Northern Canada is experiencing climate change at several times the rate seen in other regions. The North is the frontline for severe impacts, urgent mitigation efforts and scientific innovation – all significantly under-reported.
The Wilfrid Laurier University Climate Change Journalism Fellowship facilitated reporting of these important issues. Based in Yellowknife at Cabin Radio, this 18-month fellowship produced independent and comprehensive reporting of climate science, government approaches, Indigenous experiences and guardianship efforts, as well as the impacts of climate change on the peoples and communities of Northern Canada.
Read Cabin Radio’s climate reporting here.
Independent reporting
The Wilfrid Laurier University Climate Change Journalism Fellowship was fully funded by Laurier while operating independently from the university. The fellow was a member of the Cabin Radio newsroom and reported to Cabin Radio’s editor with no responsibility to or direction from the university. Similarly, the university bore no responsibility for works published and broadcast via Cabin Radio by the fellow or any other reporter.
Open access
All written journalism produced by the fellow is available for free republication by any news outlet under a Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 licence. You are free to copy and redistribute the fellow’s reporting for any purpose as long as you clearly and prominently provide the following credit: Chloe Williams, Wilfrid Laurier University Climate Change Journalism Fellow, Cabin Radio. You may not alter the reporting other than reasonable minor newsroom edits such as for house style.
Meet our fellow
Chloe Williams was the Wilfrid Laurier University Climate Change Journalism Fellow. A seasoned science journalist, her work has appeared in such publications as the New York Times and Popular Science. Williams graduated with her Master of Arts in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting from New York University in 2018. Previously, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Conservation at the University of British Columbia and worked in the forestry industry.
Laurier: A Partner for the North
Laurier was proud to partner with Cabin Radio to introduce a journalism funding model that supports robust reporting and investment in the North. The Climate Change Journalism Fellowship was a natural extension of Laurier’s leading sustainability efforts and commitment to environmental research in Northern Canada.
Since 2010, Laurier has maintained an impactful research partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories. The partnership has offered new research expertise, development and training opportunities to the Northwest Territories, while providing Laurier scholars and students with access to the land and traditional knowledge through strong community connections.
Together with local governments, Indigenous communities and international academic networks, Laurier researchers are connecting western science with land-based practices to solve complex problems and enhance well-being in the North. Current research priorities include:
Climate change adaptation
Informed by the concerns of residents, researchers are addressing water quality, forest fires, ice road safety, northern wildlife biology and carbon storage.
Indigenous environmental stewardship
Laurier researchers are co-creating best practices for environmental and data management that affirm the central role of Indigenous peoples as stewards of their ancestral territories.
Northern food security
In association with the UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies at Laurier, faculty and students are working with communities to build sustainable local food systems.
Learn more about Laurier’s northern research.
