support independent media. @defactomedia.ca isn't going to shut down because some investors disconnected from the communities we serve decided we aren't worth it

this year is 10 years since i finished journalism school at Langara Langara announced recently that it's shutting down its j-school i did my internship at the end of my time there at News1130. now that's going too i worked at Burnaby Now/New West Record for two years, they shut down last spring

Here are 10 stories about power, law, & institutional secrecy in Canada Every week, our Post Facto newsletter sends readers these roundups (plus our own reporting) Subscribe here to get our next one www.defactomedia.ca/newsletters/ & check out the stories from the last week of June below:

Here are 10 stories about power, law, & institutional secrecy in Canada Every week, our Post Facto newsletter sends readers these roundups (plus our own reporting) Subscribe here to get our next one www.defactomedia.ca/newsletters/ & check out the stories from the last week of June below:

NEW: We now have an archive of all of our newsletters! Catch up on our weekly Post Facto recaps and our ongoing original reporting on homelessness, policing, immigration, and more www.defactomedia.ca/newsletters/

New newsletter this week, featuring: -Police chief's visit to illegal settlements -Secret federal contracts -VPD's AI photo fiasco -World Cup visa rejections -BC mining firm's Trump loophole Read it here, and subscribe to get our POST FACTO every week www.defactomedia.ca/newsletter/p...

“It's not just ICE in the US that are doing these kinds of raids and arresting people and deporting people and separating families.” – Amanda Aziz, Migrant Workers Centre BC www.defactomedia.ca/a-two-tier-s...

Immigrants have become the scapegoat for economic precarity. This misdirected blame “takes the spotlight away from the affordability crisis, from the way the economy is structured, and the way that corporations are channeling wealth away from services and people” —Syed Hussan Read the full story:

Last weekend, migrant workers from across BC shared stories in a small Victoria living room Stories of farms where they say supervisors pursue sexual favours Where a work injury can get you blacklisted Where bosses won't pay, & threaten deportation if you object www.defactomedia.ca/a-two-tier-s...

Also, thanks to our incredible subscribers, we've passed $4,500 from 98 donors — 94% of that dependable recurring donations. Will you help us get to $5,000 and 100 backers this week? www.defactomedia.ca/donate/#/por...

Our newest investigation is up at @defacto-ca.bsky.social! Continuing our launch theme on immigration enforcement, photojournalist @mikegraeme.bsky.social delved deep into Bill C-12 (now passed into law) — and how migrants and rights organizations are responding www.defactomedia.ca/a-two-tier-s...

Transit police are calling immigration on transit riders—and most of the time they aren't documenting it Freedom-of-info docs indicate Transit Police calls to CBSA have risen. But in available 2024 data, 91% of calls didn't go into daily duty reports as required www.defactomedia.ca/transit-poli...

Zool Suleman is a long-time immigration lawyer & the executive director of BC non-profit MARU He spoke to De Facto about what our newly reported data reveal about police collaboration, Vancouver’s “access without fear” movement, & immigration detentions. www.defactomedia.ca/a-troubling-...

Zool Suleman is a long-time immigration lawyer & the executive director of BC non-profit MARU He spoke to De Facto about what our newly reported data reveal about police collaboration, Vancouver’s “access without fear” movement, & immigration detentions. www.defactomedia.ca/a-troubling-...

Multiple groups told De Facto that many immigrants are being targeted on transit and feel unsafe just going to work, school, or home — fearing that even a routine encounter with transit police could get them deported Read the full story here www.defactomedia.ca/transit-poli...

A decade ago, after a tragedy in custody, Metro Vancouver Transit Police agreed to require that officers must get supervisor approval before calling CBSA, and put calls in daily duty reports. But the data gap between CBSA & police call logs suggests officers may simply be ignoring these policies.

Another @defacto-ca.bsky.social investigation from @godfrey.bsky.social and I! We compared FOI data from border enforcement and Vancouver Transit Police and found VERY different numbers. Are transit cops not documenting their calls to immigration? Read more at defactomedia.ca ⬇️

check out the second investigation by me and @emmaarkell.bsky.social, and the third part in @defacto_ca's debut series on immigration enforcement. we found transit police appear to be breaking their own policy on documenting calls to CBSA over 90% of the time www.defactomedia.ca/transit-poli...

Transit police are calling immigration on transit riders—and most of the time they aren't documenting it Freedom-of-info docs indicate Transit Police calls to CBSA have risen. But in available 2024 data, 91% of calls didn't go into daily duty reports as required www.defactomedia.ca/transit-poli...

On a new 🐙THE NORTH STATE 🐙 host @youcaughtscott.com sits down with @emmaarkell.bsky.social and @davidpball.bsky.social to talk about the new @defacto-ca.bsky.social journalism co-op and how worker-owned entities can fill the reporting gap. readthecatch.ca/launching-wo...

icymi: since Ken Sim was elected mayor, VPD immigration checks have been through the roof. community members say the practice puts undocumented migrants at risk of facing violence @defacto-ca.bsky.social investigation by me and @emmaarkell.bsky.social www.defactomedia.ca/vpd-immigrat...

This number has continued to rise even after student visa limits, growing by $20 million since 2023. In 6 Canadian provinces/territories, access to public healthcare for international students is free. BC is the 2nd most expensive, after Manitoba which requires students to buy private insurance.

International students have been the political scapegoat for federal govt, who introduced a cap on visas citing pressures on healthcare put by students. Yet, FOI'd data shows international students have contributed nearly half a billion dollars directly to BC healthcare in the last 7 years. #bcnews

“The fact that she had access to no support—no lawyer, nobody even knew that jail existed—was shocking on so many levels, and infuriating.” - Sanctuary Health co-founder. www.defactomedia.ca/cbsa-custody...

So many of us moved to Canada or to BC from other provinces in the last 10-12yrs. This article is a history of Canadian border police brutality that I, for one, didn’t know. It’s extremely relevant today. Read @davidpball.bsky.social’s dispatch following his dogged reporting of this case in 2014.

Lucía Dominga Vega Jiménez was terrified of being sent back to her violent ex-boyfriend in Mexico. So when Transit Police handed her over to Canada Border Services Agency over a $2.75 unpaid fare, and CBSA was about to deport her, she made a tragic decision. www.defactomedia.ca/cbsa-custody...

My first investigation for De Facto with @godfrey.bsky.social is out! VPD calls to border services have skyrocketed since 2023. An immigration lawyer told us, "they seem to be running status checks on anyone they have an interaction with if they suspect there could be an immigration issue."

NEW: On May Day, @defacto-ca.bsky.social publicly launched with a mission to investigate law, justice & systemic issues in Canada. @emmaarkell.bsky.social & @davidpball.bsky.social join The North State to talk about launching a co-op outlet, their mission & how they can fill important reporting gaps

Canada has quietly been doing ICE style immigrant roundups and racial profiling for years while getting zero mainstream press coverage. Migrant sex workers are specifically targeted and abused

listen to my pals @emmaarkell.bsky.social and @davidpball.bsky.social talk about our new co-op, @defacto-ca.bsky.social! we're trying to do things differently in an industry that desperately needs things to be done differently. check out our first story: www.defactomedia.ca/vpd-immigrat...

My friends are doing this very cool thing. Please follow them at @defacto-ca.bsky.social

De Facto launched on Press Freedom Day with some immigration related zingers. @defacto-ca.bsky.social www.defactomedia.ca/vpd-immigrat...

Bombshell investigation by my colleagues @godfrey.bsky.social and @emmaarkell.bsky.social: VPD calls to CBSA to check people's immigration status (even without crime) skyrocketed just after Vancouver's new mayor&council assumed office. Privileged to have edited this file. Please give it a read! 👇

EXCLUSIVE: In 2023, Vancouver Police Department calls to border enforcement for immigration status checks increased 80% compared to 2022. Even without a pandemic-related drop in 2020-22, the 476 calls in 2023 mark a 40% increase compared to 2014-19. www.defactomedia.ca/vpd-immigrat...

It’s #WorldPressFreedomDay My new journalism co-op @defacto-ca.bsky.social drops our 1st stories tomorrow Tonight I need help with startup/branding/website costs—so we can just focus on reporting Will you become our 50th paying subscriber & push us past $2,500? www.defactomedia.ca#/portal/

Today is World Press Freedom Day. True press freedom requires freedom of information. But in recent years, governments have shrunk access to info the public deserves, and cuts to newsrooms have shrunk the time & resources that journalists need to rigorously report that info.

incredibleee 😭 please help support us to do in-depth, independent journalism — we're all doing this off the side of our desk, and the more support we get the more time and energy we can dedicate to this work. there's so much to be done!

In our 1st day, before we even publish anything, our supporters have offered >$2,000 for @defacto-ca.bsky.social In uncertain economic times, 40+ people showed faith in hard-hitting journalism, almost all recurring donations — pledging over $3,500 in dependable startup funding all year Thank you

Yesterday we unveiled De Facto, a co-op of journalists shining a light on power Within hours a community of supporters stepped up to back our dream In just a day, we passed $2K for hard-hitting journalism, 96% of it in dependable recurring donations. Thank you so much! www.defactomedia.ca/welcome

Squeeeeeee! Also just 🔥 to have May Day be your coming out party.

HI HELLO happy International Workers' Day! i'm so excited to say this is finally happening! After so much time and energy with these wonderful friends, we're launching our non-profit worker-owned co-operative to do journalism the way we want to do journalism.

HEY LOOK AT THIS

This has been a long time coming. Join me and this rockstar team of journalists as we take charge of our own workplace. Our 1st article series launches on Monday with an investigation from @godfrey.bsky.social and @emmaarkell.bsky.social that we think will anger you into action. Sign up & follow!

BC folks, check out this exciting new(s) endeavour:

incredible news and an incredible team of folks behind it!

You love to see a new journalism co-op here in "Canada." Follow and support these fine folks! Welcome to the fold, @defacto-ca.bsky.social !

I will repeat something I've said many times before: Nothing made me more pro-union than being *in management* at a community newspaper for almost 20 years.

IT'S ALIVE! I'm grateful to be a co-founder of De Facto @defacto-ca.bsky.social, a project born out of how difficult it is to make a living in journalism. Follow us for investigations into law enforcement, prisons, immigration and more. I've got one with @godfrey.bsky.social dropping on Monday!

I'm here for more independent journalism by actual journalists!

Cool people doing cool, meaningful, much-needed things! Super psyched to see this co-op launch 🚀