Denise Balkissoon

Toronto

Executive Editor at The Narwhal

Executive editor, @thenarwhalca | 20+ yrs on the verge of quitting Canadian journalism | https://t.co/Gd8kEmT9oy

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Articles

‘I’m fiercely pro-fur’: Vogue’s Christian Allaire

3 weeks ago | thenarwhal.ca | Denise Balkissoon |Drew Anderson |Fatima Syed

Growing up, Christian Allaire loved spending summers with his cousins in his grandma’s backyard, near their home community of Nipissing First Nation. He also loved watching Drag Race with those same cousins, even after they voted against the strapless garbage bag minidress he made for a RuPaul-inspired home fashion contest.
Raccoons saved Scaachi Koul’s dumb cat

1 month ago | thenarwhal.ca | Denise Balkissoon |Matt Simmons |Kate Schneider

Get the inside scoop on The Narwhal’s environment and climate reporting by signing up for our free newsletter. “I promise you will laugh at least once per chapter,” Scaachi Koul says about her latest memoir, Suckerpunch. It’s a big promise, given that the book recaps three wretched years in which she got divorced, lost her job and learned her mother had cancer, all while coping with the pandemic. That said, Koul has a special ability to find a sliver of bright hilarity in the darkest cave.
Unearthing Black history in Nova Scotia

1 month ago | thenarwhal.ca | Ainslie Cruickshank |Mel Woods |Shannon Waters |Denise Balkissoon

Look at your Google calendar, and it might no longer tell you it’s Black History Month. At a time when some of the most powerful world leaders, backed by tech broligarchs, are rewriting histories — and brazenly attacking diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — telling some of those erased stories feels even more pressing.
This pro hockey goalie is a science nerd

2 months ago | thenarwhal.ca | Drew Anderson |Denise Balkissoon

“If I wasn’t playing hockey, I think I’d be doing research for National Geographic,” Raygan Kirk says. The Toronto Sceptres goaltender owes her love of nature to yard-work, after a neighbour in her hometown of Ste. Anne, Man., enlisted her help. It sprouted a fascination with growing things that carried all the way through a degree in environmental science.
There’s something in the air

2 months ago | thenarwhal.ca | Carl Meyer |Shannon Waters |Drew Anderson |Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood |Denise Balkissoon

We lied: of course we’re addressing the elephant in the room. It’s no secret everyone’s feeling a strange-yet-justified sense of patriotism — reluctantly, or not — given the whiplash-inducing news about tariffs. As Denise wrote, some have probably landed on the maple syrup of it all: buy Canadian products. And that’s a reasonable response; I, personally, am looking for Canadian alternatives to my beloved vegan chicken tenders (they’re packed with protein, please hit me up with suggestions!).
Nature tames anxiety for author David A. Robertson

2 months ago | thenarwhal.ca | Denise Balkissoon

Here at The Narwhal, we don’t use profit, awards or pageviews to measure success. The thing that matters most is real-world impact — evidence that our reporting influenced citizens to hold power to account and pushed policymakers to do better. And in 2024, our stories were raised in parliaments across the country and cited by citizens in their petitions and letters to politicians.
Neko Case has opinions on nature

2 months ago | thenarwhal.ca | Fatima Syed |Denise Balkissoon

Here at The Narwhal, we don’t use profit, awards or pageviews to measure success. The thing that matters most is real-world impact — evidence that our reporting influenced citizens to hold power to account and pushed policymakers to do better. And in 2024, our stories were raised in parliaments across the country and cited by citizens in their petitions and letters to politicians.
Skating on wild Rocky Mountain ice with Elladj Baldé

Jan 21, 2025 | thenarwhal.ca | Denise Balkissoon |Carl Meyer |Fatima Syed

Elladj Baldé might not compete anymore, but he hasn’t hung up his skates. When the former Canadian junior figure skating champion isn’t spinning, flipping and twisting on wild ice, he’s making sure everyone has a chance to fall in love with his sport. Through their Skate Global Foundation, Baldé and his wife Michelle Dawley focus on improving the social aspects of skating. The Calgary couple aims to nurture young athletes and push the sport towards better equity, diversity and inclusion.
Trump puts Canada-U.S. water relations in spotlight

Jan 20, 2025 | thenarwhal.ca | Ainslie Cruickshank |Gary Wilson |Denise Balkissoon

Get the inside scoop on The Narwhal’s environment and climate reporting by signing up for our free newsletter. Candidates for president of the United States address many issues on the campaign trail as they criss-cross the country pitching their policy agendas. The economy, healthcare and immigration were among the leading topics in the runup to the 2024 election. However, it’s uncommon for a candidate to talk about the availability of water.
The Weather Station has big climate feelings

Jan 9, 2025 | thenarwhal.ca | Fatima Syed |Denise Balkissoon

Making art with a point of view is tricky. There’s a risk of being too depressing to draw an audience, or too dogmatic to achieve transcendence. Perhaps that’s why so few movies, TV shows, novels, music and memes address climate change, even as ignoring it increasingly seems trite, or even deadly. Among those willing to wade into the high waters is Tamara Lindeman, otherwise known as The Weather Station.