Vancouver residents are having a huge, negative reaction to Mayor Ken Sim's proposed 2026 budget and alleged plans to eliminate the city's sustainbility department. More than 630 people registered to speak and the meetings will likely stretch into next week www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/13/n...

With everything going on these days, it’s easy to miss when local governments get up to some sketchy stuff. Take Vancouver, where Mayor Ken Sims is planning to eliminate the city’s sustainability and climate department!!! Yes, really. My partners at @nationalobserver.com have the scoop:

Worth noting that because Sim brought forward his proposal for a property tax freeze requiring millions in cuts with just weeks left in the budget process, this is not up for public debate and is not outlined in the documents available to councillors when they vote on this

SCOOP: Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is planning to eliminate the city's sustainability and climate department under the guise of a push to prevent increases to property taxes in his proposed 2026 budget. Great source work by Marc Fawcett-Atkinson to uncover this www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/11/n...

This is MAJOR!

Alberta and Saskatchewan cited their ongoing conversations with the feds when asked to comment on aspects of the federal budget that suggest the provinces will have to fall in line with the federal industrial carbon price. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/06/n...

Since April's election, oil and gas lobbyists notched at least 177 meetings with federal officials — a third of which were in September alone. If the budget is any indication, they successfully persuaded Mark Carney's government.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget did not deliver new investments on climate or clean tech. In fact, some experts say it takes a step backwards.

Communities on Vancouver Island have been asking for changes to how privately managed forests work for years. The BC government confirmed to CNO that those changes are not coming.

In response to Alberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause, labour groups are vowing retaliation. Danielle Smith's attack on bargaining rights has unions raising the spectre of a general strike: pressprogress.ca/alberta-labo...

Even after Ontario's disastrous experience with Trump, BC Premier David Eby will run his own anti-tariff ads in the US. His office said the prime minister has not been consulted on the ads, @natashabulowski.bsky.social reports.

At a time when fossil fuel projects are part of Ottawa’s nation-building agenda, new research shows climate impacts driven by burning fossil fuels could cause more damage to GDP than previously thought. via @natashabulowski.bsky.social www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/29/n...

NEW from me: The funding agreement for the national public alerting system for extreme weather, air quality, wildfires and other threats, expires on Aug. 31, 2026, and “urgent action" is required to sustain Canada's alerting capabilities, reveals an ATIP www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/28/n...

Climate and energy policy could emerge as a wedge issue during the federal NDP leadership contest, said poli sci prof David McGrane. These fissures have existed within the NDP for years, and the leadership contest could settle the matter. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/24/n...

Climate and energy could become wedge issue in NDP leadership contest by @natashabulowski.bsky.social @nationalobserver.com www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/24/n...

Firefighters, wildfire survivors and climate advocates are calling on the government to provide more long-term funding for firefighters, rural communities and Indigenous land guardians — and block new fossil fuel projects.

Alberta's "hyperloop" proposal is in limbo, with no visible progress and a discouraging Transport Canada study. But an Alberta government master plan could put some momentum behind the unproven, risky technology, @natashabulowski.bsky.social reports.

Ever heard of Measurement Canada? This regulatory agency ensures the accuracy of commercial and retail measurements, including gasoline, electricity and even groceries. But it's highly specialized operations could be threatened by climate change www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/26/n...

It's the first landfill proposal in the province selected for fast-tracking under Premier Doug Ford's newly enacted Bill 5 — which makes the project immune to many of the checks and balances it would otherwise face. Great story here from @matinsarfraz.bsky.social

Important deep dive on who sits on the major projects Indigenous Advisory Council from @natashabulowski.bsky.social. Crucial point, Indigenous advisors cannot be a substitution for genuine consultation as Carney pursues his major projects agenda. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/25/n...

The courtyard in the middle of the Louvre was once a parking lot. Like so much of downtown Paris though, it's been wrested from cars and returned to human beings. I went there to see what that feels like. My new column:

#StarExclusive: Tesla used an automated system to make a run on the bank of Canada’s dwindling EV subsidies, outmanoeuvring Canadian dealerships that filed claims manually and were left short millions of dollars, the Star has learned.

Ironically, the documents specifically (and correctly) name climate change as a major factor in worsening wildfires. The wildfire charter signed by the leaders at the summit, however, did not.

We obtained Canada's security planning documents for the G7. High among their concerns was wildfire and how to respond should a fire bear down on Kananaskis while world leaders gathered there, @natashabulowski.bsky.social reports.

Canada’s #fossilfuel industry has singlehandedly scotched any chance of the country hitting its legally-binding 2030 #emissionsreduction targets, due to record #oilandgas production. Read @nationalobserver.com for my piece with @natashabulowski.bsky.social: www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/18/n...

New research published in Nature draws a direct link between high-emitting fossil fuel and cement companies and the frequency and severity of heat waves, including the 2021 heat dome that caused 619 deaths in BC. Via @natashabulowski.bsky.social www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/10/n...

An Ontario judge rejected Doug Ford's plan to rip out Toronto bike lanes on Wednesday, citing safety risks as well as the government's lack of evidence the plan would even achieve its goal of reducing traffic.

Huge climate win from the ICJ that sharply rebuked Canada which argued it was not bound by international law to seriously fight climate change. Going forward “Canada's pursuit of mega fossil fuel expansion projects stands in stark defiance of the ICJ." www.nationalobserver.com/2025/07/23/n...

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Ontario Superior Court by nine First Nations, argues both pieces of legislation violate constitutional rights, treaty obligations and Canada’s international commitments. @matinsarfraz.bsky.social reports www.nationalobserver.com/2025/07/16/n...

“First Nations are united in an understanding that we have always supported economic development and prosperity for all,” said Cindy Woodhouse-Nepinak. “But not at the expense of our rights.” www.nationalobserver.com/2025/07/15/n...

The Nova Scotia government wants to restart fossil fuel activity off the coast. The call for exploration bids includes 13 parcels along the central Scotian Shelf and Slope, one of the most fished areas of the Atlantic Ocean, @cloelogan.bsky.social reports www.nationalobserver.com/2025/07/08/n...

In the age of unbearably hot summers, @cloelogan.bsky.social is digging into splash pads and is on the hunt for the best one! If there's a great splash pad in your area, send your submissions to [email protected] by July 11. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/07/03/n...

Ontario's new proposed legislation would override existing laws that require utilities to connect all data centres indiscriminately and give the government sweeping new powers to decide which companies can plug in, writes @matinsarfraz.bsky.social www.nationalobserver.com/2025/07/03/n...

A microgrid project in Nain, which will consist of two wind turbines and a battery storage system, is set to displace at least half of the fossil fuel consumed by the community each year. @cloelogan.bsky.social reports for @nationalobserver.com www.nationalobserver.com/2025/07/02/n...

As the party is currently operating “we are not only failing to uphold democratic values — we are failing the very people who elected us to represent them,” NDP Quebec representative Samah Khandker wrote in her resignation letter sent to party brass www.nationalobserver.com/2025/06/26/n...

The federal NDP is going through *very* rocky times marked by dissent among the federal executive, emails reveal. Full story coming soon!! Samah Khandker (Quebec rep on Federal Executive & Federal Council) just resigned, citing concerns about a lack of transparency, democracy, and accountability

Despite intense backlash from environmentalists and Indigenous rights holders, Carney got his way on the expedited major projects bill. @natashabulowski.bsky.social has been all over this file. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/06/20/n...

A ‘best offer’ is never actually that. Keep at ‘em CPers, you deserve more after years of sacrifice!

Multiple councillors have told CNO that they did not receive warnings from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities about KICLEI's misinformation campaign, even though it knew politicians were being exposed. Fascinating piece here from @rorywh.bsky.social www.nationalobserver.com/2025/06/18/i...

Alaska's historic heat advisory is a serious warning for a state where most people don’t have the coping mechanisms taken for granted elsewhere—shaded porches, central air, even knowing the signs of heatstroke.

“They're missing the whole point in that we're seeing more fires, a longer fire season, more intense fires, more severe fires, because the climate is changing due to human activities,” said fire expert Mike Flannigan. “It's a serious omission, and that's being very polite.”

G7 leaders released a joint statement on Tuesday about wildfires that did not include any reference to climate change. “It's a serious omission, and that's being very polite," said fire and climate professor Mike Flannigan. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/06/17/n...

Conservatives supported the Liberals' move to rush C-5 through Parliament. A federal committee now gets two meetings to study/amend the bill (which, among many other things, would authorize cabinet to override a bunch of laws/regs to get major projects built) t.co/P0teDMAjH6

As controversy swirls around the Ford government’s secretive deal to hand over part of Toronto’s public waterfront for a massive private spa, the City of Toronto is moving in a different direction for its own pool. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/06/16/n...

Statement from CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.: Members of our union and other journalists have been targeted by law enforcement with less-lethal rounds and tear gas and detained while covering the protests in Los Angeles.

Thank you all SO MUCH for your support. Our incredible Bargaining Committee worked into the night for us and reached a Tentative Agreement at around 5am! 🙏💪🥳🎉 As of now there will be NO STRIKE! Please continue enjoying all our work, knowing you all helped us get here! #unionstrong #voxunion #1u

Honoured to have won the Canadian Journalism Foundation's 2025 Climate Solutions Reporting award for @nationalobserver.com’s #BigGreenBuild series. My thanks to the #CJF and to the award's sponsor Intact for this recognition. Read all our coverage here: www.nationalobserver.com/special-repo...

With the NDP reduced to seven seats, Former MP Charlie Angus and party activists are pushing back against a "top-down approach" to the NDP leadership race and instead are advocating for a return to grassroots organizing. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/06/12/n...

“Once a project is on that list, it's not a question of if it's going to move forward, but how,” Alexandre Boulerice, NDP critic for environment and climate change, said. “It's like Stephen Harper’s dreams coming true." www.nationalobserver.com/2025/06/10/n...

(It's quite an exercise to imagine the potential ripple effects of any labour disruption at CP.)