J-school alumni part of the Narwhal's Ontario team

After spending almost four years based in British Columbia, the Narwhal officially launched their Ontario bureau in September 2021.

In a September article (external link)  published by Narwhal managing editor Mike De Souza, 10,000 people signed up to support the non-profit's expansion to Ontario.

The new bureau began as a three-person environmental team headed by award-winning journalist Denise Balkissoon.

The other two original members are Emma McIntosh and Fatima Syed, j-school alumni and notable journalists in their own right, having contributed to outlets like the Toronto Star, Calgary Herald, The Walrus and National Observer.

Syed says she appreciates how the Narwhal reports on the complexities of environmental reporting.

"Climate as an issue of journalism is so broad, and touches on so many different aspects of human life, that it was really nice to see a publication trying to capture some of that. It's not just about the temperatures getting hotter, it's also about the community. How is our community?"

McIntosh says that joining the Narwhal felt like entering a party.

"Reading the Narwhal for me felt like walking by a house party where everyone is dressed super cool, and they're playing all your favourite songs, and they look really nice. And you're just like, oh man, I wish I had an invite."

According to their 'about' section, the Narwhal has over 4,200 monthly members and has received several awards for writing.

"I think what makes the Narwhal stand out is that the publication immerses itself into the space, and has all kinds of reporters that are experts in various things," Syed says. "At the same time, the Narwhal abides by this technique called 'complicating the narrative.' Rather than tell the stories that I think people expect from a climate reporter, let's tell stories that make people pause and think."

McIntosh says there's so much to talk about, environment-wise, in Ontario.

Another thing that makes this launch unique is the bonds between team members.

"Fatima and I, we're very yin and yang. Fatima is extremely charming, very good with sources and source building, while I'm stronger on FOIs and documents," McIntosh says. "Our skills and our interests complement each other very well. Honestly, getting paid to talk about this stuff with her is a dream come true."

Syed says the Narwhal is continuing to grow.

"It's just lovely to be part of this publication that is growing country-wide, just to do more in-depth reporting on environment and energy, and to do so in a nuanced and beautiful way. It's really exciting to be part of a publication like the Narwhal, and I'm really looking forward to seeing all the work that we're going to do in 2022 and beyond."

Recently, the Narwhal added three new members to their team: Lindsay Sample as head of the B.C. bureau, Carl Meyer as their climate investigations reporter and Shawn Parkinson as their art director.

You can find more about the Narwhal here (external link) .