The Narwhal is celebrating a deluge of award nominations and honours, as our non-profit newsroom is recognized in Canada and the United States for our dogged investigative journalism and our community-first, solutions-focused reporting.

In recent weeks, six journalism award programs have named The Narwhal as either a winner or a nominee, with two dozen honours in total!

Summary

• Canadian Journalism Foundation: The Narwhal, in partnership with the Investigative Journalism Foundation, is up for the prestigious Jackman Award. We also made the shortlist for the award for climate solutions reporting.
• National Magazine Awards: we’re nominated twice — in the investigative journalism and service journalism categories.
• Digital Publishing Awards: The Narwhal earned 11 (!) nominations across nine categories, including the award for general excellence.
• Canadian Association of Journalists: The Narwhal is a finalist for four awards across various categories.
• Nonprofit News Awards: we’re up for awards in two categories, for reporting led by Manitoba reporter Julia-Simone Rutgers, in partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press.
• Society of Environmental Journalists: the judges honoured reporting by The Narwhal with one second-place prize and two honourable mentions.

Two nods from the Canadian Journalism Foundation, including for its prestigious Jackman Award

Notably, the Canadian Journalism Foundation announced on April 17 that The Narwhal is a finalist for its prestigious Jackman Award.

The Jackman Award honours Canadian journalism that makes a social impact through courageous and original reporting, and northwest B.C. reporter Matt Simmons is nominated for his investigation into the BC Energy Regulator’s failure to enforce compliance with environmental and health regulations. Simmons is up for the award alongside peers at the Investigative Journalism Foundation, who collaborated with him on the project.

“Rigorous and fair reporting on oversight bodies such as the BC Energy Regulator is crucial to our democracy,” The Narwhal’s executive editor, Denise Balkissoon, said. “We’re proud that Matt’s efforts to hold the regulator to account have been nominated for one of the highest honours in Canadian journalism.”

We’re also on the shortlist for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s award for climate solutions reporting. Freelancer Chloe Williams and photographer Gavin John earned that nod for their story about a bold plan to save the melting sea ice around Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation will announce the winners in Toronto on June 10.

Northwest B.C. reporter Matt Simmons is a finalist for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s prestigious Jackman Award, which honours Canadian journalism that makes a social impact. Photo: Ryan Wilkes / The Narwhal

17 additional nominations across Canada’s top journalism awards

The Narwhal’s work turned heads at the National Magazine Awards, Digital Publishing Awards and Canadian Association of Journalists awards— with a whopping 17 nominations between them.

At the National Magazine Awards, Drew Anderson’s dogged reporting on the owners behind some of the country’s biggest delinquent oil and gas companies scooped a nomination for the best investigative journalism. In the best service journalism category, freelancer Canice Leung’s story, “How to have your period in the woods,” scored a nomination for its informative and creative approach.

Over at the Digital Publishing Awards, we’re up for the top award, which honours general excellence in digital publishing. 2025 Indigenous editorial fellow Savannah Ridley is on the shortlist for emerging excellence. Our journalism is also nominated across seven additional categories:

• Best digital editorial package: Collision course: Animals killed on Canada’s railways, by Ainslie Cruickshank
• Best data journalism: Collision course: Animals killed on Canada’s railways, by Ainslie Cruickshank
• Investigative journalism: Our investigation, in partnership with the Investigative Journalism Foundation, about lax enforcement in B.C.’s oil and gas industry, with reporting led by Matt Simmons
• Best reporting on climate change: On solid ice: the plan to refreeze the Arctic, by Chloe Williams, with photography by Gavin John
• Best reporting on climate change: A new way to fight climate change: cataloguing the DNA of the Arctic Ocean, by Meral Jamal
• Best reporting on climate change: One year the ice is slushy. This year on the Prairies? -35 C with the wind, by Julia-Simone Rutgers, in partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press
• Best feature article: In the Rockies, more and more people are heading to the woods. Are we pushing animals deeper into the night?, by Sara King-Abadi
• Best online mini-documentary: Trouble in the Headwaters, by Daniel J. Pierce
• Best photo storytelling: Tiny birds, and their tiny superfood, could decline due to ‘irreversible’ effects of Vancouver port expansion, with photography by Isabelle Groc

“It’s so rewarding to see such a breadth of our reporting nominated,” said Balkissoon. “From hard-hitting investigations into lax regulatory systems in B.C. and Alberta to a sweeping, photo-rich story on Arctic ice to a practical guide to camping while menstruating — this is testament to the broad talents of The Narwhal’s amazing staff and freelance journalists. So is our Digital Publishing Awards nomination in the general excellence category. It all shows the reality that every story is an environment story.”

And the Canadian Association of Journalists has named The Narwhal a finalist in four award categories:

• Data journalism: Manitoba reporter Julia-Simone Rutgers and Malak Abas, reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press, analyzed and mapped the unequal impacts of a transit overhaul in Winnipeg
• Scoop: Matt and Zak Vescera, reporter with the Investigative Journalism Foundation, revealed that oil and gas giant TC Energy successfully lobbied the federal government to gain access to sensitive information gathered by Canada’s spy agency
• Labour reporting: Matt earned a second nomination for his investigation into sexism and gendered violence in the tree-planting industry
• Emerging Indigenous journalist: Savannah Ridley’s body of work as The Narwhal’s 2025 Indigenous editorial fellow earned her a spot as a finalist

Julia-Simone Rutgers is a finalist at the Nonprofit News Awards — twice!

Meanwhile, across the border, the U.S.-based Institute for Nonprofit News announced earlier this month that The Narwhal’s Manitoba reporter, Julia-Simone Rutgers, is a double-finalist at this year’s Nonprofit News Awards.

Rutgers is nominated in the community champion category for her coverage of Winnipeg’s transit system, which underwent a massive redesign in 2025. Winnipeg’s bus route shakeup was a topic of heated debate in the city last year, and Rutgers used GIS mapping software and other data analysis tools to deepen the civic discourse. Most significantly, her reporting revealed that the drastic route changes were not equitably distributed, and disproportionately impacted low-income neighbourhoods.

The community champion award honours reporting that makes “a significant contribution to the well-being of its community through a journalism-centered project or service,” according to the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Rutgers is also a finalist in the awards’ explanatory category for a piece she wrote making sense of the potential impacts of American tariffs on the agricultural sector. As U.S. President Donald Trump hurled tariff threats over the border last year, Rutgers cogently explained how a trade war would hurt farmers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, earning her a nomination for providing “insight and understanding of a significant and complex subject.”

The Narwhal’s Manitoba reporter, Julia-Simone Rutgers, is a finalist in two separate categories at this year’s Nonprofit News Awards. Rutgers‘ work is published collaboratively by The Narwhal and the Winnipeg Free Press. Photo: Tim Smith / The Narwhal

Rutgers’ position is part of an innovative partnership between The Narwhal and the Winnipeg Free Press that sees our two outlets co-assigning, co-editing and collaboratively publishing her stories on environmental topics.

“Today’s realities of journalism funding in Canada mean local markets sometimes struggle to sustain deeply-reported journalism in their communities,” The Narwhal’s managing editor, Sharon J. Riley, noted. “Not so in Winnipeg — we’re thrilled that our partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press is bearing fruit and making in-depth environmental reporting available to audiences in Winnipeg.”

The winners of the Nonprofit News Awards will be announced during a ceremony in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 16.

Three honours from the Society of Environmental Journalists

The Society of Environmental Journalists also recently feted Rutgers’ work. The organization awarded her second place in the feature category of its annual awards program.

That prize recognized Rutgers’ on-the-ground look at the devastating impacts of hydro dam flooding in Indigenous territories, and how Cree communities are working to restore their lands in the wake of that damage.

The story was a “standout piece of solutions-focused storytelling [that] treats Indigenous-led conservation with respect and empathy,” judges wrote of Rutgers’ story. “It weaves Traditional Ecological Knowledge and oral history into a narrative that feels grounded and uplifting.”

A 2024 story by Narwhal reporter Julia-Simone Rutgers documented the devastating impacts of hydro development on Cree communities in Manitoba — and how those communities are healing the land in the wake of that damage. The story was awarded a second place prize by the Society of Environmental Journalists in March. Photo: Tim Smith / The Narwhal

The Society of Environmental Journalists also awarded a second honourable mention to freelancer Chloe Williams and photographer Gavin John for their story on the attempt to slow the impacts of climate change in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, by artificially thickening sea ice. Judges said their story did “a great job at centering Inuit voices in a conversation about geoengineering to save the Arctic.”

Northwest B.C. reporter Matt Simmons also turned heads at the U.S.-based Society of Environmental Journalists, where judges recently awarded him a first honourable mention in the beat reporting category for his ongoing coverage of energy politics in B.C. “Delivering stories like this requires reporters to go the extra mile,” judges said of Matt’s work covering B.C.’s energy industry. “These stories also had a real-world impact.”

“It’s no secret that journalists across Canada are working under increasingly difficult conditions,” Balkissoon said. “At The Narwhal, we’re lucky to have more than 7,300 members who donate regularly to make our work possible and a stellar team of dedicated journalists who won’t give up. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners.”

Updated April 30, 2026 at 2:00 PT: This article was updated to include recent award nominations from the Digital Publishing Awards, the National Magazine Awards and the Canadian Association of Journalists.

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.

Summary

• Narwhal reporter Leah Borts-Kuperman is one of three finalists in the investigative category at this year’s National Newspaper Awards.
• Borts-Kuperman’s journalism shone a light on environmental contamination issues at Canadian Armed Forces bases in 2025.
• The winners of the National Newspaper Awards will be announced in Toronto on April 24.

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A major investigation by The Narwhal’s newest staff reporter has earned her a nomination at the prestigious National Newspaper Awards.

Leah Borts-Kuperman, who wrote a series of stories about contamination on Canadian military sites for The Narwhal in 2025, is one of three finalists for the George Brown Award for Investigations, the National Newspaper Awards announced on March 20.

“The Narwhal was proud to publish Leah’s ambitious investigation,” managing editor Sharon J. Riley, who edited the stories, said. “And we’re even more proud of Leah now that her work has been recognized as some of the best in the country.”

Leah’s efforts to shine a light on contamination at Canadian Armed Forces bases started in 2024. She was following federal hearings of the Standing Committee on National Defence, and listened as former employees described health conditions they believed were the result of chemical contamination at their workplaces.

Leah knew this would be a challenging story to report, but she pitched the idea to The Narwhal anyway. What followed was almost a year of work. Leah parsed massive government databases, supported anxious sources to speak on the record, obtained government documents from confidential sources and tracked down experts to review the data she compiled.

The result was a deeply researched feature that foregrounded the experiences of Canadian Armed Forces members at CFB Moose Jaw as they fought for answers about their contaminated workplace.

One military employee told Leah she “took an oath that I would risk my life for what Canada stood for.” But she never expected that risk to take the form of carcinogenic contaminants in her office.

A few weeks after the first investigation was published, Leah wrote a follow-up article detailing the Canadian military’s plans to build housing on several of its bases that are known to be contaminated.

“Investigations such as Leah’s are labour-intensive,” Denise Balkissoon, executive editor of The Narwhal, said. “We’re grateful to The Narwhal’s 7,000-plus members, whose donations enable us to report complex stories with care, nuance and rigour.”

Leah wrote these stories as a freelancer. But she recently joined The Narwhal as our first-ever northern Ontario reporter, so you’ll be seeing her byline on The Narwhal a lot more going forward. She was only a few days into her new job when she learned of the nomination.

“I am grateful to the brave people who shared very personal stories to bring awareness to the issue of contamination on military bases,” Leah said. “And I’m determined and excited to tell many, many more important stories with The Narwhal now as a staff reporter.”

Leah is nominated for the award alongside two other finalists. Teams of journalists from Le Journal de Montréal and The Globe and Mail are also up for the prize. The winners of the National Newspaper Awards will be announced in Toronto on April 24.

The Narwhal is a non-profit news outlet that relies on readers to give whatever they can each month or year to make our reporting possible. This March, all new members will receive a Narwhal tote bag as thanks for their support.

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.

If you’ve been listening closely lately — to global headlines, to the tone of public debate, to economic threats — you might be feeling a kind of knot in your stomach.

I’ve spent decades in journalism, including 17 years hosting CBC Radio’s The Current, asking questions that cut through noise to get at what really matters. And I can tell you: consequential moments like this demand more than quick hits and simplified answers.

They demand journalism that slows down, digs deep and refuses to lose the plot.

As someone who has spent a career dedicated to the public’s right to know, I am cautious where I place my trust. The Narwhal has earned it — through rigorous, independent reporting, careful, on-the-ground storytelling and a clear commitment to the public interest.

That’s why I recently joined The Narwhal’s board of directors, and why I’m writing to you today. This month, The Narwhal has set an ambitious goal: to welcome 230 new members to help sustain the kind of reporting I’m not seeing anywhere else. I hope you’ll be one of them.

Right now, across Canada, there’s growing pressure to move fast on big decisions: around oil production, critical minerals and the landscapes that shape who we are and what futures we can hope to share. You can hear it in the urgency of the language every day: build, expand, fast-track!

But when it feels like everything is speeding up, that’s when the larger context gets lost and accountability falls behind.

That’s where The Narwhal comes in. This newsroom is doing something increasingly rare: taking the time to report deeply on the natural world — on the land, the water and the communities most affected by decisions made in the halls of power or executive boardrooms. 

It’s why I’ve become a member myself. Will you join me and more than 7,000 others who chip in regularly to sustain this work? The Narwhal needs to add 230 new members this month to keep telling these important stories. And if you join now, at any monthly or yearly amount, you’ll get a Narwhal tote bag as thanks.

The stakes aren’t abstract. They’re all around us: in the ecosystems under pressure, in the watersheds that sustain communities, in the high-impact choices we’re making in the face of a changing climate.

Good journalism doesn’t tell you what to think. It gives you the clarity to understand what’s at stake — and the context to ask better questions and hold power to account.

That’s what The Narwhal provides for me. And it’s what your support makes possible.

If you’re able, I hope you’ll consider becoming a member today — for whatever amount feels right to you. Monthly or yearly, large or small, it all contributes to keeping this kind of journalism strong and independent.

Join this month at any recurring amount and you’ll receive a Narwhal tote bag as a small gift of thanks. But the real value is in helping to ensure high-quality, fact-based reporting continues — especially when it’s needed most.

In disorienting times like these, it matters where we turn for understanding. It matters what we build.

Thank you for being part of what we’re building here.

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 Ontario government wants to keep Premier Doug Ford’s communications a secret.

That’s the news the province squeezed in this past Friday as it revealed plans to “modernize” freedom of information (FOI) laws. The changes would block journalists and members of the public from obtaining documents, emails, call logs and other details from the premier, cabinet ministers and parliamentary assistants.

How significant would these changes be? In a word: massive. The move would slam the door on investigative journalism that was possible in Ontario specifically because these records could be obtained through FOI requests in the province.

Here’s just a sampling of investigative reporting The Narwhal has published that relied on these records:

• Our investigations into the Greenbelt scandal, which eventually prompted the Ontario government to reverse course on its cuts to the protected area (and went on to win the most prestigious journalism prize in Canada)
• Our coverage of Enbridge, which revealed its close relationship with the Ontario government as it pushes a natural gas future
• Our reporting on the inner workings on Ontario’s efforts to push ahead with Ring of Fire mining roads

This moment is a reminder of why investigative journalism matters. And we need your support now more than ever: will you be one of 230 loyal readers who helps us meet our budget by joining as a monthly or yearly member? Every dollar you give goes straight toward paying our investigative journalists.

The next 230 readers to join as monthly or yearly members will get a Narwhal tote bag — and the comfort of knowing their gift is making investigative journalism possible.

The Ontario government might not want you to know about how and why decisions are being made. But our journalists are relentless in their quest for the truth. It’s why we give our staff the time to build sources and develop beats so that even when governments try to lock us out, we have the contacts on the inside to allow us to continue holding elected officials accountable.

Freedom of information isn’t just under attack in Ontario. Federally, there’s a proposal to exempt “routine communications” from being subject to FOI requests, which could include all emails.

B.C. is plotting changes that would allow public bodies to reject FOIs they deem too broad or that would “interfere” with the work of government. And last year, the Alberta government passed a law allowing it to suppress more factual information, more often, and to release it more slowly.

I’m here to tell you these government efforts to keep information out of view only strengthen the resolve of The Narwhal’s journalists. But we need your help: we have to add 230 new members this month to make our budget work.

Will you step up today to help us break stories you won’t find anywhere else? Bonus: join at any recurring amount and you’ll get a Narwhal tote bag as our way of saying thanks.

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.

Three years ago, our small, independent news organization made a very big decision: we were going to take the RCMP to court.

Now, we’re about to head to trial.

Here’s a quick refresher: photojournalist Amber Bracken was on assignment for The Narwhal in northern British Columbia in November 2021. Amber was documenting tensions over the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory when she was arrested by the RCMP.

Amber was handcuffed, held in a cell for three nights and had her camera gear and photographs seized — all for doing her job.

We believe her arrest was a clear violation of her Charter rights — and The Narwhal’s. So we sued the RCMP to take a stand for press freedom in Canada.

And in one week, we’ll be in B.C.’s Supreme Court to stand up for what’s right.

The Narwhal’s fight for press freedom in Canada

This trial is running for five weeks in Vancouver starting Jan. 12. It’s about more than one arrest. It’s about defending the right of every journalist in Canada to report freely, without fear of police interference.

Here’s how you can stay informed and get involved as the case unfolds:

• Go watch our new video where I explain what’s at stake
• Share this page with your friends and tell them to sign up for email updates
• Come to the courtroom in Vancouver any time over the five-week trial
• Make a contribution to our legal fund for this case

Someone else’s rights were violated that day: yours.

Amber and The Narwhal were fulfilling our mandate to report on environmental risk, resource extraction and Indigenous Peoples’ varied approaches to stewarding their lands.

We were documenting issues of broad public interest, including the injunctions granted by Canadian courts that restrict public movement on behalf of private corporations — and how publicly funded police act when enforcing them. 

Much of Canada’s resource extraction happens in remote places like these. When journalists are arrested, it has a chilling effect on your right to know. 

The RCMP and the Attorney General of Canada draw on taxpayer dollars to fund their defence. But our case relies on extraordinary people like you spreading the word and chipping in.

This case has the potential to set a powerful precedent for press freedom across the country, not only for individual journalists, but for publications too. But we are a small, non-profit newsroom — and we can’t do this without you.

Over the course of the trial, we’ll share updates on this page and in our weekly newsletter. We hope you’ll follow along (and come say hi if you’re in Vancouver!). Amber and I are set to take the stand the week of Jan. 12, and there will be plenty of other important witnesses testifying over the next month.

Will you spread the word about our fight for press freedom today? Every single person who subscribes, shares and supports our case means so much to this little publication and our battle for your right to know.

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.

As 2025 nears its end, the team at The Narwhal is taking some time to reflect on the ground we’ve covered this year — and the distance left to travel on the road that’s still ahead. 

We’ve dug up stories about the natural world in all sorts of places, from back rooms in halls of power to fly-in communities in the Far North.

In case there’s a spot left on your holiday reading list, we’ve compiled some of our most popular stories of the year, from coast to coast to coast.

British Columbia

Photo: Jimmy Jeong / The Narwhal

B.C. Premier David Eby recently said at a BC Chamber of Commerce luncheon that his government will amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act — a move one legal expert called “extremely offensive.” Reporters Shannon Waters and Matt Simmons told that story, which quickly became one of our most-read articles of the year.

Alberta

Photo: Isabella Falsetti / The Narwhal

Prairies reporter Drew Anderson travelled to the rural community of Warburg, Alta., to learn what really goes down when senior provincial officials roll up their sleeves and speak with Albertans about the growing issue of old oil and gas infrastructure. (Spoiler ahead: one called the problem a “giant stinking pile of shit.”) The story turned a lot of heads — including that of Premier Danielle Smith, which Drew learned when he asked her about it a few days later.

Saskatchewan

Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal

Freelance journalist Leah Borts-Kuperman spent eight months investigating environmental contamination on a Canadian Armed Forces base in Moose Jaw, Sask., which staff say is linked to higher rates of cancer and other illnesses. The story was recently named a finalist for the best investigative article at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards.

Manitoba 

Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory / Flickr

Parks Canada fought a costly battle to prevent the westward spread of invasive zebra mussels at Riding Mountain National Park — and lost. Julia-Simone Rutgers reported on what happened, and what comes next; it was our most-read story from the province in 2025.

Ontario 

Photo: Carlos Osorio / The Narwhal

Most residents of Ontario live fewer than two hours from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, the province’s “summer playground” and home to the world’s longest freshwater beach. Fatima Syed reported on Premier Doug Ford’s plan to transfer most of the beach to the municipality, with unknown consequences for public access and a tiny, endangered bird. It was The Narwhal’s most-read story of the year.

We’re suing the RCMP to fight for press freedom

In November 2021, photojournalist Amber Bracken was arrested by the RCMP while on assignment for The Narwhal. So we launched a lawsuit to take a stand for press freedom. Now, we’re in the middle of our trial.

Quebec 

Photo: Christopher Katsarov Luna / The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Mark Carney is eyeing a Port of Montreal expansion as a possible nation-building project — and the fate of an endangered fish found only in Quebec hangs in the balance. Freelance reporter Caitlin Stall-Paquet made Narwhal history with her story about it, published both in English and in French.

Atlantic Canada

Photo: Jeremy Hull / The Narwhal

Wildfire fears prompted a ban this summer in Nova Scotia, prohibiting people from hiking, camping or otherwise accessing the woods. Freelancer Jeremy Hull hit the trails to photograph and speak with Nova Scotians as the ban lifted. His photo essay was among our most-read articles from the Atlantic region in 2025.

Yukon 

Photo: Peter Mather

A multi-generational fight to protect the Porcucine caribou herd entered a new chapter as the U.S. government renews its push for oil and gas drilling on sensitive breeding grounds. Freelance reporter Trina Moyles travelled to Old Crow, Yukon, to tell the story of the urgent race to count the herd as it faces mounting threats.

Northwest Territories 

Photo: Supplied by Angela Gzowski / Indigenous Leadership Initiative

A landmark Indigenous-led conservation agreement in N.W.T. will protect nearly 380,000 square kilometres of land and water — more than two per cent of Canada’s land area. Michelle Cyca reported that story for The Narwhal in July.

Nunavut 

Photo: Gavin John / The Narwhal

The community of Cambridge Bay is in the Far North — even by Nunavut standards. Reporter Chloe Williams and photojournalist Gavin John spent five days there to tell the story of an audacious plan to save the melting sea ice and a way of life that depends on it.

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.

“Our team of investigative journalists dives deep to tell stories about the natural world in Canada you can’t find anywhere else.”

That’s how we at The Narwhal introduce ourselves, right at the top of our “about us” page. 

It means, in part, that we peel back the curtains in halls of power — revealing how politicians, corporations and institutions make big decisions impacting natural resources and landscapes. It also means, just as significantly, that we send journalists to the hard-to-reach places where some of the most important stories are unfolding, and would otherwise go untold. 

We take this commitment seriously, and won’t compromise on the stunning photography, immersive storytelling and in-depth reporting it takes to bring them to life. For example: 

The Blackfoot Confederacy is working toward having buffalo across the Canada-U.S. border once again — and revitalizing traditional hunts. Photo: Gavin John / The Narwhal

Reporter Jimmy Thomson and photojournalist Gavin John travelled across Montana and southern Alberta for three days to tell the story of the Blackfoot Confederacy’s effort to restore free-roaming herds of buffalo on the prairie. It’s this kind of unique, gorgeous storytelling that The Narwhal does so well. This year it won the top prize for the best feature story at the cross-border Indigenous Media Awards, as well as the silver in the same category at Canada’s Digital Publishing Awards.

At the National Magazine Awards, photojournalist Amber Bracken’s compelling portraits of Fort Chipewyan residents in a fight for life downstream of Alberta’s oilsands took silver for the best photo essay and photojournalism. 

This kind of journalism is expensive and time consuming, and it’s the first thing that most newsrooms pull back as purse strings tighten. But as they lean out, we lean in. Our non-profit, reader-supported model requires that we make good on our promises.

Every year, nearly 10,000 people step up to support The Narwhal, each of them casting a vote that says: these stories are worth telling. Will you join them? Every dollar you give today will be matched — donate now to make twice the difference.

Near Cambridge Bay, Nvt., researchers are pumping sea water onto the sea ice in an effort to thicken it, and delay its melt. Photo: Gavin John / The Narwhal

This year, we sent Gavin and freelance reporter Chloe Williams to Cambridge Bay, an Inuit community of about 2,000 people in Nunavut. They spent five days with people on the frontlines of the warming Arctic — and returned with an incredible story about an audacious pitch to bring back the disappearing sea ice and a way of life that depends on it.

Photojournalist Paige Taylor White made four trips to Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, north of Whistler, B.C., between April and September. She documented what the famous park looks like when it’s bustling with tourists — and also during a temporary closure, when the land was given a moment to rest and members of the Líl̓wat and N’Quatqua nations had a chance to reconnect. Reporter Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood joined Paige on two of those trips; they were the only journalists invited into the park to witness the reconnection period.

On Blackfoot territory in Alberta, journalist (and Kainai Nation member) Joy SpearChief-Morris reported on the first-ever Indigenous fire guardians program in Canada and Kainai Nation’s effort to restore the landscape in the traditional way, by embracing fire.

Your support means we can invest in more stories like these in the year ahead. We’re two-thirds of the way to our new goal of raising $300,000 this month to keep going. Help us cross the finish line? A donation today makes twice the impact — and qualifies for a 2025 charitable tax receipt.

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.

When Carol Linnitt and Emma Gilchrist founded The Narwhal, seven years ago, they made a (some would say quite risky!) bet. Canada’s non-profit news sector was essentially non-existent, and they took that as a challenge and an opportunity to build something different.

In 2021 The Narwhal became the first English-language registered journalism organization in Canada. As a result, we can issue charitable tax receipts — but our status as an independent non-profit means so much more than that.

In a nutshell: we’re accountable to you, our readers — not advertisers or shareholders.

For that reason, an important way we measure our success is by the impact our journalism makes out in the real world — and it all starts with readers who chip in whatever they can to keep our publication going.

I’m proud to say 2025 was another terrific year for The Narwhal, and how our reporting rippled out across the country.

We helped fill news gaps in small markets, partnered with CBC and saw our work republished in scores of outlets, from Turtle Island News to the Vancouver Sun. We heard from educators who used our articles to explain development and resource extraction to students, or invited our reporters to come speak with them directly.

Most importantly, our journalism was used by communities across the country to demand better from politicians and corporations — equipping citizens with the information they need to hold power to account.

Here’s an example: in September, Carl Meyer reported on the boundaries of a protected area in Ontario being altered to allow development. The story about Port Hope prompted a letter to the Minister of Natural Resources from Alderville First Nation and dozens of other groups and individuals, asking that the decision be reversed. 

One of Carl’s sources wrote to say, “The municipality seems willing to speak to us now, possibly because some electronic media shone a little light on them and politicians prefer darkness.”

Will you help us shine a light in more dark corners in 2026? Join the 760 and counting who have already stepped up to have their donations matched, dollar for dollar, this December.

Over in Manitoba, Julia-Simone Rutgers has written story after story that had a meaningful effect on city politics, published jointly by The Narwhal and the Winnipeg Free Press.

For one of them, Julia-Simone and Free Press reporter Malak Abas produced a data-driven look at how altered bus routes affected the city’s lowest-income residents most. It was used by Coun. Sherri Rollins to ask city staff for a review of the route changes — as well as to “immediately cease communications that dismiss neighbourhood concerns.”  

“Your reporting has been invaluable,” Rollins wrote to us.

And in Alberta, reporter Drew Anderson won the prestigious Hillman Prize for uncovering the truth about how the provincial government decided to pause renewable energy projects. Drew is so insistent, he seemingly spurred the government to tighten its freedom-of-information laws — which hasn’t stopped him from pursuing crucial public-interest stories.

This year, Drew’s stories on Alberta’s decision to allow cougar hunting in parks was included in a request to the ethics commissioner to investigate claims of inappropriate conduct and conflict of interest by Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen. And his consistent focus on old oil and gas wells — left languishing on private property, or cleaned up on the public dime — forced Premier Danielle Smith to respond to questions on the issue at a press conference.

I could go on bragging about the ways Narwhal reporters are making a difference through their work, but we’d be here all day! It’s been a fulfilling year of taking risks, celebrating communities and producing meaningful journalism that holds those in power accountable. 

One last thing that makes The Narwhal different: nearly 80 per cent of our budget goes directly to paying the journalists who do this digging. That’s the inverse of some traditional newspaper businesses, which spend as little as 20 per cent on producing the actual journalism, according to a 2021 report on international press trends.

We can only do this because of the nearly 10,000 of you who support this work every year, allowing us to keep putting people before profit. Will you chip in what you can to help us raise $200,000? This December, your dollar goes twice as far!

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.

Please, please, please. Among reporters at The Narwhal, it’s a common refrain. 

Please provide all internal communications regarding increased cougar hunting quotas in Alberta. Please provide a copy of all briefing documents prepared for DM Lori Halls and/or Minister Neill related to the tripartite nature agreement. Please provide copies of all communications, including but not limited to emails, attachments, text messages, instant messages, briefing notes, meeting notes or agendas, and any other forms of written communication, regarding the Red Chris Mine incident.

Yes, we’re polite. But let’s be clear: we’re not begging governments to play nice. We’re demanding documents that the public has a legal right to see.

The more roadblocks we face, the harder we push for transparency and accountability. This year alone, Narwhal reporters filed 218 freedom of information (FOI) requests to access public records.

It takes loads of money and time to uncover facts that politicians might prefer to keep hidden. And 653 readers have already stepped up to help us raise $200,000 to keep at it — will you join them? Every dollar you give this month will be matched by a group of special donors.

FOI reporting is the backbone of much of The Narwhal’s investigative journalism — and it can have a big impact. How else would we know that B.C.’s energy regulator quietly allowed an oil and gas giant to sidestep the rules for more than 4,300 pipelines, as Matt Simmons and Zak Vescera revealed this year.

Or that industry lobbyists got the lion’s share of Mark Carney’s attention over his first few months in office, as Xavi Richer Vis revealed.

Or that the Alberta Energy Regulator apparently acted in “direct violation” of its own rules when it allowed an oil and gas company to take over nearly 200 wells, despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes, as Drew Anderson reported this week.

The list goes on. And nothing lights a fire under a government’s butt quite like airing out its dirty laundry.

After Matt and Zak’s investigation, for example, the BC Energy Regulator started publicly posting the exemptions it grants to companies. The regulator also plans to improve how it inspects facilities and ensures compliance, including by making full inspection reports available on its website. (How do we know? Because Matt filed an FOI request to access internal records related to the regulator’s response to his investigations — of course!)

This kind of work takes time, money and a lot of grit. This year alone, we were asked to pay $4,000 in fees to obtain government records, with more bills on the way. 

We can’t do it without your support. Nearly 10,000 readers donate to The Narwhal every year, making it possible to uncover each big story, one opaque government document at a time.

If you want to help us keep it up in the year ahead, there’s no time like the present: all donations to The Narwhal will be matched through Dec. 31 — and qualify for a 2025 charitable tax receipt.

Editor’s note: the version of this article that was sent to subscribers to The Narwhal’s newsletter incorrectly identified the author of the story about the industry lobbyists who had Mark Carney’s ear. It was reported by Xavi Richer Vis, not Carl Meyer.

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.

“I hope you prove me wrong.”Those words are underlined in one of my notebooks from 2018 — part of a quote from an influential pessimist in my life who told me launching The Narwhal was a bad idea.

Co-founder Emma Gilchrist and I faced our share of naysayers in the early days. Our mainstream media colleagues often failed to recognize us as legitimate journalists, even as they relied on the big stories we were breaking for their own reporting.

So much has changed. Last month, The National broadcast a joint Narwhal-CBC investigation about train-wildlife collisions into living rooms across Canada — just the latest proof that our newsroom, small as it may yet be, will not be ignored.

Collaborations of this scale are made possible by thousands of readers who believe independent journalism is worth supporting. And there’s more: a group of special donors has stepped up to match every dollar you give between now and Dec. 31. Yes, that means if you give $100, we get $200. If you give $250, we get $500. You get the idea! Will you make a special donation today to support our fearless, independent journalism into 2026?

As Emma and I planned our ambitious non-profit publication, we understood that proving our naysayers wrong would rely on people stepping up to pay for journalism they could otherwise get for free.

Thanks to the generosity of thousands of extraordinary people, we’ve done it: The Narwhal has become a leading publication covering energy and environment issues in Canada.

My milestone 40th year is coming to a close, and I’ve been reflecting on its proudest moments. At the top of the list? My mom’s message to the family group chat, celebrating The Narwhal’s big collaboration with the CBC. (Hi, Mom!)

Every dollar you give today makes it possible for us to tell more stories and reach more people — and qualifies for a 2025 charitable tax receipt. Will you help us reach our goal of raising $200,000 by Dec. 31?

Together, we’ll keep proving that guy wrong.

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 won a 2025 Jack Webster award for environment reporting for an on-the-ground feature by northwest B.C. reporter Matt Simmons and photographer Marty Clemens about efforts by Gitanyow to restore traditional fire practices. 

To report the story, Matt and Marty accompanied Elder Darlene Vegh, other members of the nation’s Guardians team and the BC Wildfire Service as they set, monitored and extinguished a fire in a remote forested area. Fire — called lakw in Simalgyax, the language spoken in Gitanyow — was used on the landscape for thousands of years as a tool to manage resources like food and medicinal plants and the animals that eat them. But under colonization, Indigenous use of fire was banned, suppressed along with every other aspect of cultural life. 

The healing power of fire

Revitalizing the practice helps remove dry brush that might otherwise serve as tinder for an uncontrolled wildfire, protecting communities as well as restoring an important cultural practice. 

Accepting the award for Matt, B.C. bureau chief Lindsay Sample shared his appreciation for Elder Darlene Vegh, the Gitanyow Guardians and the BC Wildfire Service for trusting him and Marty to tell their story. 

“What the Gitanyow and other Indigenous leaders working with fire are doing to heal the land and protect communities is incredibly inspiring and hopeful,” Lindsay said. She and two other members of The Narwhal’s B.C. team, Sarah Cox and Michelle Cyca, edited the story. 

The Webster Awards honour the best of British Columbia journalism. Three other Narwhal stories were nominated.

Michelle, our bureau chief for conservation and fellowships, was a finalist for commentator of the year for her columns analyzing the province’s responses to Indigenous Rights and environmental issues.

First Nations are closing B.C. parks. Should you be mad?

B.C. politics and environment reporter Shannon Waters was a finalist in the category for best news reporting for her explainer tackling the provincial and federal flip-flopping over carbon pricing. In June, Waters’ reporting on carbon pricing took home the Canadian Association of Journalists’ award in the category of daily excellence.

What on earth just happened with B.C.’s carbon tax?

Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood was a finalist in feature reporting for her story about Namu, the ancient Heiltsuk village at the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, where an abandoned cannery is leaching contaminants into the protected waters.

The Great Bear Rainforest is protected. So why is an abandoned industrial site leaching heavy metals?

These stories show the depth and breadth The Narwhal aims to bring to journalism about the natural world in Canada, using personal and community narratives to show the real effects of politics, history and science on all of our lives. 

We’re proud of all of our nominees and grateful to The Narwhal’s 7,100 members, whose contributions make it possible for our reporters to tell beautiful, in-depth and original stories about B.C.’s irreplaceable lands and waters.

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.