Here at The Narwhal, we have a particular way of measuring success. It’s not profit, because every dollar donated by readers like you goes directly toward paying the reporters, photographers, editors and everyone else who helps produce our environmental journalism.
It’s not awards, although they’re nice to win. Pageviews aren’t our top goal, either, although we’re very grateful when you read our work.
The thing that matters most is real-world impact. It means evidence that The Narwhal’s reporting has influenced citizens to hold power to account, pushed policymakers to do better and convinced other media outlets to dedicate more coverage to climate and conservation issues.
We’re here to keep a close watch over the natural wonders we all love, and the way to measure that is on the ground. So let’s look at the impact we’ve had in 2024.
To increase the reach of our stories, we’ve collaborated with a bunch of Canadian outlets, including the Winnipeg Free Press and The Local. We worked with The Globe and Mail on a story about the ballooning cost of mine pollution cleanup in B.C. that ran on the front page of Report on Business. We even co-produced stories across borders, as a member of the Great Lakes News Collaborative and on a story about B.C. salmon farming with the Guardian.
Narwhal stories have been raised in parliaments across the country and cited by citizens in their petitions and letters to politicians. Our reporters were invited on a wide variety of radio and TV shows to discuss their work. All in all, it’s been a busy year — and none of this real-world impact would have been possible without readers like you who give what they can. This December, we’re asking for your support to help us get ready for another year of impact-driven reporting.
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One place we hit all our impact markers this year? Reporter Drew Anderson’s coverage of Alberta’s sudden decision to suspend new renewable energy projects. In May, Drew began publishing an explosive series of revelations, told through a flurry of documents obtained through access to information legislation. He reported that the Danielle Smith government had pressured staff at the independent electricity operator to support the controversial move — and that some officials had even expressed concern the government wanted them to “lie” about how the decision was made.
It was a big moment. Drew’s work was mentioned by CBC, the Calgary Herald and CTV — so even though the Smith government doesn’t answer The Narwhal’s interview requests, she was peppered for details by other reporters. The Opposition energy critic referred to the stories in Question Period. More than one radio host invited Drew on to their shows. His stories were all over social media, shared by experts, academics and political insiders, some of whom messaged Drew privately to compliment his work.
And that’s just one set of stories by one of our reporters, and its effects on just one of Canada’s halls of power. Not yet convinced you should be powering this kind of public-interest journalism? There’s more.
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Our series on a leaked recording of a meeting of TC Energy executives — one of them a former Donald Trump staffer whose spouse is likely to be in the next Trump White House — was called “the most important Canadian political story of the year” by a former Manitoba MLA.
Our oilsands work was brought up in the federal House of Commons. City council in Port Moody, B.C., called for protections for trees after a story on how housing policy threatens urban forests. And our reporting on energy and transportation issues in Ontario are regular topics of conversations at Queen’s Park. The National Farmers Union, Environmental Defence, Stand.earth, Greenpeace Canada and Clean Creatives all referred to our work in their communications — both externally, with governments, and internally, among others in their sector.
Not everyone loves our digging, mind you. But even industry has expressed appreciation at times. Members of our B.C. team, Ainslie Cruickshank and Francesca Fionda, were invited to discuss their work at coal and mining industry events. That’s a huge Narwhal win, as we’re here to find common ground among everyone who lives in Canada and genuinely cares about its water, wildlife, land and air.
As the year draws to a close, I’d like to thank you for being one of those people who cares. If you read one story, thank you. If you shared one link, thank you. And if you’re able to donate anything at all to help us keep doing this work in 2025 — which will bring a federal election, complicated cross-border conversations and a whole lot more we can’t predict — thank you so very much.
Take care and happy new year,
Denise Balkissoon
Executive editor
P.S. Every dollar you give to The Narwhal goes straight toward investigative reporting you won’t read anywhere else. Bonus: all donations are being doubled right now. Will you help us hold the powerful accountable in the year to come by giving what you can today?
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