https://thenarwhal.ca Deep Dives, Cold Facts, & Pointed Commentary en-US Copyright 2026 The Narwhal hourly 1 https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-bill-98-retrofit-costs/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=159881 Municipalities have spent millions to ensure buildings can cope with extreme weather. A ban on green rules for Ontario developers could slow things down and drive costs up Fatima Syed Analysis Who Pays? development Ontario solutions Photo: Carlos Osorio / The Narwhal A building construction site in Hamilton, Ontario. https://thenarwhal.ca/cattle-farming-northern-ontario/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:02:09 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=159586 Warmer days and longer growing seasons are making new areas more hospitable for cattle farms, as traditional beef regions battle drought and flooding Leah Borts-Kuperman In-Depth Who Pays? climate adaptation climate change farming food security Ontario Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal A close-up of a herd of brown and black cattle. https://thenarwhal.ca/wasaga-beach-plover-court-case/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:41:47 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=158970 The stretch of the popular southern Ontario beach used by the endangered bird is no longer provincially protected. Environmental groups are taking the federal government to court over delays in stepping in Fatima Syed and Will Pearson News Bill 5 biodiversity Great Lakes Ontario Photo: Carlos Osorio / The Narwhal A double rainbow stretches across the sky at Wasaga Beach in Ontario. https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-source-protection-conservation-authorities/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:41:14 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=158393 The groups were set up following the contamination crisis in Walkerton, Ont., and are still waiting for ‘clarity’ on how their work will continue after conservation authorities consolidate Fatima Syed and Matt McIntosh Investigation Conservation authorities fresh water Great Lakes Ontario Photo: Laura Proctor / The Narwhal A stream flows through a forested area in early spring, before the buds or any green vegetation has emerged. https://thenarwhal.ca/canada-water-agency-budget-cuts/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:45:06 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=158015 A $5-million budget cut meaning the loss of about 13 jobs comes right as the agency takes on creating Canada’s first National Water Security Strategy Carl Meyer News federal politics freshwater Great Lakes Ontario Photo: Christopher Katsarov Luna / The Narwhal Two people swim in Lake Superior, with a sandy shoreline in the background. https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-species-conservation-act-enforced/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:31:22 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=158020 The new Species Conservation Act will leave many plants and animals — including barn owls and red-headed woodpeckers — largely unprotected, experts say Leah Borts-Kuperman News Bill 5 biodiversity Endangered Species Ontario Photo: Judit Dombovari / iStock A closeup image of a barn owl, with a blurry green background. https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-1p1p-mining-conference/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=157790 While the mining industry sees a clearer path under the Doug Ford government’s pitch for fast-tracking projects, many First Nations leaders are left with questions Fatima Syed In-Depth mining Ontario ring of fire Illustration: Jake Tobin / The Narwhal An illustration depicts mining industry workers and executives lining up for a meeting at Ontario's Ministry of Energy and Mines. https://thenarwhal.ca/golden-oyster-mushrooms-invasion/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=157462 Golden oyster mushrooms are spreading fast, altering how Ontario’s forests grow, decompose and nurture important native ’shrooms Leah Borts-Kuperman News biodiversity Great Lakes Ontario Photo: Aishwarya Veerabahu Yellow golden oyster mushrooms grow in tight clusters on a tree stump. https://thenarwhal.ca/great-lakes-waste-heat-clean-energy/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:46:32 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=157185 Using waste heat from sewers, data centres and power plants could cut costs and reduce the impacts of climate change in a growing region Brett Walton Analysis electricity Great Lakes nature-based climate solutions Ontario renewable energy solutions Photo: Supplied by Ever-Green Energy An industrial energy plant with steam blowing out of its main smokestack. https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-federal-ring-of-fire-assessment/ Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=157260 An interim report on the impacts of mining and other development in the Ring of Fire, produced by First Nations and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, reveals Ontario was not at the table Fatima Syed and Carl Meyer News Indigenous Rights mining Ontario ring of fire Photo: Supplied by Wyloo Metals; Illustration: Shawn Parkinson / The Narwhal A graphic displaying two quotations, one reading "“Opportunity for collaboration with the province of Ontario in the regional assessment" and the other reading "“Several priorities for the regional assessment would benefit from provincial expertise." Both of the quotations are displayed against a green background. https://thenarwhal.ca/coyote-misunderstood-ontario-photos/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:00:18 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=156871 Hundreds of thousands more people are bitten by dogs than coyotes every year in Canada. A photographer questions why his subject gets such a bad rap Paul Gains Photo Essay biodiversity Ontario wildlife