Our 25 FOIs led to major Alberta revelations. We need 300 members to keep on digging

“Support the minister without reservation.”

It was a stunning turn of phrase that sent shockwaves through the political world in Alberta this spring. 

Despite what Alberta Premier Danielle Smith had said, Alberta’s controversial moratorium on all new renewable energy projects did not come from the independent operator of the province’s electricity grid. In fact, the CEO thought it was a “very troubling” idea that would send the industry into a “tailspin.”

In short, the decision wasn’t just political. It was very political, even in the face of clear pushback.

And these troubling revelations? They only came to light thanks to relentless digging by The Narwhal’s Prairies reporter Drew Anderson. 

Here’s the thing: we need 300 new members to join this month to stay on budget. Will you be one of 300 who steps up to ensure Drew and the rest of our reporters can keep up this work?

Amid the chaos of last summer, Drew started filing freedom of information requests: 25 of them to be exact. It took months for the first files to land, and as hundreds of heavily redacted pages trickled in, it required patience to find the kernels of news buried in them. But Drew kept digging.

As his editor, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him so excited. A kid in a candy store. A dog with a bone. It takes a certain type to get excited about hundreds of pages of documents. Drew is definitely that type. 

It’s the kind of thankless, essential work that we’re able to do here at The Narwhal all because of the support of thousands of readers just like you who give whatever they can each month or each year.

Premier Smith was questioned about the documents revealed in Drew’s story. The utilities minister was grilled in the legislature. 

Not only that, major media outlets picked up the story — CBC, CTV, Postmedia and more — and ran with it, citing The Narwhal. Once again, our small team was leading the charge on a big story.

An independent, non-profit outlet like ours simply could not punch so far above our weight without our readers’ support — readers like you.

But did you know just one per cent of our readers give what they can to help us publish investigative journalism like this? Each donor helps keep our work free for all to read.

In a place like Alberta, that’s so crucial. This is an oil-rich province staring down an energy transition with massive consequences for our whole country.

Drew’s reporting gives us all the information — the facts — we need to navigate this tricky terrain. 

Will you join the growing pod of Narwhals today so we can keep holding governments across Canada accountable for years to come?

Take care and support independent journalism without reservation,

Sharon J. Riley
Prairies bureau chief

P.S. Drew isn’t done yet. He’s still pushing for documents. And he’s sifting through the latest logs of very candid internal messages. Teaser: it’s fascinating. Will you become one of 300 new Narwhal members this month to guarantee reporters like Drew can keep digging?