Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=156088 A family’s fight for a burial without embalming chemicals or cremation illustrates the barriers grieving loved ones face in finding a greener final resting place Leah Borts-Kuperman and Laura Proctor In-Depth Ontario solutions A man stands in a sun room as soft, late-day light streams in through the windows. Outside, a lake covered by ice and snow. https://thenarwhal.ca/lake-simcoe-road-salt-problem/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=155416 Salt used to remove ice from roadways is collecting in Simcoe's watershed — a source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people Leah Borts-Kuperman News Great Lakes Ontario solutions urban development Photo: Christopher Drost / The Canadian Press A red plow truck drives down a highway during a snowstorm. https://thenarwhal.ca/severn-ontario-wetland-development/ Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:07:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=150484 Neighbours cried foul when a developer built a trail through a marsh near Orillia, but there was little residents or the township could do. Across Ontario, wetlands are getting harder and harder to protect Leah Borts-Kuperman In-Depth carbon sequestration Great Lakes Ontario urban development Seen from behind, a man looks out over a lake. https://thenarwhal.ca/cfb-moose-jaw-contamination-study/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=145982 The base is one of many across Canada dealing with contamination issues. Internal studies obtained by The Narwhal reveal an apparent discrepancy as the federal government maintains the site is safe for employees Leah Borts-Kuperman News contaminated sites Saskatchewan Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal Personnel attend a secure area at 15 Wing Moose Jaw as seen through a chainlink fence https://thenarwhal.ca/critical-mineral-nickel-mine-timmins/ Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=145354 Timmins, Ont., has a long history of mining and its economy could use another boom. As the federal and provincial governments push critical mineral projects forward, who will protect the town from financial and environmental bust? Leah Borts-Kuperman On the ground federal politics Indigenous Rights Major projects mining Ontario ring of fire Photo: Fred Lum / The Canadian Press Algonquin Blvd. East in downtown Timmins, Ont., is seen on April 10, 2021. The street is mostly empty, despite environmental risks. https://thenarwhal.ca/shawanaga-first-nation-bat-night/ Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=142618 A small Ontario First Nation is batting above average when it comes to protecting species-at-risk Leah Borts-Kuperman On the ground biodiversity Ontario Spirits of Place A little brown bat at Shawanaga First Nation being held by a person with black gloved hands https://thenarwhal.ca/national-defence-contaminated-sites-housing/ Thu, 31 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=141676 As Canada pledges to increase military might, National Defence says it can clean up and repurpose sites that contain PFAS, PCBs and other toxins Leah Borts-Kuperman In-Depth contaminated sites federal politics Illustration: Jarett Sitter / The Narwhal A comic-book style illustration of a family having a picnic, with one spouse wearing military fatigues and a child playing with a toy airplane. The ground underneath them has various symbols and molecule diagrams to show that it is contaminated. https://thenarwhal.ca/canadian-armed-forces-moose-jaw-explainer/ Wed, 16 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=140948 From cancers to neurological disorders, veterans and employees working on a Canadian Armed Forces base are ringing alarm bells Leah Borts-Kuperman Explainer contaminated sites Saskatchewan Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal Two military personnel in uniform walk past a plane on display https://thenarwhal.ca/canadian-armed-forces-contamination-moose-jaw/ Tue, 08 Jul 2025 11:12:39 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=140380 ‘I took an oath that I would risk my life for what Canada stood for’: members of Canada’s military say they didn’t expect that risk would be carcinogenic environmental contaminants in their offices Leah Borts-Kuperman and Amber Bracken Investigation On the ground contaminated sites Saskatchewan Illustration: Shawn Parkinson / The Narwhal. Photos: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal A collage of obituaries with notes.