The Narwhal https://thenarwhal.ca Deep Dives, Cold Facts, & Pointed Commentary en-US Copyright 2026 The Narwhal hourly 1 Counting up receipts: one of Canada’s worst wildfire seasons cost at least $500M https://thenarwhal.ca/manitoba-wildfire-costs/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=159347 Our analysis found $500 million in expenses directly attributable to last year’s wildfires in Manitoba — from evacuation flights to lost homes to closed business to burned power poles. The true costs are even larger Julia-Simone Rutgers Explainer Investigation News Who Pays? Manitoba Wildfire Winnipeg Photo: Government of Manitoba A new analysis finds $500 million in costs directly tied to the Manitoba wildfires, including evacuations, emergency costs, insured losses, healthcare costs and many more. The true costs are far greater. SpaceX satellites half the size of pickup trucks are falling from the sky — every day https://thenarwhal.ca/space-junk-falling-50th-parallel/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=158852 As space junk accumulates, astronomer Sam Lawler explains why we should be concerned about the rapid proliferation of private satellites in low orbit Michelle Cyca Explainer federal politics prairies Photo: Jeanine Holowatuik / Northern Escape Photography The northern lights and stars light up the night sky, with a quiet lake in the foreground. Alberta’s got a new law to fast-track all-season resorts. In the Rockies, that’s causing concern https://thenarwhal.ca/all-season-resorts-explainer-alberta/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=158289 The Alberta government says new rules for all-season resorts will increase investor confidence and speed up approvals. Critics worry ‘there are no guardrails’ Sara King-Abadi Explainer Alberta protected areas Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal An aerial view of a river winding through a snow-covered forest landscape, with the sun rising over mountains in the background. ‘Largest single transfer in history’: 4,000 oil and gas wells just became orphans — nearly doubling Alberta’s total https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-orphan-wells-increase/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:57:27 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=158313 Thousands of wells belonging to beleaguered Calgary-based Long Run Exploration Ltd. have now been officially dubbed orphans. Here’s what you need to know Sharon J. Riley Explainer News Alberta oil and gas Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal Why are you mostly being sold Alaska-caught salmon in British Columbia? https://thenarwhal.ca/alaska-bc-fisheries-stores-sustainability/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=156916 Many critics argue Alaska takes too many salmon and is harming populations — but it’s easier to find Alaska-caught fish in B.C. stores and Alaskan salmon fisheries have global sustainability certification that B.C. salmon fisheries don’t. What gives? Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood and Matt Simmons Explainer B.C. biodiversity climate change fisheries food security Salmon in the Babine River How to build a pipeline across the frozen, shifting North https://thenarwhal.ca/pipeline-north-challenges/ Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=157444 As an energy crisis increases pipeline fervour among some Canadian politicians, we dive into what it could take to build a pipeline to Manitoba’s north Julia-Simone Rutgers Explainer In-Depth Manitoba pipelines Winnipeg Photo: Jenny Kane / The Associated Press In the foreground, a close-up view of an above-ground pipeline. In the background, the pipeline extends to the horizon along a flat, snowy landscape. Why B.C. is flooding — again https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-atmospheric-river-flooding-risk-2026/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:13:17 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=157152 In the years since the devastating 2021 floods, B.C. has taken some steps to reduce flood risk. Experts say more could be done Shannon Waters Explainer B.C. climate change flooding Photo: Ethan Cairns / The Canadian Press Floodwaters surround a house and vehicles in Abbotsford B.C. What, exactly, is happening with renewables in Alberta? https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-2026-renewables-explainer/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:33:58 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=156652 Three years after a government moratorium and new rules on renewable energy projects, a clearer picture is emerging of the impacts on a sector that was once surging in Alberta Drew Anderson Explainer Alberta electricity renewable energy Photo: Leah Hennel / The Narwhal Windmills are seen on Alberta's prairie landscape, with clouds above. Could this secretive, foreign-owned LNG export project be Quebec’s first? https://thenarwhal.ca/lng-export-project-baie-comeau-quebec/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=156286 The federal government is talking to a Norwegian company about a large LNG export facility in Baie-Comeau, Que. Residents and advocates say they’re being left in the dark Sarah Cox Explainer federal politics LNG Major projects Photo: Pernelle Voyage / Alamy An aerial iew from St. Pancrace Belvedere near Baie Comeau, Que. Small modular reactors, big dreams: Ontario’s nuclear pitch https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-darlington-nuclear-smr-explainer/ Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=154705 With the first SMR in North America being built at the Darlington nuclear site, the province is testing new ground to meet future power demand Fatima Syed Explainer Great Lakes nuclear energy Ontario solutions Video: Supplied by Ontario Power Generation A large aerial of a construction site Canada’s biggest nickel mine could store carbon in its waste rock — if all goes to plan https://thenarwhal.ca/crawford-nickel-carbon-storage/ Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:27:26 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=154097 The proposed Crawford Nickel mine outside Timmins, Ont., is receiving millions of public dollars to figure out how to decarbonize its operations, and those of others Carl Meyer Explainer federal politics mining Ontario solutions Photo: Supplied by Ian Power Two men stand on a grey waste rock pile in the Yukon under cloudy skies