Fatima Syed
@fatimabsyed.bsky.social
Ontario reporter for The Narwhal. Vice-president of the Canadian Association of Journalists. Springsteen, space, sports, sweets
Pinned
Fatima Syed
@fatimabsyed.bsky.social
· Jan 14
The Death of an Asylum Seeker and the Shelter Crisis in Peel | The Local
The number of asylum seekers and refugees needing shelter has surged in recent years, leaving officials in suburban municipalities like Peel scrambling to respond.
thelocal.to
Since 2023, Peel Region—west of Toronto—has struggled to house a ⬆️number of asylum seekers in overwhelmed shelters: two have died, a third this weekend
My #longreads for @thelocal.to explores Peel's fight to help while handcuffed by forces that will bring more asylums 🧵
thelocal.to/refugee-shel...
My #longreads for @thelocal.to explores Peel's fight to help while handcuffed by forces that will bring more asylums 🧵
thelocal.to/refugee-shel...
The Canada-Alberta deal "is textbook Carney" @maxfawcett.bsky.social says
He's "daring Danielle Smith to do the work required" to get a pipeline built, knowing she can’t do it. "But Smith’s concessions help advance his govt's climate agenda far more"
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/o...
He's "daring Danielle Smith to do the work required" to get a pipeline built, knowing she can’t do it. "But Smith’s concessions help advance his govt's climate agenda far more"
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/o...
The method to Mark Carney’s madness
The memorandum of understanding with Alberta might look like surrender. Look closer
www.nationalobserver.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:55 AM
The Canada-Alberta deal "is textbook Carney" @maxfawcett.bsky.social says
He's "daring Danielle Smith to do the work required" to get a pipeline built, knowing she can’t do it. "But Smith’s concessions help advance his govt's climate agenda far more"
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/o...
He's "daring Danielle Smith to do the work required" to get a pipeline built, knowing she can’t do it. "But Smith’s concessions help advance his govt's climate agenda far more"
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/27/o...
The Canada-Alberta deal pushes a pipeline AND
- Allows Alberta to delay cutting methane emissions
- Suspends clean energy regulations in Alberta
- Loosens restrictions on tax breaks for clean tech to encourage more oil drilling
- Allows oil tankers on the west coast
thenarwhal.ca/carney-alber...
- Allows Alberta to delay cutting methane emissions
- Suspends clean energy regulations in Alberta
- Loosens restrictions on tax breaks for clean tech to encourage more oil drilling
- Allows oil tankers on the west coast
thenarwhal.ca/carney-alber...
Carney’s Alberta pipeline deal weakens climate policies | The Narwhal
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s ‘grand bargain’ isn’t just about an Alberta pipeline —it also proposes rolling back a host of climate policies
thenarwhal.ca
November 28, 2025 at 12:35 AM
The Canada-Alberta deal pushes a pipeline AND
- Allows Alberta to delay cutting methane emissions
- Suspends clean energy regulations in Alberta
- Loosens restrictions on tax breaks for clean tech to encourage more oil drilling
- Allows oil tankers on the west coast
thenarwhal.ca/carney-alber...
- Allows Alberta to delay cutting methane emissions
- Suspends clean energy regulations in Alberta
- Loosens restrictions on tax breaks for clean tech to encourage more oil drilling
- Allows oil tankers on the west coast
thenarwhal.ca/carney-alber...
It's a wild time to be a climate reporter in Canada.
Four reporters from The Narwhal — @meyer.bsky.social @drewanderson.bsky.social @sobittersosweet.bsky.social & me — will give you a primer to this moment in Canadian politics. Join us Tuesday. Bring questions about everything (pipelines included).
Four reporters from The Narwhal — @meyer.bsky.social @drewanderson.bsky.social @sobittersosweet.bsky.social & me — will give you a primer to this moment in Canadian politics. Join us Tuesday. Bring questions about everything (pipelines included).
Major projects? Let’s talk about it!
Join us for a free Zoom event on Dec. 2 to unpack the process, politics and potential impacts of Canada’s push to build major projects. Register here:
thenarwhal.ca/major-projects-event
Join us for a free Zoom event on Dec. 2 to unpack the process, politics and potential impacts of Canada’s push to build major projects. Register here:
thenarwhal.ca/major-projects-event
November 27, 2025 at 10:30 PM
It's a wild time to be a climate reporter in Canada.
Four reporters from The Narwhal — @meyer.bsky.social @drewanderson.bsky.social @sobittersosweet.bsky.social & me — will give you a primer to this moment in Canadian politics. Join us Tuesday. Bring questions about everything (pipelines included).
Four reporters from The Narwhal — @meyer.bsky.social @drewanderson.bsky.social @sobittersosweet.bsky.social & me — will give you a primer to this moment in Canadian politics. Join us Tuesday. Bring questions about everything (pipelines included).
Bow Valley Insider is hiring an "AI-first reporter" with a counnfoudning job posting. Cover letters & resumes aren't accepted because they "are usually full of AI slop," but applicants must have their own ChatGPT subscription because "AI will be writing the stories."
ca.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=5...
ca.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=5...
November 27, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Bow Valley Insider is hiring an "AI-first reporter" with a counnfoudning job posting. Cover letters & resumes aren't accepted because they "are usually full of AI slop," but applicants must have their own ChatGPT subscription because "AI will be writing the stories."
ca.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=5...
ca.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=5...
Cumulatively, the Doug Ford government’s approach to nature is both confusing and contradictory. It’s valuable until it’s in the way. Natural spaces for the sake of nature isn't their goal.
Here's me connecting some dots:
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-prov...
Here's me connecting some dots:
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-prov...
Is Doug Ford’s Ontario pro-parks? | The Narwhal
Ford’s Ontario government is creating new categories of provincial parks while dismantling protections elsewhere to ease development
thenarwhal.ca
November 25, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Cumulatively, the Doug Ford government’s approach to nature is both confusing and contradictory. It’s valuable until it’s in the way. Natural spaces for the sake of nature isn't their goal.
Here's me connecting some dots:
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-prov...
Here's me connecting some dots:
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-prov...
Reposted by Fatima Syed
This is a stunning story. I've been tracking the "greenhushing" narrative for a while now: this is the idea that strict regulations on fake climate claims spooks companies into total silence; therefore we shouldn't regulate them.
@meyer.bsky.social asked for examples and the Carney gov't failed:
@meyer.bsky.social asked for examples and the Carney gov't failed:
November 23, 2025 at 9:03 PM
This is a stunning story. I've been tracking the "greenhushing" narrative for a while now: this is the idea that strict regulations on fake climate claims spooks companies into total silence; therefore we shouldn't regulate them.
@meyer.bsky.social asked for examples and the Carney gov't failed:
@meyer.bsky.social asked for examples and the Carney gov't failed:
Reposted by Fatima Syed
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 2:10 PM
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Reposted by Fatima Syed
A credit to @fatimabsyed.bsky.social who spoke to a dozen folks that works for conservation authorities for this story on how Ontario's proposed changes are landing — or not landing — and what it means: thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
Inside Ontario’s plan to merge 36 conservation authorities to 7 | The Narwhal
Doug Ford’s government is seeking public feedback on its plan to overhaul Ontario’s conservation authorities, reducing local agencies from 36 to 7
thenarwhal.ca
November 17, 2025 at 2:46 PM
A credit to @fatimabsyed.bsky.social who spoke to a dozen folks that works for conservation authorities for this story on how Ontario's proposed changes are landing — or not landing — and what it means: thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
Reposted by Fatima Syed
Its been 7 months since the Liberals vowed to “immediately" introduce a First Nations drinking water bill. The minister says she's taking the time to get it right. Mikisew Cree, fighting against oilsands toxic waste, opposes reintroducing the bill that died last session thenarwhal.ca/alberta-oils...
‘Unacceptable’: Alberta wants to treat and release oilsands waste | The Narwhal
Alberta is working on plans to treat and release oilsands wastewater into the Athabasca River. First Nations downstream don’t want that to happen
thenarwhal.ca
November 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Its been 7 months since the Liberals vowed to “immediately" introduce a First Nations drinking water bill. The minister says she's taking the time to get it right. Mikisew Cree, fighting against oilsands toxic waste, opposes reintroducing the bill that died last session thenarwhal.ca/alberta-oils...
ICYMI: I spoke to 12 staff from 12 conservation authorities (many of them anonymously for fear of government retribution) who say Doug Ford's plan to consolidate the unique agencies from 36 to 7 may ‘slow approvals, create confusion’ over development & flood protections
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
Inside Ontario’s plan to merge 36 conservation authorities to 7 | The Narwhal
Doug Ford’s government is seeking public feedback on its plan to overhaul Ontario’s conservation authorities, reducing local agencies from 36 to 7
thenarwhal.ca
November 17, 2025 at 2:13 PM
ICYMI: I spoke to 12 staff from 12 conservation authorities (many of them anonymously for fear of government retribution) who say Doug Ford's plan to consolidate the unique agencies from 36 to 7 may ‘slow approvals, create confusion’ over development & flood protections
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
Reposted by Fatima Syed
Ford has been on a conservation authority hunt for six years. It’s wonky enough that Ontario won’t care (because they seem to care about … not much when it comes to this govt) but profound negative impact. On and on.
The Doug Ford government is setting its sites on conservation authorities for the fifth time, merging the watershed protection agencies. Staff tell @fatimabsyed.bsky.social it may ‘slow approvals, create confusion’ — not to mention it's leaving them with ‘whiplash.’ thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
Inside Ontario’s plan to merge 36 conservation authorities to 7 | The Narwhal
Doug Ford’s government is seeking public feedback on its plan to overhaul Ontario’s conservation authorities, reducing local agencies from 36 to 7
thenarwhal.ca
November 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Ford has been on a conservation authority hunt for six years. It’s wonky enough that Ontario won’t care (because they seem to care about … not much when it comes to this govt) but profound negative impact. On and on.
Reposted by Fatima Syed
When the City of Toronto amalgamated, services for places like Scarborough noticeably got worse. This was in large part due to these peripheral communities having less representation and influence at a centralized city hall biased towards the old City of Toronto.
The Doug Ford government is setting its sites on conservation authorities for the fifth time, merging the watershed protection agencies. Staff tell @fatimabsyed.bsky.social it may ‘slow approvals, create confusion’ — not to mention it's leaving them with ‘whiplash.’ thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
Inside Ontario’s plan to merge 36 conservation authorities to 7 | The Narwhal
Doug Ford’s government is seeking public feedback on its plan to overhaul Ontario’s conservation authorities, reducing local agencies from 36 to 7
thenarwhal.ca
November 16, 2025 at 12:42 AM
When the City of Toronto amalgamated, services for places like Scarborough noticeably got worse. This was in large part due to these peripheral communities having less representation and influence at a centralized city hall biased towards the old City of Toronto.
Reposted by Fatima Syed
The Doug Ford government is setting its sites on conservation authorities for the fifth time, merging the watershed protection agencies. Staff tell @fatimabsyed.bsky.social it may ‘slow approvals, create confusion’ — not to mention it's leaving them with ‘whiplash.’ thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
Inside Ontario’s plan to merge 36 conservation authorities to 7 | The Narwhal
Doug Ford’s government is seeking public feedback on its plan to overhaul Ontario’s conservation authorities, reducing local agencies from 36 to 7
thenarwhal.ca
November 15, 2025 at 2:17 PM
The Doug Ford government is setting its sites on conservation authorities for the fifth time, merging the watershed protection agencies. Staff tell @fatimabsyed.bsky.social it may ‘slow approvals, create confusion’ — not to mention it's leaving them with ‘whiplash.’ thenarwhal.ca/ontario-cons...
To quote @meyer.bsky.social:
Nothing has been designated a federal project in the “national interest—so far
Nothing has been designated to be “fast-tracked” by the federal Major Projects Office—so far
Nothing has been given any special ability to avoid any federal permits or requirements—so far
Nothing has been designated a federal project in the “national interest—so far
Nothing has been designated to be “fast-tracked” by the federal Major Projects Office—so far
Nothing has been given any special ability to avoid any federal permits or requirements—so far
It’s striking, to me, that even people like the head of the chamber of commerce still seem under the impression that being referred to the Major Projects Office means bypassing usual regulatory processes - yet to be the case for any referred projects. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
Opinion: Carney’s major projects patchwork leaves holes in our economic growth
If only a few projects are allowed to proceed, the whole system will feel like a lottery
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:24 PM
To quote @meyer.bsky.social:
Nothing has been designated a federal project in the “national interest—so far
Nothing has been designated to be “fast-tracked” by the federal Major Projects Office—so far
Nothing has been given any special ability to avoid any federal permits or requirements—so far
Nothing has been designated a federal project in the “national interest—so far
Nothing has been designated to be “fast-tracked” by the federal Major Projects Office—so far
Nothing has been given any special ability to avoid any federal permits or requirements—so far
Reposted by Fatima Syed
I wrote about this too. Why isn’t Ontario hitting the barricades in rage? We’ve so little lake access. Entirely privatized shorelines. You could give the province away to oligarchs & people would be meh. Thx to Fatima for calling this early on.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
November 10, 2025 at 10:22 PM
I wrote about this too. Why isn’t Ontario hitting the barricades in rage? We’ve so little lake access. Entirely privatized shorelines. You could give the province away to oligarchs & people would be meh. Thx to Fatima for calling this early on.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Buried in the Doug Ford govt's fall budget are changes that would remove parts of Wasaga beach from provincial protection. As I reported in August, those parts are 60% of the world’s longest freshwater beach and the main nesting area for the endangered piping plover: thenarwhal.ca/wasaga-beach...
November 10, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Buried in the Doug Ford govt's fall budget are changes that would remove parts of Wasaga beach from provincial protection. As I reported in August, those parts are 60% of the world’s longest freshwater beach and the main nesting area for the endangered piping plover: thenarwhal.ca/wasaga-beach...
Reposted by Fatima Syed
Buried deep in the omnibus bill for its fall economic statement, the Doug Ford government has moved to repeal its own law requiring a climate plan and emissions reduction targets be established, via @fatimabsyed.bsky.social and @meyer.bsky.social
#ONpoli
thenarwhal.ca/ford-repeals...
#ONpoli
thenarwhal.ca/ford-repeals...
Doug Ford’s government is abandoning climate targets | The Narwhal
Ontario is moving to repeal aspects of a law that require the government to create a climate plan and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets
thenarwhal.ca
November 6, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Buried deep in the omnibus bill for its fall economic statement, the Doug Ford government has moved to repeal its own law requiring a climate plan and emissions reduction targets be established, via @fatimabsyed.bsky.social and @meyer.bsky.social
#ONpoli
thenarwhal.ca/ford-repeals...
#ONpoli
thenarwhal.ca/ford-repeals...
Upon taking office, the Doug Ford gov't introduced a law to cut the "carbon tax" which also obliged the government to create a climate plan & emissions targets. Now, they’ve repealed that duty—Ontario’s government no longer has to consider climate action.
thenarwhal.ca/ford-repeals...
thenarwhal.ca/ford-repeals...
Doug Ford’s government is abandoning climate targets | The Narwhal
Ontario is moving to repeal aspects of a law that require the government to create a climate plan and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets
thenarwhal.ca
November 6, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Upon taking office, the Doug Ford gov't introduced a law to cut the "carbon tax" which also obliged the government to create a climate plan & emissions targets. Now, they’ve repealed that duty—Ontario’s government no longer has to consider climate action.
thenarwhal.ca/ford-repeals...
thenarwhal.ca/ford-repeals...
Minister of Finance Peter Bethlanfalvy just responded by citing Prime Minister Mark Carney: "it's not about targets it's about results."
To my knowledge, Canada still has emissions-reduction targets. Ontario no longer will.
To my knowledge, Canada still has emissions-reduction targets. Ontario no longer will.
A month ago, Ontario’s Auditor General told Doug Ford’s government to create a public, accountable climate plan with emissions-reduction targets — as courts have also ordered.
Today, the government’s fall economic statement eliminates all legal obligation to do so. #onpoli
Today, the government’s fall economic statement eliminates all legal obligation to do so. #onpoli
November 6, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Minister of Finance Peter Bethlanfalvy just responded by citing Prime Minister Mark Carney: "it's not about targets it's about results."
To my knowledge, Canada still has emissions-reduction targets. Ontario no longer will.
To my knowledge, Canada still has emissions-reduction targets. Ontario no longer will.
A month ago, Ontario’s Auditor General told Doug Ford’s government to create a public, accountable climate plan with emissions-reduction targets — as courts have also ordered.
Today, the government’s fall economic statement eliminates all legal obligation to do so. #onpoli
Today, the government’s fall economic statement eliminates all legal obligation to do so. #onpoli
November 6, 2025 at 6:49 PM
A month ago, Ontario’s Auditor General told Doug Ford’s government to create a public, accountable climate plan with emissions-reduction targets — as courts have also ordered.
Today, the government’s fall economic statement eliminates all legal obligation to do so. #onpoli
Today, the government’s fall economic statement eliminates all legal obligation to do so. #onpoli
I've been on vacation and just came back to news the Doug Ford gov't is amalgamating 36 conservation authorities into 7. This is a HUGE change and just the latest in a long tense relationship b/w this government and the unique agencies.
But first: LETS GO BLUE JAYS 💙
thenarwhal.ca/newsletter-o...
But first: LETS GO BLUE JAYS 💙
thenarwhal.ca/newsletter-o...
A five-year battle comes to an end in Ontario | The Narwhal
Time and again, the Ford government has tried to weaken the role of conservation authorities. The changes are coming soon
thenarwhal.ca
October 31, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I've been on vacation and just came back to news the Doug Ford gov't is amalgamating 36 conservation authorities into 7. This is a HUGE change and just the latest in a long tense relationship b/w this government and the unique agencies.
But first: LETS GO BLUE JAYS 💙
thenarwhal.ca/newsletter-o...
But first: LETS GO BLUE JAYS 💙
thenarwhal.ca/newsletter-o...
Reposted by Fatima Syed
Piping plovers — tiny, lively and endangered birds — have visited Wasaga Beach every summer since 2007.
But things may be changing — and what happens here could be a sign of what’s to come elsewhere in Ontario.
#endangeredspecies #wasagabeach
But things may be changing — and what happens here could be a sign of what’s to come elsewhere in Ontario.
#endangeredspecies #wasagabeach
October 9, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Piping plovers — tiny, lively and endangered birds — have visited Wasaga Beach every summer since 2007.
But things may be changing — and what happens here could be a sign of what’s to come elsewhere in Ontario.
#endangeredspecies #wasagabeach
But things may be changing — and what happens here could be a sign of what’s to come elsewhere in Ontario.
#endangeredspecies #wasagabeach
Reposted by Fatima Syed
A decade ago, Mark Carney gave a speech pointing out how biz and political leaders had no day-to-day incentive to address climate change, yet it was up to governments. Today, Carney is leading one, but finds himself consumed with responding to the many crises of the day thenarwhal.ca/mark-carney-...
How Mark Carney is complicating Canada’s climate progress | The Narwhal
From cancelling the carbon tax to pausing the EV mandate, Mark Carney’s government is making sweeping changes to Canada’s environmental rules
thenarwhal.ca
October 7, 2025 at 1:46 PM
A decade ago, Mark Carney gave a speech pointing out how biz and political leaders had no day-to-day incentive to address climate change, yet it was up to governments. Today, Carney is leading one, but finds himself consumed with responding to the many crises of the day thenarwhal.ca/mark-carney-...
First Nations asked the Doug Ford gov't for oversight measures over special economic zones (law-free areas for trusted proponents & designated projects). They asked for a public registry, an appeals process on cabinet decisions and time limits.
The government said no
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-bill...
The government said no
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-bill...
Ontario’s draft rules for special economic zones limit oversight | The Narwhal
The Doug Ford government’s draft regulations for special economic zones under Bill 5 empower ministers and dismiss First Nations’ request for oversight
thenarwhal.ca
October 2, 2025 at 9:11 PM
First Nations asked the Doug Ford gov't for oversight measures over special economic zones (law-free areas for trusted proponents & designated projects). They asked for a public registry, an appeals process on cabinet decisions and time limits.
The government said no
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-bill...
The government said no
thenarwhal.ca/ontario-bill...