Hi, I’m Arik Ligeti, The Narwhal’s new Audience Engagement Editor. It has been quite a week.
The coronavirus pandemic has upended all of our lives, with no end in sight. That’s why, now more than ever, we need to come together as a community.
For us at The Narwhal, that means doing our best to keep you informed and connected even as social distancing measures keep you physically separated from friends and loved ones.
How will we navigate our coverage in the days, weeks and months ahead? On COVID-19, our efforts will be threefold: share informative pieces from around the web, provide our own analysis and reporting as it aligns with our focus on the natural world and share some of our best content from the past year to help offer a respite from the flood of virus news.
But that doesn’t mean we will stop pursuing other in-depth reporting. As Managing Editor Carol Linnitt writes: “Crises and disasters have long been used to benefit private interests and at The Narwhal we believe our responsibility to our readership means remembering this, even as we brace for the worst impact of the pandemic.”
Already, we’re seeing signs that a looming recession could send the number of orphaned oil and gas wells in B.C. and Alberta shooting higher as more companies file for bankruptcy. That’s cold comfort for Arthur and Laurel Hadland, who have already been waiting nearly two years for outstanding rental payments after the company that owned wells on their father’s property fell into receivership. They’re far from the only landowners affected, Sarah Cox reports.
Meanwhile, our Editor-in-Chief Emma Gilchrist wrote about how COVID-19 is, at its essence, about humanity's ever-encroaching relationship with the natural world.
At a time of social distancing, we’d love to hear from you. Have you found comfort in spending time outdoors? Are there stories connected to the COVID-19 crisis you’d like us to pursue? Reach out by replying to this email.
Thanks for reading — and be well.
Arik Ligeti
Audience Engagement Editor
P.S. Here’s a bit of positive news: Across Canada, thousands of retired nurses and doctors have stepped up to help in the fight against the virus.
By Emma Gilchrist
By Carol Linnitt
By Sarah Cox
By Jimmy Thomson
By Sarah Cox
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