The Narwhal is proud to be the recipient of four medals — including two gold — at the 2026 Digital Publishing Awards and National Magazine Awards, which were announced in Toronto on June 5.

The Narwhal took home a gold medal in the general excellence category of the Digital Publishing Awards, a prize that honours top Canadian publishers for representing “the highest journalistic standards” and “maximizing the possibilities afforded by the medium of digital publishing.” The Narwhal last won a gold in the general excellence category in 2021.

“2025 was a big, ambitious year for The Narwhal,” executive editor Denise Balkissoon said. “Our entire team — from our reporters to our operations team — should feel proud of our efforts to publish deep, inspiring stories about the natural world that resonate with people in Canada.”

Highlights from The Narwhal in 2025 included a massive growth in our YouTube and TikTok audiences following an investment in video storytelling, as well as several high-profile and impactful collaborations with other media outlets, including the CBC and the Investigative Journalism Foundation. A story on the proposed expansion of the Port of Montreal became our first one translated into French. Last year also saw The Narwhal’s pod of monthly and annual donors grow to over 7,200 members by the end of the year.

“We couldn’t be delivering some of the country’s best environmental journalism if it weren’t for our dedicated members,” Balkissoon said. “We continue to be humbled by their generous support.”

A gold medal for best climate change coverage

The Narwhal also took home a gold medal in the climate change reporting category of the Digital Publishing Awards, for Chloe Williams’ and Gavin John’s vivid portrayal of one Arctic community’s adaptation to climate change. 

Reporting from the annual spring festival in Cambridge Bay, Nvt., Williams and John documented the threat climate change poses to Inuit sea ice traditions, as well as a possible solution that could preserve the region’s sea ice for another generation. Their story was “a clear-eyed and empathetic examination of the people at the heart of the warming Arctic,” bureau chief Michelle Cyca said.

A silver medal for Ainslie Cruickshank’s data-driven investigation into animal fatalities on B.C. railroads and eight honourable mentions for a range of other stories rounded out an impressive showing for The Narwhal at the Digital Publishing Awards.

At the National Magazine Awards, The Narwhal earned a silver medal in the investigative reporting category for a piece by Prairies reporter Drew Anderson that revealed who was behind the delinquent oil and gas companies costing Alberta millions of dollars.

An honourable mention was awarded in the service journalism category for Canice Leung’s myth-busting explainer on managing menstruation in the wilderness.

The Narwhal wishes to thank the National Media Awards Foundation for spotlighting and celebrating Canadian journalism and we extend our congratulations to the other winners and nominees.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

Leah Borts-Kuperman is no stranger to The Narwhal. Since 2023, she’s contributed more than 20 articles to the publication as a freelancer, covering everything from industrial contamination to grassroots ecological stewardship initiatives.

Reporting from her home in North Bay, Ont., Leah has a knack for sniffing out important environmental stories that are flying under the radar. Starting in 2023, she dove deep to bring Narwhal readers sustained coverage of a controversial plastics factory that had North Bay residents concerned for their environment and their health. More recently, her coverage of legacy contamination at Canadian military sites was nominated for several prestigious journalism awards — winning investigative gold at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards.

Now, after years of freelancing, Leah has joined The Narwhal as a staff reporter. She’ll be focusing her coverage on Ontario’s near north region — from North Bay to Timmins and everything in between. She says she’s excited to “bring audiences to rare and special pockets” of the region she calls home, and to connect policy decisions made at Queen’s Park in Toronto to environmental and health impacts in smaller towns and cities a few hours north.

“We can learn a lot about the biggest issues facing the province by holding a magnifying glass to the near north,” she says.

Read on to learn more about Leah — and how her passion for journalism was kindled by moonlighting as an arts critic reviewing a horror musical.

How did you first get into journalism?

When I was doing my undergrad at University of Toronto, a friend of mine caught a bad cold. In her place, she asked me to review a production of the horror musical Carrie for the campus paper, The Varsity.

I remember being so nervous, but I went. I loved the whole process of researching, writing and then working to capture the details of an event accurately. The rest is history; I pretty much never stopped reporting, though it all started with arts and culture stories.

From there, I got my master of arts in journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University and quickly discovered my passion for environmental and investigative reporting.

You’ve written for all sorts of publications — The Local, The Walrus, Canadian Geographic and more (including your freelance work for us!). What’s the article you’re most proud of over the years?

I’m not just saying this because I’m on staff now, but the article I’m most proud of is the investigation I conducted as a Narwhal freelancer into contamination on military bases, starting with CFB Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan. I spent months speaking with veterans and staff who were falling ill, and who were worried about contamination at their workplace.

Bringing together government databases, public parliamentary hearings, extremely personal testimonies and expert opinions, I revealed contamination on bases across Canada.

Stories about legacy contamination are always tricky. They take a lot of time and work, and I feel so proud of the series we ended up publishing, and the impact the stories had on the people affected. 

This was made possible with the hard work of my editors Denise Balkissoon and Sharon J. Riley, and the incredible photographer Amber Bracken. It made me realize how far I could take a big, ambitious investigation with the right team.

What kind of stories make an impact on you as a reader?

I love a longread that I can really settle into, especially one that’s unexpected and changes my mind about something. I love reading stories that are very grounded in a particular landscape and setting that I can get to know along with the characters — the kind where you feel like you went somewhere for a little while.

I’m also an avid fiction reader; sci-fi, fantasy and weird literature are my escape!

You moved from Toronto to North Bay a few years ago. What has that transition been like and what do you like best about your new home?

It’s been a big difference living in North Bay, mostly getting used to the northern Ontario winters and the snowbanks that tower above my head. The sight of a sunset over a frozen Lake Nipissing is always breathtaking.

There’s a lot to love here. For me, the things that stand out are gorgeous trails, lakes and a unique community I’ve felt lucky to spend time in. Spring in North Bay also offers more lilac blossoms than I’ve ever seen, which is pretty great.

Your beat at The Narwhal will be Ontario’s near north — a region that encompasses cities such as Timmins and Sudbury, small towns like Wawa and natural areas such as Killarney Provincial Park. What stories are you excited to dig into?

Some of my favourite stories I’ve covered for The Narwhal about the region allowed me to bring audiences to rare and special pockets of the near north, for example a bat tagging night at Shawanaga First Nation — we were out there for most of the night swatting away mosquitos and finding, catching and tagging bats to help protect several endangered species. In 2024, I also dug into snowmobiling culture and how it’s changing with the climate, reporting from the back of a Ski-Doo.

It’s these kinds of stories I’m most excited to keep telling. It’s easy to get caught up in the urgent bad news all around us, but these stories feel hopeful and human.

At the same time, we’re contending with a long legacy of environmental issues including corporate and government pollution and heavy industry, paired with news poverty. The lack of transparency in North Bay is infamous — shoutout to the 2020 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy that the Canadian Association of Journalists awarded to the City of North Bay.

So far, communities have really responded to those stories where I was able to hold power to account and shed a light on stories that would otherwise have passed under the radar. I’m excited to continue to tell those hard-hitting stories, too.

What do Ontarians in the rest of the province get wrong about the near north region?

It’s easy to think of North Bay, Timmins, Sudbury, etc., as very far away with very different problems than the south of the province. But, really, the “Gateway to the North” is only a few hours away, and feels the ramifications of decisions made in Queen’s Park on its species, landscapes and industry acutely. We can learn a lot about the biggest issues facing the province by holding a magnifying glass to the near north.

How has the transition from freelancer to staff been so far?

It’s been amazing to join a team I’ve long admired, and have been able to work for years as a freelancer. I got to tell stories about everything from corporate pollution, emissions regulations and mining — to wild rice harvests, invasive mushrooms and hydroponic greenhouses. I’m excited for lots more of that! And, of course, spending time with the talented reporters, photographers and editors at The Narwhal has been so inspiring.

How do you spend your free time?

I spend most of my free time walking my two lovely mutts (the three-legged one is surprisingly fast), reading or at a yoga class. Now that the final frost has likely passed, you will also find me in the garden obsessing over flowers and tomato plants.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

The Narwhal is celebrating a deluge of award nominations and honours, as our non-profit newsroom is recognized in Canada and the United States for our dogged investigative journalism and our community-first, solutions-focused reporting.

In recent weeks, six journalism award programs have named The Narwhal as either a winner or a nominee, with two dozen honours in total!

Summary

• Canadian Journalism Foundation: The Narwhal, in partnership with the Investigative Journalism Foundation, is up for the prestigious Jackman Award. We also made the shortlist for the award for climate solutions reporting.
• National Magazine Awards: we’re nominated twice — in the investigative journalism and service journalism categories.
• Digital Publishing Awards: The Narwhal earned 11 (!) nominations across nine categories, including the award for general excellence.
• Canadian Association of Journalists: The Narwhal is a finalist for four awards across various categories.
• Nonprofit News Awards: we’re up for awards in two categories, for reporting led by Manitoba reporter Julia-Simone Rutgers, in partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press.
• Society of Environmental Journalists: the judges honoured reporting by The Narwhal with one second-place prize and two honourable mentions.

Two nods from the Canadian Journalism Foundation, including for its prestigious Jackman Award

Notably, the Canadian Journalism Foundation announced on April 17 that The Narwhal is a finalist for its prestigious Jackman Award.

The Jackman Award honours Canadian journalism that makes a social impact through courageous and original reporting, and northwest B.C. reporter Matt Simmons is nominated for his investigation into the BC Energy Regulator’s failure to enforce compliance with environmental and health regulations. Simmons is up for the award alongside peers at the Investigative Journalism Foundation, who collaborated with him on the project.

“Rigorous and fair reporting on oversight bodies such as the BC Energy Regulator is crucial to our democracy,” The Narwhal’s executive editor, Denise Balkissoon, said. “We’re proud that Matt’s efforts to hold the regulator to account have been nominated for one of the highest honours in Canadian journalism.”

We’re also on the shortlist for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s award for climate solutions reporting. Freelancer Chloe Williams and photographer Gavin John earned that nod for their story about a bold plan to save the melting sea ice around Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation will announce the winners in Toronto on June 10.

17 additional nominations across Canada’s top journalism awards

The Narwhal’s work turned heads at the National Magazine Awards, Digital Publishing Awards and Canadian Association of Journalists awards— with a whopping 17 nominations between them.

At the National Magazine Awards, Drew Anderson’s dogged reporting on the owners behind some of the country’s biggest delinquent oil and gas companies scooped a nomination for the best investigative journalism. In the best service journalism category, freelancer Canice Leung’s story, “How to have your period in the woods,” scored a nomination for its informative and creative approach.

Over at the Digital Publishing Awards, we’re up for the top award, which honours general excellence in digital publishing. 2025 Indigenous editorial fellow Savannah Ridley is on the shortlist for emerging excellence. Our journalism is also nominated across seven additional categories:

• Best digital editorial package: Collision course: Animals killed on Canada’s railways, by Ainslie Cruickshank
• Best data journalism: Collision course: Animals killed on Canada’s railways, by Ainslie Cruickshank
• Investigative journalism: Our investigation, in partnership with the Investigative Journalism Foundation, about lax enforcement in B.C.’s oil and gas industry, with reporting led by Matt Simmons
• Best reporting on climate change: On solid ice: the plan to refreeze the Arctic, by Chloe Williams, with photography by Gavin John
• Best reporting on climate change: A new way to fight climate change: cataloguing the DNA of the Arctic Ocean, by Meral Jamal
• Best reporting on climate change: One year the ice is slushy. This year on the Prairies? -35 C with the wind, by Julia-Simone Rutgers, in partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press
• Best feature article: In the Rockies, more and more people are heading to the woods. Are we pushing animals deeper into the night?, by Sara King-Abadi
• Best online mini-documentary: Trouble in the Headwaters, by Daniel J. Pierce
• Best photo storytelling: Tiny birds, and their tiny superfood, could decline due to ‘irreversible’ effects of Vancouver port expansion, with photography by Isabelle Groc

“It’s so rewarding to see such a breadth of our reporting nominated,” said Balkissoon. “From hard-hitting investigations into lax regulatory systems in B.C. and Alberta to a sweeping, photo-rich story on Arctic ice to a practical guide to camping while menstruating — this is testament to the broad talents of The Narwhal’s amazing staff and freelance journalists. So is our Digital Publishing Awards nomination in the general excellence category. It all shows the reality that every story is an environment story.”

And the Canadian Association of Journalists has named The Narwhal a finalist in four award categories:

• Data journalism: Manitoba reporter Julia-Simone Rutgers and Malak Abas, reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press, analyzed and mapped the unequal impacts of a transit overhaul in Winnipeg
• Scoop: Matt and Zak Vescera, reporter with the Investigative Journalism Foundation, revealed that oil and gas giant TC Energy successfully lobbied the federal government to gain access to sensitive information gathered by Canada’s spy agency
• Labour reporting: Matt earned a second nomination for his investigation into sexism and gendered violence in the tree-planting industry
• Emerging Indigenous journalist: Savannah Ridley’s body of work as The Narwhal’s 2025 Indigenous editorial fellow earned her a spot as a finalist

Julia-Simone Rutgers is a finalist at the Nonprofit News Awards — twice!

Meanwhile, across the border, the U.S.-based Institute for Nonprofit News announced earlier this month that The Narwhal’s Manitoba reporter, Julia-Simone Rutgers, is a double-finalist at this year’s Nonprofit News Awards.

Rutgers is nominated in the community champion category for her coverage of Winnipeg’s transit system, which underwent a massive redesign in 2025. Winnipeg’s bus route shakeup was a topic of heated debate in the city last year, and Rutgers used GIS mapping software and other data analysis tools to deepen the civic discourse. Most significantly, her reporting revealed that the drastic route changes were not equitably distributed, and disproportionately impacted low-income neighbourhoods.

The community champion award honours reporting that makes “a significant contribution to the well-being of its community through a journalism-centered project or service,” according to the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Rutgers is also a finalist in the awards’ explanatory category for a piece she wrote making sense of the potential impacts of American tariffs on the agricultural sector. As U.S. President Donald Trump hurled tariff threats over the border last year, Rutgers cogently explained how a trade war would hurt farmers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, earning her a nomination for providing “insight and understanding of a significant and complex subject.”

Rutgers’ position is part of an innovative partnership between The Narwhal and the Winnipeg Free Press that sees our two outlets co-assigning, co-editing and collaboratively publishing her stories on environmental topics.

“Today’s realities of journalism funding in Canada mean local markets sometimes struggle to sustain deeply-reported journalism in their communities,” The Narwhal’s managing editor, Sharon J. Riley, noted. “Not so in Winnipeg — we’re thrilled that our partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press is bearing fruit and making in-depth environmental reporting available to audiences in Winnipeg.”

The winners of the Nonprofit News Awards will be announced during a ceremony in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 16.

Three honours from the Society of Environmental Journalists

The Society of Environmental Journalists also recently feted Rutgers’ work. The organization awarded her second place in the feature category of its annual awards program.

That prize recognized Rutgers’ on-the-ground look at the devastating impacts of hydro dam flooding in Indigenous territories, and how Cree communities are working to restore their lands in the wake of that damage.

The story was a “standout piece of solutions-focused storytelling [that] treats Indigenous-led conservation with respect and empathy,” judges wrote of Rutgers’ story. “It weaves Traditional Ecological Knowledge and oral history into a narrative that feels grounded and uplifting.”

The Society of Environmental Journalists also awarded a second honourable mention to freelancer Chloe Williams and photographer Gavin John for their story on the attempt to slow the impacts of climate change in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, by artificially thickening sea ice. Judges said their story did “a great job at centering Inuit voices in a conversation about geoengineering to save the Arctic.”

Northwest B.C. reporter Matt Simmons also turned heads at the U.S.-based Society of Environmental Journalists, where judges recently awarded him a first honourable mention in the beat reporting category for his ongoing coverage of energy politics in B.C. “Delivering stories like this requires reporters to go the extra mile,” judges said of Matt’s work covering B.C.’s energy industry. “These stories also had a real-world impact.”

“It’s no secret that journalists across Canada are working under increasingly difficult conditions,” Balkissoon said. “At The Narwhal, we’re lucky to have more than 7,300 members who donate regularly to make our work possible and a stellar team of dedicated journalists who won’t give up. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners.”

Updated April 30, 2026 at 2:00 PT: This article was updated to include recent award nominations from the Digital Publishing Awards, the National Magazine Awards and the Canadian Association of Journalists.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

Summary

• Narwhal reporter Leah Borts-Kuperman is one of three finalists in the investigative category at this year’s National Newspaper Awards.
• Borts-Kuperman’s journalism shone a light on environmental contamination issues at Canadian Armed Forces bases in 2025.
• The winners of the National Newspaper Awards will be announced in Toronto on April 24.

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A major investigation by The Narwhal’s newest staff reporter has earned her a nomination at the prestigious National Newspaper Awards.

Leah Borts-Kuperman, who wrote a series of stories about contamination on Canadian military sites for The Narwhal in 2025, is one of three finalists for the George Brown Award for Investigations, the National Newspaper Awards announced on March 20.

“The Narwhal was proud to publish Leah’s ambitious investigation,” managing editor Sharon J. Riley, who edited the stories, said. “And we’re even more proud of Leah now that her work has been recognized as some of the best in the country.”

Leah’s efforts to shine a light on contamination at Canadian Armed Forces bases started in 2024. She was following federal hearings of the Standing Committee on National Defence, and listened as former employees described health conditions they believed were the result of chemical contamination at their workplaces.

Leah knew this would be a challenging story to report, but she pitched the idea to The Narwhal anyway. What followed was almost a year of work. Leah parsed massive government databases, supported anxious sources to speak on the record, obtained government documents from confidential sources and tracked down experts to review the data she compiled.

The result was a deeply researched feature that foregrounded the experiences of Canadian Armed Forces members at CFB Moose Jaw as they fought for answers about their contaminated workplace.

One military employee told Leah she “took an oath that I would risk my life for what Canada stood for.” But she never expected that risk to take the form of carcinogenic contaminants in her office.

A few weeks after the first investigation was published, Leah wrote a follow-up article detailing the Canadian military’s plans to build housing on several of its bases that are known to be contaminated.

“Investigations such as Leah’s are labour-intensive,” Denise Balkissoon, executive editor of The Narwhal, said. “We’re grateful to The Narwhal’s 7,000-plus members, whose donations enable us to report complex stories with care, nuance and rigour.”

Leah wrote these stories as a freelancer. But she recently joined The Narwhal as our first-ever northern Ontario reporter, so you’ll be seeing her byline on The Narwhal a lot more going forward. She was only a few days into her new job when she learned of the nomination.

“I am grateful to the brave people who shared very personal stories to bring awareness to the issue of contamination on military bases,” Leah said. “And I’m determined and excited to tell many, many more important stories with The Narwhal now as a staff reporter.”

Leah is nominated for the award alongside two other finalists. Teams of journalists from Le Journal de Montréal and The Globe and Mail are also up for the prize. The winners of the National Newspaper Awards will be announced in Toronto on April 24.

The Narwhal is a non-profit news outlet that relies on readers to give whatever they can each month or year to make our reporting possible. This March, all new members will receive a Narwhal tote bag as thanks for their support.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

Across British Columbia, a growing number of Indigenous communities are developing sustainable power sources that balance local needs with environmental and economic concerns.

Freelance journalist Zoë Yunker, B.C. reporter Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood and Indigenous journalism fellow Santana Dreaver shared insights from their reporting for The Narwhal’s Generating Futures series at a public webinar on March 24. The conversation was moderated by Michelle Cyca, bureau chief, conservation and fellowships.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

If you’ve been listening closely lately — to global headlines, to the tone of public debate, to economic threats — you might be feeling a kind of knot in your stomach.

I’ve spent decades in journalism, including 17 years hosting CBC Radio’s The Current, asking questions that cut through noise to get at what really matters. And I can tell you: consequential moments like this demand more than quick hits and simplified answers.

They demand journalism that slows down, digs deep and refuses to lose the plot.

As someone who has spent a career dedicated to the public’s right to know, I am cautious where I place my trust. The Narwhal has earned it — through rigorous, independent reporting, careful, on-the-ground storytelling and a clear commitment to the public interest.

That’s why I recently joined The Narwhal’s board of directors, and why I’m writing to you today. This month, The Narwhal has set an ambitious goal: to welcome 230 new members to help sustain the kind of reporting I’m not seeing anywhere else. I hope you’ll be one of them.

Right now, across Canada, there’s growing pressure to move fast on big decisions: around oil production, critical minerals and the landscapes that shape who we are and what futures we can hope to share. You can hear it in the urgency of the language every day: build, expand, fast-track!

But when it feels like everything is speeding up, that’s when the larger context gets lost and accountability falls behind.

That’s where The Narwhal comes in. This newsroom is doing something increasingly rare: taking the time to report deeply on the natural world — on the land, the water and the communities most affected by decisions made in the halls of power or executive boardrooms. 

It’s why I’ve become a member myself. Will you join me and more than 7,000 others who chip in regularly to sustain this work? The Narwhal needs to add 230 new members this month to keep telling these important stories. And if you join now, at any monthly or yearly amount, you’ll get a Narwhal tote bag as thanks.

The stakes aren’t abstract. They’re all around us: in the ecosystems under pressure, in the watersheds that sustain communities, in the high-impact choices we’re making in the face of a changing climate.

Good journalism doesn’t tell you what to think. It gives you the clarity to understand what’s at stake — and the context to ask better questions and hold power to account.

That’s what The Narwhal provides for me. And it’s what your support makes possible.

If you’re able, I hope you’ll consider becoming a member today — for whatever amount feels right to you. Monthly or yearly, large or small, it all contributes to keeping this kind of journalism strong and independent.

Join this month at any recurring amount and you’ll receive a Narwhal tote bag as a small gift of thanks. But the real value is in helping to ensure high-quality, fact-based reporting continues — especially when it’s needed most.

In disorienting times like these, it matters where we turn for understanding. It matters what we build.

Thank you for being part of what we’re building here.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

The Ontario government wants to keep Premier Doug Ford’s communications a secret.

That’s the news the province squeezed in this past Friday as it revealed plans to “modernize” freedom of information (FOI) laws. The changes would block journalists and members of the public from obtaining documents, emails, call logs and other details from the premier, cabinet ministers and parliamentary assistants.

How significant would these changes be? In a word: massive. The move would slam the door on investigative journalism that was possible in Ontario specifically because these records could be obtained through FOI requests in the province.

Here’s just a sampling of investigative reporting The Narwhal has published that relied on these records:

• Our investigations into the Greenbelt scandal, which eventually prompted the Ontario government to reverse course on its cuts to the protected area (and went on to win the most prestigious journalism prize in Canada)
• Our coverage of Enbridge, which revealed its close relationship with the Ontario government as it pushes a natural gas future
• Our reporting on the inner workings on Ontario’s efforts to push ahead with Ring of Fire mining roads

This moment is a reminder of why investigative journalism matters. And we need your support now more than ever: will you be one of 230 loyal readers who helps us meet our budget by joining as a monthly or yearly member? Every dollar you give goes straight toward paying our investigative journalists.

The Ontario government might not want you to know about how and why decisions are being made. But our journalists are relentless in their quest for the truth. It’s why we give our staff the time to build sources and develop beats so that even when governments try to lock us out, we have the contacts on the inside to allow us to continue holding elected officials accountable.

Freedom of information isn’t just under attack in Ontario. Federally, there’s a proposal to exempt “routine communications” from being subject to FOI requests, which could include all emails.

B.C. is plotting changes that would allow public bodies to reject FOIs they deem too broad or that would “interfere” with the work of government. And last year, the Alberta government passed a law allowing it to suppress more factual information, more often, and to release it more slowly.

I’m here to tell you these government efforts to keep information out of view only strengthen the resolve of The Narwhal’s journalists. But we need your help: we have to add 230 new members this month to make our budget work.

Will you step up today to help us break stories you won’t find anywhere else? Bonus: join at any recurring amount and you’ll get a Narwhal tote bag as our way of saying thanks.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

Though she grew up in Saskatchewan, Santana Dreaver stood out when The Narwhal began looking for a B.C.-based Indigenous Journalism Fellow. For one thing, Santana had spent time at CBC learning the fundamentals of journalism through its Indigenous Pathways program, accruing bylines and skills. But she also had a passion for journalism and a clear vision of the kinds of stories she wanted to tell: centring youth, grappling with ecological disasters and industry impacts, and rooted in sovereignty and traditional practices.

Here at The Narwhal, Santana will be spending 2026 learning about in-depth feature writing and reporting, and telling stories from across the province. You’ll see her byline on IndigiNews as well, which is a partner in this fellowship, and she’ll be receiving training and mentorship from the Indigenous Journalists Association. Santana has already racked up a few bylines at The Narwhal — covering B.C.’s critical minerals push and the women leading natural disaster response across Canada — but we’re thrilled to formally introduce her to you. You’ll be seeing a lot of her in the year ahead!

What inspired you to go into journalism? 

There were a few moments growing up that inspired me to be a journalist. I must have been five or six when my photograph and interview made the local newspaper — a group of us from the Kinistin Saulteaux Nation went to the Tisdale, Sask., airport to go on mini-airplane rides. My grandma was the school receptionist and had the newspaper clipping hung up in the staff room. I remember feeling pride seeing it there. 

When I was eleven, I competed in the Saskatchewan First Nation winter games, hosted in Saskatoon that year. I won two gold medals in badminton, in under-12 singles and doubles — my first big competition in the sport. Between matches a news crew came to the courts and my coach told me to go and interview. Being on TV for playing a sport I loved made an impact on me. 

Lastly, I grew up around storytelling my entire childhood. Stories are how culture is passed down from generation to generation. As a Gen Z Saulteaux and Plains Cree person, journalism always felt like a modern way for me to tell stories and practise that aspect of my culture.

You grew up in northern Saskatchewan on Kinistin Saulteaux Nation, and you’re a member of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak. Now that you’re in B.C., what’s something you miss about the Prairies? 

Without stating the obvious that I miss my family, what I often find myself missing is open and quiet spaces. The Lower Mainland can sometimes feel congested for someone who grew up in rural and northern Saskatchewan. 

I miss my connection with the sky — thunderstorms, the bright sunlight nearly everyday, star constellations, moon cycles and the Northern Lights are harder to see with the light and air pollution here. 

Something I never expected to miss is being around bison. My community has had bison since I was a child, housed in the fields behind our house, and my appreciation for these relatives only grew the more I learned about salmon in Coast Salish lands, reflecting on my own values and culture throughout the years. 

You served on former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s youth council — what was that experience like? 

Advising the former prime minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet for 2.5 years was a rewarding and challenging experience. In my personal life, I was branded as a Liberal when the position was non-partisan, and on the council I can say confidently I was one of the most vocal members to speak about issues affecting Indigenous people in Canada and overseas.

I felt immense pressure to use my access in government to push forward Indigenous Rights, and found myself wanting to quit from time to time. All of that said, I learned how to say the hard things when it mattered and my confidence grew realizing how much knowledge I carried forward to roundtables and consultations. 

Two highlights were attending an online safety symposium, surrounded by journalists and hosted by the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, where I ended up at dinner with people from TikTok Canada. The second was being invited to the Prime Minister’s Office for an invitation-only meeting following ongoing efforts to advocate for Palestine with fellow council member Ganiyat Sadiq.

You have a lot of experience in emergency preparedness work, including as an advisor to the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, and a board member for Preparing Our Home, which is focused on emergency readiness for Indigenous youth. What drew you to that work? 

Just before the pandemic I attended Preparing Our Home in Osoyoos, B.C., as a youth participant. I was supposed to fly to New York City after the gathering to attend a conference at the United Nations when the city declared a state of emergency, cancelling what would have been my first time at the U.N. 

While the cancellation was disappointing, I felt grateful to be in Canada during the outbreak of COVID, and it made everything I learned at Preparing Our Home stick with me as one participant spoke about pandemic protocols in her Northern Ontario community.

After moving to B.C. by myself in 2021, disaster after disaster happened in the province. I lived on my own and had no emergency contact at the time, so educating myself about the lands I had moved to and how to prepare for its potential dangers became critical when I realized no one else was going to do it for me. 

What are your favourite stories to report?

My favourite stories to report on are emergency management stories, anything related to the land and Indigenous Rights, governance and policy. As for my favourite story thus far, it changes often, but one that stays top of mind is an Okanagan salmon restoration story that I wrote for CBC. 

I could feel how happy everyone involved was, and it stayed the top story on the CBC B.C. website for a few days. I don’t want to associate ratings with a personal favourite story, but that shows it was a special moment in the province for a lot of people, including myself. 

You spent a year at CBC in the Indigenous Pathways program, but before that, you worked for Sacred Earth, an Indigenous women-led organization focused on climate justice and energy transitions. What did you learn in that role about the challenges of tackling fossil fuel dependency?

Working for Sacred Earth, I learned that governments in Canada subsidize oil and gas companies, not leaving much incentive for corporations to transition to cleaner energy methods. General misinformation about clean energy, and oil and gas being the status quo for a century in the country is also a barrier in tackling fossil fuel dependency. The start-up and maintenance costs of transitioning is also a barrier, especially in rural and remote communities. 

You’re spending all of 2026 at The Narwhal. What’s one story you hope to tell before you leave? 

During my time with The Narwhal I hope to tell stories that matter to B.C. First Nations people. I am always thinking about the land I reside on, how British Columbia obtained it and how I, as a guest, can be back in a way that feels good to me, which I hope to do with my reporting. Early on after moving here I learned about the concept of witnessing in Salish culture, and I hope as a journalist I can be a witness to what local nations are doing and comfortable sharing.

The Narwhal’s 2026 Indigenous Journalism Fellowship is possible with support from the Sitka Foundation. As per The Narwhal’s editorial independence policy, no foundation or outside organization has editorial input into our stories.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

Three years ago, our small, independent news organization made a very big decision: we were going to take the RCMP to court.

Now, we’re about to head to trial.

Here’s a quick refresher: photojournalist Amber Bracken was on assignment for The Narwhal in northern British Columbia in November 2021. Amber was documenting tensions over the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory when she was arrested by the RCMP.

Amber was handcuffed, held in a cell for three nights and had her camera gear and photographs seized — all for doing her job.

We believe her arrest was a clear violation of her Charter rights — and The Narwhal’s. So we sued the RCMP to take a stand for press freedom in Canada.

And in one week, we’ll be in B.C.’s Supreme Court to stand up for what’s right.

This trial is running for five weeks in Vancouver starting Jan. 12. It’s about more than one arrest. It’s about defending the right of every journalist in Canada to report freely, without fear of police interference.

Here’s how you can stay informed and get involved as the case unfolds:

• Go watch our new video where I explain what’s at stake
• Share this page with your friends and tell them to sign up for email updates
• Come to the courtroom in Vancouver any time over the five-week trial
• Make a contribution to our legal fund for this case

Someone else’s rights were violated that day: yours.

Amber and The Narwhal were fulfilling our mandate to report on environmental risk, resource extraction and Indigenous Peoples’ varied approaches to stewarding their lands.

We were documenting issues of broad public interest, including the injunctions granted by Canadian courts that restrict public movement on behalf of private corporations — and how publicly funded police act when enforcing them. 

Much of Canada’s resource extraction happens in remote places like these. When journalists are arrested, it has a chilling effect on your right to know. 

The RCMP and the Attorney General of Canada draw on taxpayer dollars to fund their defence. But our case relies on extraordinary people like you spreading the word and chipping in.

This case has the potential to set a powerful precedent for press freedom across the country, not only for individual journalists, but for publications too. But we are a small, non-profit newsroom — and we can’t do this without you.

Over the course of the trial, we’ll share updates on this page and in our weekly newsletter. We hope you’ll follow along (and come say hi if you’re in Vancouver!). Amber and I are set to take the stand the week of Jan. 12, and there will be plenty of other important witnesses testifying over the next month.

Will you spread the word about our fight for press freedom today? Every single person who subscribes, shares and supports our case means so much to this little publication and our battle for your right to know.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

As 2025 nears its end, the team at The Narwhal is taking some time to reflect on the ground we’ve covered this year — and the distance left to travel on the road that’s still ahead. 

We’ve dug up stories about the natural world in all sorts of places, from back rooms in halls of power to fly-in communities in the Far North.

In case there’s a spot left on your holiday reading list, we’ve compiled some of our most popular stories of the year, from coast to coast to coast.

British Columbia

B.C. Premier David Eby recently said at a BC Chamber of Commerce luncheon that his government will amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act — a move one legal expert called “extremely offensive.” Reporters Shannon Waters and Matt Simmons told that story, which quickly became one of our most-read articles of the year.

Alberta

Prairies reporter Drew Anderson travelled to the rural community of Warburg, Alta., to learn what really goes down when senior provincial officials roll up their sleeves and speak with Albertans about the growing issue of old oil and gas infrastructure. (Spoiler ahead: one called the problem a “giant stinking pile of shit.”) The story turned a lot of heads — including that of Premier Danielle Smith, which Drew learned when he asked her about it a few days later.

Saskatchewan

Freelance journalist Leah Borts-Kuperman spent eight months investigating environmental contamination on a Canadian Armed Forces base in Moose Jaw, Sask., which staff say is linked to higher rates of cancer and other illnesses. The story was recently named a finalist for the best investigative article at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards.

Manitoba 

Parks Canada fought a costly battle to prevent the westward spread of invasive zebra mussels at Riding Mountain National Park — and lost. Julia-Simone Rutgers reported on what happened, and what comes next; it was our most-read story from the province in 2025.

Ontario 

Most residents of Ontario live fewer than two hours from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, the province’s “summer playground” and home to the world’s longest freshwater beach. Fatima Syed reported on Premier Doug Ford’s plan to transfer most of the beach to the municipality, with unknown consequences for public access and a tiny, endangered bird. It was The Narwhal’s most-read story of the year.

We’re suing the RCMP to fight for press freedom

In November 2021, photojournalist Amber Bracken was arrested by the RCMP while on assignment for The Narwhal. So we launched a lawsuit to take a stand for press freedom. Now, we’re in the middle of our trial.

Quebec 

Prime Minister Mark Carney is eyeing a Port of Montreal expansion as a possible nation-building project — and the fate of an endangered fish found only in Quebec hangs in the balance. Freelance reporter Caitlin Stall-Paquet made Narwhal history with her story about it, published both in English and in French.

Atlantic Canada

Wildfire fears prompted a ban this summer in Nova Scotia, prohibiting people from hiking, camping or otherwise accessing the woods. Freelancer Jeremy Hull hit the trails to photograph and speak with Nova Scotians as the ban lifted. His photo essay was among our most-read articles from the Atlantic region in 2025.

Yukon 

A multi-generational fight to protect the Porcucine caribou herd entered a new chapter as the U.S. government renews its push for oil and gas drilling on sensitive breeding grounds. Freelance reporter Trina Moyles travelled to Old Crow, Yukon, to tell the story of the urgent race to count the herd as it faces mounting threats.

Northwest Territories 

A landmark Indigenous-led conservation agreement in N.W.T. will protect nearly 380,000 square kilometres of land and water — more than two per cent of Canada’s land area. Michelle Cyca reported that story for The Narwhal in July.

Nunavut 

The community of Cambridge Bay is in the Far North — even by Nunavut standards. Reporter Chloe Williams and photojournalist Gavin John spent five days there to tell the story of an audacious plan to save the melting sea ice and a way of life that depends on it.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.

“Our team of investigative journalists dives deep to tell stories about the natural world in Canada you can’t find anywhere else.”

That’s how we at The Narwhal introduce ourselves, right at the top of our “about us” page. 

It means, in part, that we peel back the curtains in halls of power — revealing how politicians, corporations and institutions make big decisions impacting natural resources and landscapes. It also means, just as significantly, that we send journalists to the hard-to-reach places where some of the most important stories are unfolding, and would otherwise go untold. 

We take this commitment seriously, and won’t compromise on the stunning photography, immersive storytelling and in-depth reporting it takes to bring them to life. For example: 

Reporter Jimmy Thomson and photojournalist Gavin John travelled across Montana and southern Alberta for three days to tell the story of the Blackfoot Confederacy’s effort to restore free-roaming herds of buffalo on the prairie. It’s this kind of unique, gorgeous storytelling that The Narwhal does so well. This year it won the top prize for the best feature story at the cross-border Indigenous Media Awards, as well as the silver in the same category at Canada’s Digital Publishing Awards.

At the National Magazine Awards, photojournalist Amber Bracken’s compelling portraits of Fort Chipewyan residents in a fight for life downstream of Alberta’s oilsands took silver for the best photo essay and photojournalism. 

This kind of journalism is expensive and time consuming, and it’s the first thing that most newsrooms pull back as purse strings tighten. But as they lean out, we lean in. Our non-profit, reader-supported model requires that we make good on our promises.

Every year, nearly 10,000 people step up to support The Narwhal, each of them casting a vote that says: these stories are worth telling. Will you join them? Every dollar you give today will be matched — donate now to make twice the difference.

This year, we sent Gavin and freelance reporter Chloe Williams to Cambridge Bay, an Inuit community of about 2,000 people in Nunavut. They spent five days with people on the frontlines of the warming Arctic — and returned with an incredible story about an audacious pitch to bring back the disappearing sea ice and a way of life that depends on it.

Photojournalist Paige Taylor White made four trips to Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, north of Whistler, B.C., between April and September. She documented what the famous park looks like when it’s bustling with tourists — and also during a temporary closure, when the land was given a moment to rest and members of the Líl̓wat and N’Quatqua nations had a chance to reconnect. Reporter Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood joined Paige on two of those trips; they were the only journalists invited into the park to witness the reconnection period.

On Blackfoot territory in Alberta, journalist (and Kainai Nation member) Joy SpearChief-Morris reported on the first-ever Indigenous fire guardians program in Canada and Kainai Nation’s effort to restore the landscape in the traditional way, by embracing fire.

Your support means we can invest in more stories like these in the year ahead. We’re two-thirds of the way to our new goal of raising $300,000 this month to keep going. Help us cross the finish line? A donation today makes twice the impact — and qualifies for a 2025 charitable tax receipt.

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.