“Dropping The New York Times for you. Love your stories :)”

“Kudos! I’m so proud of you for this massive accomplishment! This news was just what I needed to finally up my game and become a supporter.”

“So happy to hear the news about journalism non-profit tax receipts. What a win for the industry! Woohoo! Keep up the amazing work!!”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for the excellent articles on issues I may know nothing about, I should know more about and those that I am passionate about. I am especially thrilled to learn that two women are the co-founders! I will proudly display your logo on the new tote!”

Wow. We literally can’t keep up with all the ~good vibes~ flowing into our inbox right now after we shared the news that we have become the first English-language news organization to receive a new status that allows us to issue charitable tax receipts.

Since last Tuesday, nearly 300 readers have stepped up to become members of The Narwhal and over 230 existing members have increased their donations.

We count our blessings every day for the community of readers we’ve built here at The Narwhal. Thanks for reading, sharing, donating, subscribing and just being you. We don’t take it for granted.

Now, onwards to our reporting…

Tim Kulchyski, Cowichan Tribes member and fisheries biologist, stands in the Koksilah River in Bright Angel Park. Photo: Taylor Roades / The Narwhal

Tim Kulchyski remembers when you used to be able to pull a 90-pound chinook in the Koksilah River watershed. Nowadays, due in part to the effects of development and climate change, a 10 or 12 pound catch is considered a success.

But Kulchyski, a Cowichan Tribes fisheries biologist and resource consultant, sees hope for a turnaround in the eastern enclave of Vancouver Island — if people can join forces.

The Koksilah lies at the heart of the growing Cowichan Valley. And after decades of logging and development, just one per cent of the watershed remains intact. It’s not just the tree-cutting that’s having an impact: a booming agriculture industry along with a growing number of residents draw on the water from the rivers and aquifers — which are beginning to run dry.

Judith Lavoie captures the tension and hope in this feature in The Narwhal, which is accompanied by stunning photos from Taylor Roades. The piece takes us along the river to meet the biologists, kayakers, vintners and foresters who call the region home.

Take care and collaborate,

Arik Ligeti Audience engagement editor

P.S. Speaking of collaboration, we recently told you that we were joining up with The Globe and Mail to share each other’s stories in our respective newsletters. Hockey Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer, who lives in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, was in the opinion pages of the paper this past week making the case for protecting the province’s last remaining old-growth. “If these forests are logged, they are gone forever,” he writes. Globe Climate, by the way, shouted out our coverage of the Line 5 pipeline — which also got podcast play on the Big Story! —and our deep dive on environmental racism in its latest edition.

This week in The Narwhal

Proposed coal mine in Alberta Rockies faces growing calls for federal review

By Sharon J. Riley

The Tent Mountain project, currently pegged for provincial review, narrowly skirts the production threshold that would automatically trigger a more-stringent federal process. Read more.

Yukon election 2021: where the Yukon Party, NDP and Liberals stand on climate and energy issues

By Lori Fox

Environment and energy issues can loom large in the North, which is natural resource rich and feeling the impacts of the climate emergency more acutely than the rest of the globe. With a territorial election race under way, here’s where the three major parties stand on climate, land use planning and clean energy. Read more.

How the Tahltan and a B.C. mining company collaborated to protect Mount Edziza from development

By Matt Simmons

In a rare arrangement, Indigenous, provincial and federal governments have come together with environmental organizations to buy out mineral tenures and create a brand new 3,500-hectare conservancy. Read more.

What we’re reading

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