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Photo: Chris Miller / The Narwhal

The Narwhal snags eight award nominations from the Canadian Association of Journalists

Our plucky non-profit news outlet picked up the second-most nominations of any news organization

Eight pieces of outstanding journalism published in The Narwhal in 2022 were nominated for awards by the Canadian Association of Journalists on Friday. 

“We are so honoured to see that non-profit journalism continues to punch above its weight,” said managing editor Mike De Souza. “Aside from CBC, The Narwhal has picked up more nominations than any other news outlet in Canada.”

The Narwhal’s journalism was made possible by donations from more than 6,000 readers in 2022. Here’s a rundown of our team’s nominations. 

Data journalism

An in-depth piece analyzing how the federal government is less likely to protect at-risk fish if people like to eat them by freelancer Jenn Thornhill Verma picked up the nod in the data journalism category. 

Online media

The Narwhal’s climate investigations reporter Carl Meyer picked up a nomination for his investigation that drew on leaked emails and memos from the Alberta Energy Regulator to show how oil lobbyists weakened methane rules

Photojournalism

Aaron Vincent Elkaim was nominated for compelling photojournalism for The Narwhal and the Winnipeg Free Press about how devastating flooding was affecting residents of Peguis First Nation.

Carlos Osorio, a frequent freelancer for The Narwhal, was also nominated for a portfolio of his work. 

Daily excellence

Fatima Syed and Emma McIntosh were shortlisted for their authoritative coverage of environmental reforms introduced by the Ontario government as part of its housing plan.

CAJ/JHR award for human rights reporting

A heartbreaking feature by Ian Willms about life and death in Fort Chipewyan, downstream from the oilsands also earned a nod from judges as a finalist.

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

CWA Canada/CAJ Labour reporting

Stephanie Wood’s in-depth investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct at a B.C. environmental organization was among the finalists for labour reporting.

APTN/CAJ Reconciliation Award

Matt Simmons extensive Wet’suwet’en coverage earned him a nomination for the reconciliation award. 

Francesca Fionda, The Narwhal’s mining reporting, was also nominated in this category for in-depth reporting for The Tyee about the Sisters of St. Ann’s role in Indigenous cultural erasure through schools.

Environmental and climate change reporting

Jolene Banning’s feature about how ice loss was changing an Anishinaabe fisherman’s relationship with Lake Superior was named a finalist in this category. Additionally, Toronto-based non-profit publication The Local earned a nod in this category for a story by Inori Roy on heat wave inequality published as part of a collaborative series with The Narwhal.

The awards will be presented at a gala in Vancouver on April 15.

Updated Feb. 24, 2023, at 2:10 p.m. PT to include Inori Roy’s nomination for The Local.

Like a kid in a candy store
When those boxes of heavily redacted documents start to pile in, reporters at The Narwhal waste no time in looking for kernels of news that matter the most. Just ask our Prairies reporter Drew Anderson, who gleefully scanned through freedom of information files like a kid in a candy store, leading to pretty damning revelations in Alberta. Long story short: the government wasn’t being forthright when it claimed its pause on new renewable energy projects wasn’t political. Just like that, our small team was again leading the charge on a pretty big story

In an oil-rich province like Alberta, that kind of reporting is crucial. But look at our investigative work on TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline to the west, or our Greenbelt reporting out in Ontario. They all highlight one thing: those with power over our shared natural world don’t want you to know how — or why — they call the shots. And we try to disrupt that.

Our journalism is powered by people just like you. We never take corporate ad dollars, or put this public-interest information behind a paywall. Will you join the pod of Narwhals that make a difference by helping us uncover some of the most important stories of our time?
Like a kid in a candy store
When those boxes of heavily redacted documents start to pile in, reporters at The Narwhal waste no time in looking for kernels of news that matter the most. Just ask our Prairies reporter Drew Anderson, who gleefully scanned through freedom of information files like a kid in a candy store, leading to pretty damning revelations in Alberta. Long story short: the government wasn’t being forthright when it claimed its pause on new renewable energy projects wasn’t political. Just like that, our small team was again leading the charge on a pretty big story

In an oil-rich province like Alberta, that kind of reporting is crucial. But look at our investigative work on TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline to the west, or our Greenbelt reporting out in Ontario. They all highlight one thing: those with power over our shared natural world don’t want you to know how — or why — they call the shots. And we try to disrupt that.

Our journalism is powered by people just like you. We never take corporate ad dollars, or put this public-interest information behind a paywall. Will you join the pod of Narwhals that make a difference by helping us uncover some of the most important stories of our time?

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