water

Water

Canada has 20 per cent of the world’s freshwater stored in its lakes, rivers, aquifers and glaciers. But much of that water is under threat from development of Canada’s other great resources: forestry, oil and gas and mining are particularly harmful to freshwater.

Freshwater is the basis for many Indigenous cultural practices, such as salmon harvesting, which is one of the reasons Indigenous activism often centres around protection of water.

Canada also has the longest coastline in the world, touching three oceans. These waters hold huge cultural significance for Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents, and often form the flashpoints for controversial industries and practices, such as salmon farming, offshore oil and gas development and shipping (particularly shipping of LNG and crude oil). Canada recently announced a $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, and has a stated goal of protecting 10 per cent of its oceans by 2020.

For weekly updates on our reporting, sign up for The Narwhal’s newsletter.

Latest News about "Water"

‘Heartbreaking’: an overhead view of Coastal GasLink sediment spills into Wet’suwet’en waters, wetlands

Sleydo’ Molly Wickham was composed and quiet as she stared out the window of a helicopter flying over vast stretches of TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink...

Continue reading
Investigating problems. Exploring solutions
The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for a weekly dose of independent journalism.
Investigating problems. Exploring solutions
The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for a weekly dose of independent journalism.
As The Narwhal turns five, I’m thinking about the momentous outpouring of public generosity — a miracle of sorts — that’s allowed us to prove the critics wrong. More than 6,000 people just like you donate whatever they can afford to make independent, high-stakes journalism about the natural world in Canada free for everyone to read. Help us keep the dream alive for another five years by becoming a member today and we’ll mail you a copy of our beautiful 2023 print magazine. — Carol Linnitt, co-founder
Keep the dream alive.
Join today
As The Narwhal turns five, I’m thinking about the momentous outpouring of public generosity — a miracle of sorts — that’s allowed us to prove the critics wrong. More than 6,000 people just like you donate whatever they can afford to make independent, high-stakes journalism about the natural world in Canada free for everyone to read. Help us keep the dream alive for another five years by becoming a member today and we’ll mail you a copy of our beautiful 2023 print magazine. — Carol Linnitt, co-founder
Keep the dream alive.