Please, please, please. Among reporters at The Narwhal, it’s a common refrain.

*Please provide all internal communications regarding increased cougar hunting quotas in Alberta.

Please provide a copy of all briefing documents prepared for DM Lori Halls and/or Minister Neill related to the tripartite nature agreement.

Please provide copies of all communications, including but not limited to emails, attachments, text messages, instant messages, briefing notes, meeting notes or agendas, and any other forms of written communication, regarding the Red Chris Mine incident.

Yes, we’re polite. But let’s be clear: we’re not begging governments to play nice. We’re demanding documents that the public has a legal right to see.

The more roadblocks we face, the harder we push for transparency and accountability. This year alone, Narwhal reporters filed 218 freedom of information (FOI) requests to access public records.

It takes loads of money and time to uncover facts that politicians might prefer to keep hidden. And 653 readers have already stepped up to help us raise $200,000 to keep at it — will you join them? Every dollar you give this month will be matched by a group of special donors.

FOI reporting is the backbone of much of The Narwhal’s investigative journalism — and it can have a big impact. How else would we know that B.C.’s energy regulator quietly allowed an oil and gas giant to sidestep the rules for more than 4,300 pipelines, as Matt Simmons and Zak Vescera revealed this year.

Or that industry lobbyists got the lion’s share of Mark Carney’s attention over his first few months in office, as Xavi Richer Vis revealed.

Or that the Alberta Energy Regulator apparently acted in “direct violation” of its own rules when it allowed an oil and gas company to take over nearly 200 wells, despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes, as Drew Anderson reported this week.

The list goes on. And nothing lights a fire under a government’s butt quite like airing out its dirty laundry.

After Matt and Zak’s investigation, for example, the BC Energy Regulator started publicly posting the exemptions it grants to companies. The regulator also plans to improve how it inspects facilities and ensures compliance, including by making full inspection reports available on its website. (How do we know? Because Matt filed an FOI request to access internal records related to the regulator’s response to his investigations — of course!)

This kind of work takes time, money and a lot of grit. This year alone, we were asked to pay $4,000 in fees to obtain government records, with more bills on the way.

We can’t do it without your support. Nearly 10,000 readers donate to The Narwhal every year, making it possible to uncover each big story, one opaque government document at a time.

If you want to help us keep it up in the year ahead, there’s no time like the present: all donations to The Narwhal will be matched through Dec. 31 — and qualify for a 2025 charitable tax receipt.

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