"Military’s own study finds harmful contaminants in Moose Jaw base building": The base is one of many across Canada dealing with contamination. Internal studies I obtained reveal an apparent discrepancy as the federal government maintains the site is safe for employees: thenarwhal.ca/cfb-moose-ja...

Former employees of a military base in Moose Jaw, Sask., believe workplace contamination is responsible for their cancers and other life-altering illnesses. An internal military report confirmed the presence of chemicals experts have linked to serious disease. thenarwhal.ca/cfb-moose-ja...

"A matcha shortage is coming for social media’s latest obsession." TikTok has helped propel the green tea powder into the next big functional ingredient. But the explosive demand is straining supply and fueling a rise of online scalpers. My latest for Food Dive: www.fooddive.com/news/a-match...

Newcomer women in Canada are turning recipes into revenue—and reclaiming community through food and co-ops. From empanadas at Granville Island to multilingual translation services, Flavours of Hope and Culture Links are rewriting the immigrant recipe. Read the full article here: tinyurl.com/mrx69sr5

My latest article for @futureofgood.bsky.social!

We hear a lot about Canada's push for critical minerals, and new policies and plans to see it through. It isn't always clear how exactly that will play out on the ground, so @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social headed to Timmins, Ont., to find out: thenarwhal.ca/critical-min...

My latest for @thenarwhal.ca: A massive nickel mine, and the community that wants to love it. Timmins, Ont., has a long history of mining and its economy could use another boom. But, who will protect the town from financial and environmental bust? thenarwhal.ca/critical-min...

Timmins, Ont., has a sordid history with mining, from boom to bust, and the scars left behind. With a massive nickel mine set to open nearby, many want the jobs and benefits, but also a more cautious approach to critical minerals. @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social reports: thenarwhal.ca/critical-min...

Toronto indie mag pushes back against ‘AI-generated slop’: Editors @thegrindto.bsky.social caught 7 articles for one special edition they suspected were AI fakes. The scammers went to unbelievable lengths to keep up their cons. Read the full story @jsource.bsky.social: j-source.ca/toronto-indi...

High coffee prices brew interest in bean-free alternatives: Costs tied to climate change and tariffs could position substitutes made from broken rice or other ingredients as cheaper, more sustainable options. My latest for Food Dive:

7 out of Ontario's 8 bat species are endangered, including the little brown bat. But in Shawanaga First Nation, where hundreds of bats have moved in, a unique species-at-risk program brings the community together to help them. New from @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social: thenarwhal.ca/shawanaga-fi...

loved editing this story by @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social about the Shawanaga First Nation species-at-risk program — a reserve with fewer than 200 residents, many of whom pitch in to monitor and support these nocturnal neighbours.

Facing a housing crunch, National Defence plans to build on bases across Canada. But, @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social reports, every one is contaminated with chemicals linked to cancer, heart issues and more. Can they be cleaned up enough to keep military families safe? thenarwhal.ca/national-def...

"Training citizens to watch the watchmen: Documenters Canada brings transparency to your neighbourhood public meetings." My latest for @futureofgood.bsky.social with interviews @magdakon.bsky.social, @neeeda.bsky.social‬, and others improving #onpoli accountability: futureofgood.co/training-cit...

With the decline of local journalism and mainstream media resources, it becomes difficult to truly understand what happened at local public meetings. This is one solution to help solve that problem. Read the full article here: futureofgood.co/training-cit...

From cancers to neurological disorders, veterans and employees working on a Canadian Armed Forces base are ringing alarm bells. @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social explains the key takeaways from her months-long investigation into federal contaminated sites: thenarwhal.ca/canadian-arm...

Honeybees distribute pollen, so what if we got them to spread organic pesticides and beneficial microbes? New from @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social: ambrook.com/offrange/tec...

I spent the last eight months investigating a cluster of life-altering and terminal illnesses on a military base in Moose Jaw, Sask. What I found will stay with me forever. Give it a read here:

Military vets and civil servants say contamination at CFB Moose Jaw, home of the Snowbirds, have led to cancers, neurological disorders and more. @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social ‬spent eight months on an investigation into PFAS (forever chemicals) and more on the base thenarwhal.ca/canadian-arm...

As cocoa prices soar, cocoa-free chocolate substitutes offer a cheaper and potentially more sustainable solution for the sweets sector... But can consumers be convinced to give up their chocolate addiction? My latest for Food Dive: www.fooddive.com/news/chocola...

"Using Bees to Spread Pesticides," my latest for Offrange, looking at a buzz-worthy biological control solution to pests and plant diseases destroying between 20 and 40 percent of the global annual harvest: ambrook.com/offrange/tec... #agriculture #solutions #sojo #bees #pollinators

Today, there's a constant barrage of bad news coming from...everywhere. @thelocal.to's latest issue, Wild Wild City, offers a similar chance to see the world from a different perspective. thelocal.to/summer-2025/ 3/

“If I wanted to open up a zoo in my backyard, fill it with dangerous, exotic animals who don't do well in captivity… I would be perfectly able to do that.” thelocal.to/ontario-road...

Ontario’s lax regulations have made the province the “wild west” for exotic animals. But as public concern over animal welfare grows, some zoos are buckling under the pressure. Read my latest for @thelocal.to: "End Times at Ontario’s Roadside Zoos?" thelocal.to/ontario-road...

Ontario’s lax regulations have made the province the “wild west” for exotic animals. But as public concern over animal welfare grows, writes @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social, there are signs the era of the roadside zoo could be coming to an end. thelocal.to/ontario-road...

Salish Soils, has 35 employees and annually diverts about 100,000 kilograms of organic #waste that would otherwise go to landfills, returning it to the land as precious “black gold”. Read more about the #change this company is making: futureofgood.co/black-gold-s...

"Black Gold: Salish Soils ensures your kitchen compost returns to the land," my latest for @futureofgood.bsky.social: futureofgood.co/black-gold-s...

What do you think of when you hear the word 'molasses'? Probably not chemically contaminated landfills ... My latest for @nationalobserver.com, "Sweet success found using molasses to clean up toxic landfills": nationalobserver.com/2025/05/08/n...

There’s a growing trend of brewing legal battles between big business and government in Canada. Take the government of British Columbia, for instance, which has filed lawsuits against “forever chemicals” and opioid manufacturers and distributors. thewalrus.ca/do-big-lawsuits-...

My latest for @thewalrus.ca:

People are frustrated by what powerful companies with deep pockets might be up to. Now, Canadian governments are launching lawsuits against big businesses over potentially shady practices. @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social investigates: thewalrus.ca/do-big-lawsuits-...

"Meet the people trying to keep a prehistoric fish alive," my latest story for @thenarwhal.ca: thenarwhal.ca/lake-sturgeo...

Lake sturgeon once swam with dinosaurs but are now endangered in the Great Lakes, thanks to commercial fishing, dams and other threats. But across Ontario, some people aren't ready to give up on this culturally significant and nutritionally important fish: thenarwhal.ca/lake-sturgeo...

It was such a pleasure speaking with the youth leaders for my latest article @thenarwhal.ca, "Anishinaabek youth bringing land-based learning to their peers": thenarwhal.ca/georgian-bay...

In 2019, Anishinaabek youth from Mnidoo Gamii (Georgian Bay) came together to build a wiigwaas jiimaan, or birchbark canoe — the first of many activities used to connect youth to their ancestral waters. 🖊️ @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social, 📷 Vanessa Tignanelli: thenarwhal.ca/georgian-bay...

In her latest for The Walrus, journalist @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social pulls back the curtain on what it’s like looking for romance in rural Ontario: thewalrus.ca/dating-is-hard/

The number of third places—places where people can connect with others outside of their homes and workplaces—is declining. And, access to them is becoming more difficult due to the rising costs of going to places like coffee shops, a former third-place mainstay. My latest for @thewalrus.ca:

While North Bay, Ontario frequently acts as the setting of rom coms, it can actually be a hard place to meet people. Journalist @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social unpacks why the city’s singles are struggling to find connection: thewalrus.ca/dating-is-hard/

"Canada’s first cultural land trust purchase saves beloved arts spaces," a bit of feel-good news I wrote for @futureofgood.bsky.social this week: futureofgood.co/canadas-firs...

"Smallest pear crop in 40 years leaves growers reeling": Experts say consumers should brace for fewer fruits on grocery store shelves after a historic deep freeze damaged crops. My latest reporting for Food Dive: www.fooddive.com/news/pears-f...

There are not too many new places to go on cruises, something that @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social recognizes makes the Great Lakes especially appealing. But it would be a tragedy to forget that it’s the healthy, flourishing landscape that’s the draw. thewalrus.ca/lake-superiors-c...

As an environmental journalist, it's tricky (and fun) to keep up with ever-evolving science. That's why it's been great learning & writing about studies from @pubs.acs.org about cool new solutions like tech "Turning car and helicopter exhaust into thermoelectric energy": www.acs.org/pressroom/pr...

“I'd still be buried in paperwork with the cities, with the forms and the agreements on the confidentiality and what I could or could not do with the data,” Sauvé told me for my latest article in the National Observer entitled "Sometimes, going rogue is the only way to get things done"

Sometimes, you shouldn't wait for permission. If you are trying to uncover something you know is wrong, simply forge ahead. Sébastien Sauvé, a prof at University of Montreal, did just that, for the sake of our drinking water. www.nationalobserver.com/2025/02/12/n...

A new story based on a draft report I got from Health Canada via Freedom of Information requests that shows how the federal govt is grappling with the carcinogen ethylene oxide in Canadian air. The final report is supposed to come out later this year:

Ethylene oxide is an odourless gas used to sterilize medical equipment. It's also a carcinogen. And, according to a document obtained by @leahbortskuperman.bsky.social, Health Canada is unclear how much of the chemical companies are releasing into the air. thenarwhal.ca/ethylene-oxi...