The Narwhal has been recognized with nine Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) award nominations for work including on-the-ground coverage of the Wet’suwet’en crisis, reporting on the plight of fisheries observers and a series on nature-based climate solutions.

The nine nods announced on Monday place The Narwhal right at the front of the pack, behind only the CBC in number of CAJ selections — a feat that comes less than three years since our publication was founded.

“At The Narwhal, we often talk about how our non-profit online magazine can play a role in redefining the journalism landscape,” co-founder and managing editor Carol Linnitt said. “It’s amazing to see how our small team with limited resources can have such a big impact in our industry.”

“What’s even more rewarding is the fact that our readers, who are our single biggest source of revenue, actually helped make this possible,” Linnitt added. “We’re restoring those connections between journalists and the public they serve and producing award-worthy journalism at the same time. What a miracle.”

Those connections between journalists and the public sparked the publication of an investigation examining workplace abuse of fisheries observers in B.C.’s coastal waters, a piece that was named a CAJ finalist for labour reporting. Jimmy Thomson’s story, which included interviews with 11 current or former at-sea observers, was inspired by a tip from a member about a festering issue hiding the true impacts of the province’s trawl fishery.

Fisheries observers are responsible for monitoring bycatch on industrial trawlers off the B.C. coast. Many of these individuals feel not enough is being done to protect them from intimidation and harassment while at sea. “It’s a very dangerous thing for observers to be out there,” one whistleblower told The Narwhal. “You’re out there alone, often without cell service or contact.” Photo: Taylor Roades / The Narwhal

Thomson was also nominated in the daily excellence category for his profile of Ghanimat Azhdari, a beloved Iranian scientist studying at the University of Guelph who spent her life fighting for Indigenous voices in conservation. Azhdari was among the 176 victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which was shot down shortly after takeoff.

The Narwhal’s Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood was named a finalist for the emerging Indigenous journalist award, a recognition of exemplary journalism produced by a First Nations, Inuit or Métis journalist who is at the beginning of their career. Since joining The Narwhal in early 2020, Wood has reported on issues including the Sinixt peoples’ fight to have their rights recognized by the federal government, the impacts of logging and climate change on B.C. fish populations as well as an ecosystem that could prove to be a secret weapon against sea level rise.

Northwest B.C. reporter Matt Simmons was nominated for the APTN/CAJ reconciliation award, which recognizes reporting by a non-Indigenous journalist that has broadened the understanding of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. A profile of the life and legacy of Xenaksiala Elder Wa’xaid Cecil Paul and a piece on Canada’s first Indigenous coast guard program were among the works in Simmons’ nominated portfolio.

Sarah Cox’s investigation into problems with B.C.’s Site C dam, based on 2,247 pages of documents acquired via a freedom of information request, was nominated in the scoop category. The nod came on the same day Cox was honoured as a co-winner of the 2021 Press Freedom Award for her relentless reporting on the provincial government’s mishandling of the hydro project. Cox’s coverage of Site C has also been nominated for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Jackman Award.

Cox was also nominated by the CAJ for environmental and climate change reporting for her feature on B.C.’s looming extinction crisis. The story looked at the dire situation facing the fisher and more than 2,000 other species at risk of extinction as the province fails to follow through on a commitment to enact a standalone endangered species law.

The Narwhal’s Carbon Cache series on nature-based climate solutions earned a nomination in the online media category. The ongoing series has looked into everything from the Cree Nation’s fight to save the Broadback Forest to the fate of the carbon-rich peatlands in the development hotspot that is Ontario’s Ring of Fire.

The Narwhal’s emphasis on visual storytelling was recognized with two nominations in the photojournalism category. Aaron Vincent Elkaim’s photo essay earned a nod for its exploration of the legacy of Manitoba Hydro and the impacts of its projects on the lives and livelihoods of Indigenous communities. Amber Bracken was also nominated for her photo essay of the Wet’suwet’en matriarchs who were arrested by RCMP officers enforcing the Coastal GasLink pipeline injunction in January 2020. Bracken was previously recognized by the CAJ as one of three journalists covering the Wet’suwet’en crisis to receive the Charles Bury President’s Award, which honours those who have made outstanding contributions to journalism in Canada.

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 Canadian Association of Journalists has recognized photographer Amber Bracken for her exceptional coverage of the Wet’suwet’en crisis in The Narwhal, praising her “moral courage” in defending the public’s right to know.

Bracken, Jerome Turner and Jesse Winter — all of whom reported on RCMP raids in Wet’suwet’en territory — were awarded the Charles Bury President’s Award for their outstanding contributions to journalism in Canada.

The three journalists were on the ground in northwest B.C. in February when the RCMP threatened to arrest reporters and implemented an exclusion zone to prohibit media from monitoring police activity. 

The police force subsequently reversed course amid widespread criticism from the Canadian Association of Journalists, Amnesty International and news organizations including The Narwhal.

Canadian Association of Journalists president Karyn Pugliese praised Bracken, Turner and Winter for their “moral courage” to report in the face of those threats, adding: “Nothing is more critical to a free and just society than the right to know.”

Photographer Amber Bracken.

In her acceptance speech, Bracken acknowledged the concerted efforts to defend press freedom.

“It would have been a much scarier place to be without the support that was shown by CAJ and without the resolute support of Emma and Carol at The Narwhal, and all of my other colleagues there who were working tirelessly behind the scenes to write and contextualize what I was seeing on the front line,” Bracken said.

“There is no minor infraction on the right to report and we really do need to stick together and we really need to have each other’s backs,” she said. “Considering the times we’re living through, it’s more important than ever that we be really tenacious about defending our right to report.”

What an incredible honour and wonderful company to be in—thank you. I can’t say enough about, @thenarwhalca @carollinnitt and @reporteremma who’s support bolstered my courage and who never once made me feel I was on my own. As a freelancer, that is a really big deal. https://t.co/V54F9Z9OQx

— Amber Bracken (@photobracken) May 31, 2020

“The crisis on Wet’suwe’ten territory goes to the heart of The Narwhal’s reporting on Indigenous rights and the management of natural resources, especially in places that are remote and often out of sight for the vast majority of Canadians,” said Carol Linnitt, The Narwhal’s managing editor.

“Amber’s bravery and commitment to tell the story through her photography — even in the face of intimidation — played an invaluable role in keeping the public informed about this critical issue.”

Bracken spent one month in Wet’suwet’en territory while on assignment for The Narwhal, producing in-depth reporting and photography on the RCMP raids as well as the cultural impacts of the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet’suwet’en territory. 

The Wet’suwet’en standoff in opposition to the pipeline sparked international media coverage along with protests and blockades across Canada. Amid the backlash, the federal and B.C. governments agreed to sit down with Wet’suwet’en hereditary leaders to discuss rights and title. An agreement between the three parties was reached last month.

This year’s Canadian Association of Journalists Awards were held virtually after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the gala in Montreal. 

Beyond Bracken’s work, The Narwhal received nominations for its investigation into Alberta’s oil and gas regulator as well as a photo essay documenting a Canadian mining company’s impact on a small Mexican town.

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 has been named a finalist for two Canadian Association of Journalists awards, a recognition of its investigation into the Alberta Energy Regulator as well as a photo essay on  the aftermath of a Canadian mining company’s operations in Mexico.

These are the fourth and fifth Canadian Association of Journalists nominations for The Narwhal, less than two years after its founding as an ad-free, non-profit publication with a mission to bring reporting on the natural world to Canadians.

Reporter Sharon J. Riley has been nominated for the online media award for her investigation into Alberta’s approvals process for oil and gas wells, which revealed plans by Premier Jason Kenney’s government to rubber-stamp applications via an automated system in as little as 15 minutes. 

15-minute approvals: Alberta plans to automate licences for new oil and gas drilling

This is Riley’s second Canadian Association of Journalists nomination for her work with The Narwhal. Her feature, Life after coal, was a finalist in the labour reporting category last year. The story cast a spotlight on coal miners in Wabamun, Alta., as they grappled with the imminent reality of being out of work.

Other online media finalists include BuzzFeed News, Halifax Examiner, CBC News and Radio Canada International.

In the photojournalism category, Amanda Annand has earned a nod for capturing how the life and death of a Canadian mine in the Mexican town of Cerro de San Pedro has impacted the community.

The pit of San Pedro: the life and death of a Canadian mine in Mexico

Annand is nominated alongside photographers Jesse Winter, Darryl Dyck and Valerian Mazataud.

This year’s winners are due to be announced online on May 30. That’s the same day the organization had planned to hold its awards gala in Montreal, before cancelling the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Narwhal is looking to repeat its 2019 win in the photojournalism category, for Aaron Vincent Elkaim’s work capturing the Fort McKay First Nation’s fight to protect a sacred site from rampant industrial development.

The Narwhal’s single largest source of funding is its readers, with more than 1,200 monthly members making it possible to produce in-depth and investigative journalism you can’t find anywhere else. 

In addition to its Canadian Association of Journalists nods, The Narwhal also won four Canadian Online Publishing Awards in 2018 and received multiple nominations for the Digital Publishing Awards and National Magazine Awards in 2019.

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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.

A photo essay published by The Narwhal was presented with an award from the Canadian Association of Journalists on Saturday night at a gala in Winnipeg.

The award went to Aaron Vincent Elkaim for outstanding photojournalism for a photo essay that explores the Fort McKay First Nation’s complicated relationship with the oilsands.

“Surrounded on three sides by oilsands operations, the Fort McKay First Nation has benefited tremendously from industrial development — while also experiencing firsthand its environmental consequences,” Elkaim wrote.

“While the nation has historically supported nearby operations, when Prosper Petroleum proposed a 10,000 barrel per day oilsands project near Moose Lake, an area of sacred cultural value for the people of Fort McKay, the community reached a tipping point.”

In December 2018 the Fort McKay First Nation launched a lawsuit against the Alberta government after failed efforts to prevent a new oilsands development from going forward near Moose Lake.

The lawsuit claims that significant forestry, mining and oil and gas development prevent the nation from practicing treaty rights — to hunt, fish, trap and gather medicinal plants — anywhere but Moose Lake.

Maureen Grandjambe arrives with her family to the Moose Lake Reserve on a plane chartered by Suncor Energy, who provide free flights to memebers of the community in 2013. Sixty kilometres from Fort McKay, Moose Lake is the only pristine land remaining for the community to practice their traditional culture. Photo: Aaron Vincent Elkaim

In his photo essay Elkaim reported that “since November 2011, water has been delivered to each and every home in Fort McKay after the community realized they had been drinking water with high levels of the carcinogenic chemicals, trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. Many people complain of rashes and sores from showering in the water.”

A water truck stuck in a driveway in Fort McKay. Photo: Aaron Vincent Elkaim / The Narwhal

Crystal and Oren Boucher celebrate their marriage in the Fort McKay First Nation Band Hall. Oren, a long-time employee of Suncor had terminal colon cancer at the time of his wedding, he passed away one year later on the night of his grandfather and oldest community elder, James Grandjambe’s 92nd birthday party. Cancer, miscarriage and respiratory illnesses are frequently reported in Fort McKay. Many believe the industry is to blame. Photo: Aaron Vincent Elkaim / The Narwhal

Elkaim’s work has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, National Geographic, TIME, Telegraph Magazine, The Canadian Press and The Globe and Mail.

Pat Kane’s photo essay for The Narwhal on Indigenous-led conservation in the Northwest Territories was also a finalist for the award. Other finalists included Jonathan Hayward of The Canadian Press and Larry Wong of the Postmedia Network.

Launched less than a year ago, The Narwhal is ad-free, non-profit and has just four full-time employees. More than 1,200 people have donated to support The Narwhal’s journalism in its first year.

The Narwhal was also a finalist in the labour reporting category for Sharon J. Riley’s feature showcasing coal miners in Wabamun, Alta., as they grapple with the imminent reality of being out of work due to the province’s phase-out of coal-fired electricity.

The award in the labour reporting category went to CBC News Montreal.

In November 2018, The Narwhal won four Canadian Online Publishing Awards. In April, The Narwhal was named as the sole Canadian member of the Institute for Nonprofit News. And last week, The Narwhal earned four nominations from the National Magazine Awards and three nominations from the Digital Publishing Awards.

The Narwhal’s 700+ monthly members are the lifeblood of our newsroom, providing reliable support for our reporting on the natural world that can’t be found anywhere else. Please consider becoming a monthly member of The Narwhal today.

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 has earned three nods from The Canadian Association of Journalists for its in-depth reporting and photojournalism.

Launched less than a year ago, The Narwhal’s team of investigative journalists dives deep to tell stories about Canada’s natural environment. The Narwhal is ad-free, not-for-profit and has just four full-time employees. More than 1,200 people donated to support The Narwhal’s journalism in the past year.

The Narwhal’s Alberta reporter, Sharon J. Riley — hired thanks to the support of our monthly members – was named as a finalist in the labour reporting category for her feature, Life after coal, showcasing coal miners in Wabamun, Alta., as they grapple with the imminent reality of being out of work.

“It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to interview Albertans from all walks of life,” Riley said. “The day I spent with coal miners last fall will always stick with me. I’m incredibly honoured that they shared their stories with me and that the Canadian Association of Journalists has chosen to recognize this work.”

Riley travelled to Wabamun with Edmonton-based freelance photographer Amber Bracken and spent an hour or more in one-on-one conversations with each coal miner at their union hall, where she heard a wide variety of opinions on the government’s transition programs, as well as on the reasons for the coal power phase-out itself. The story seeks to convey the complexity of the perspectives of resource workers in the fossil fuel industry.

Other finalists in the labour category include CBC News, CBC Radio, Briarpatch and HuffPost Canada.

The Narwhal’s Alberta reporter, Sharon J. Riley, interviewing a farmer about oil and gas wells near his property. Photo: Theresa Tayler / The Narwhal

The Narwhal also earned two nods in the photojournalism category.

Pat Kane’s photo essay on Indigenous-led conservation in the Northwest Territories showcases how Indigenous people are reconnecting with their ancestral homelands. Kane is based in Yellowknife and covers people, life and culture in Canada’s North.

His photo essay shone a spotlight on Indigenous Guardians programs, which are increasingly being recognized as an important conservation tool that can also help advance reconciliation.

“Programs like these help Indigenous communities become stewards of their ancestral lands, as land/water monitors, park rangers and environmental advisors in addition to building capacity for community-led initiatives,” Kane wrote in his photo essay.

“People are getting back to the land as a way to create jobs, bridge the gap between elders and youth and cope with intergenerational trauma wrought by residential schools and other manifestations of colonialism.”

Kane’s work has been featured in Canadian Geographic, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, CBC and more. He is a member of the Timiskaming First Nation in Ontario/Quebec.

Aaron Vincent Elkaim was also named a finalist in the photojournalism category for his photo essay on the Fort McKay First Nation’s fight to protect Moose Lake from rampant industrial development.

“Surrounded on three sides by oilsands operations, the Fort McKay First Nation has benefited tremendously from industrial development — while also experiencing firsthand its environmental consequences,” Elkaim wrote.

“While the nation has historically supported nearby operations, when Prosper Petroleum proposed a 10,000 barrel per day oilsands project near Moose Lake, an area of sacred cultural value for the people of Fort McKay, the community reached a tipping point.”

Elkaim’s work has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, National Geographic, TIME, Telegraph Magazine, The Canadian Press and The Globe and Mail.

Other finalists in the photojournalism category include Jonathan Hayward of The Canadian Press and Larry Wong of the Postmedia Network.

As a non-profit magazine, our goal at The Narwhal isn’t to sell advertising or to please corporate bigwigs — it’s to produce award-winning journalism for all Canadians.

In November, The Narwhal won four Canadian Online Publishing Awards, including silvers for best news website and best publication and gold and silver for best photojournalism.

The Narwhal’s 583 monthly members are the lifeblood of our newsroom, providing reliable support for our factual, honest reporting. Not a member yet? Please consider becoming a monthly member of The Narwhal today. Every dollar we receive from readers like you goes straight to funding independent journalism.

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.

Partisans may not believe it, but Canada’s “culture of secrecy” existed long before Stephen Harper moved into the prime minister’s office. And it’ll be around long after he moves out, unless Canadians do more than just cast their ballots in the next election.

That’s why four groups concerned about freedom of information, one of which I’m part of, are launching a campaign encouraging Canadians to take a small but vital step on social media that would raise more awareness of just how much is being hidden from us: spotlighting examples of government secrecy with the hashtag #cdnfoi.

Such secrecy has its roots in our political system, which has a tradition of strict party discipline. Because of that discipline, decisions made by the government behind closed doors – in cabinet meetings, for example – are rarely defeated in the House of Commons, making secret forums the principle arbiters of public policy.

To be sure, the Harper administration has done more than its share to cultivate a backroom state, frustrating access to government records and officials, as well as failing to fix our broken freedom of information system. But Canadian society is an especially fertile ground for the growth of policies that violate our right to know.

In part, that’s because our country doesn’t have any groups that exclusively and routinely advocate for greater freedom of information at a national level. Probably the closest we have to that is the small BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association.

But, as its name implies, the association’s two staff members toil on information and privacy issues in British Columbia and the rest of Canada from a tiny office above a beauty salon and spa in Vancouver.

Meanwhile, other organizations that care about our right to know have even more multiplicitous mandates. For example, Ottawa’s DemocracyWatch stands on guard for democratic reform and corporate responsibility, as well as freedom of information. Meanwhile, Halifax’s Centre for Law and Democracy also deals with other human rights issues abroad.

By comparison, the United States has three umbrella organizations that exclusively safeguard Americans’ right to know.

They include: OpenTheGovernment.org, representing 94 groups; the National Freedom of Information Coalition, representing 30 dues-paying groups; and the Sunshine in Government Initiative, representing nine groups.

Such umbrella organizations have always been few and far between in Canada.

In the seventies, a coalition called ACCESS: a Canadian Committee for the Right to Public Information was established to lobby for greater freedom of information.

Reports from the Globe and Mail back then described the committee as having the backing of groups such as the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association, the Canadian Labour Congress and the Canadian Daily Newspapers Association.

But long-time right to know researcher Ken Rubin stated in an email that ACCESS, which played a key role in the creation of Canada’s current freedom of information law, was actually “primarily a group of diverse individuals” that included academics, activists and lawyers and had some “paper” affiliations with other organizations.

Despite that key role, by the eighties the committee had folded. According to Rubin, during the same decade, a “loose coalition” came together under the auspices of the Canadian Federation of Civil Liberties and Human Rights Associations to “monitor and improve” freedom of information. That coalition also “went by the wayside” once the federation “faded away.”

Then, in January 2000, investigative reporter Robert Cribb announced the formation of Open Government Canada – a “national forum for FOI networking, education and advocacy pushing for legislative changes that grant greater access to public information.“

More than 25 groups were represented at its founding conference in March of that year. However, in an email, Cribb stated the coalition “died a regretful death.”

The reason: “It proved to be impossible to lure financial support for such an endeavour – part of the perplexing lack of concern, engagement or righteous indignation in Canada around issues such as freedom of information and the public's right to know.”

Those concerns aside, in 2011, DemocracyWatch launched the Open Government Coalition. So far, the coalition is made up of three groups – not counting DemocracyWatch and an affiliated charity. Although founder Duff Conacher stated in an email he plans to expand it this fall.

In the meantime, the New Democrats and the Liberals have proposed laws and policies that would open up government. They should be applauded for doing so. And, if the past is a predictor of the future, they may even act on some of those proposals if they win power – just as the Conservatives did.

But eventually the expediency of secrecy seems to seduce every government, regardless of its political stripe. Which means a New Democrat or Liberal administration will likely become just as tight with information as the Conservatives – albeit, perhaps, with more of a velvet glove covering that clenched, iron fist.

Don’t believe me? Well, look no further than the United States where Democrat president Barack Obama swept into office promising an “unprecedented level of openness in Government.”

Five years later, an Associated Press analysis found that in 2013 his administration “more often than ever censored government files or outright denied access to them last year under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.”

More recently, the agency also listed “eight ways the Obama administration is blocking information.”

Meanwhile, for his part New York Times reporter James Risen has called Obama “the greatest enemy of press freedom in a generation.”

Just as neither the right nor the left has a monopoly on the truth, neither has a monopoly on secrecy.

As a result, it’s vital for Canadians to start paying better attention to our information rights so we can better safeguard them.

That’s why the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, the Canadian Association of Journalists, DeSmog Canada and IntegrityBC, are now encouraging Canadians to tweet about threats to their right to know using the hashtag #cdnfoi.

Those threats include everything from backroom government meetings and frustrated freedom of information requests to inaccessible officials and nonexistent public records, whether they are at the federal, provincial or local level.

At present, the use of that hashtag isn’t widespread, making it more difficult for Canadians to know about such threats.

So, by just tagging stories about government secrecy with #cdnfoi, you can help your fellow citizens know about what they aren’t being allowed to know.

And you can encourage others to take up the fight by sharing these graphics promoting #cdnfoi – helping change Canada’s culture of secrecy in the process.

Image Credit: Will Brown

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.