You may have seen the recent news from The Walrus announcing the launch of six regional bureaus across Canada, part of the magazine’s commitment to deeper reporting from across the country. I’m thrilled to be leading news coverage for the Atlantic bureau, covering stories from all corners of PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Over the past few years, I've had the privilege of writing a number of essays and features for The Walrus, speaking to politicians and pollsters, artists and academics, refugees and scientists and farmers and students from across the region on topics ranging from climate change, immigration, the rising cost of living, and PEI's abiding obsession with roundabouts. As someone who grew up on the East Coast and then spent my adult life living abroad and across Canada (5 provinces and 1 territory!), my return to the Island five years ago has made me keenly aware of how much the Atlantic region has shapeshifted in recent decades. Record population growth is recalibrating the culture and identity of Atlantic Canada, and this dynamic tension between who we were and who we are becoming has never been more alive. In a place that can often seem bewitchingly frozen in time to the rest of the country—insert your favourite stereotype of a salty lobster shanty or red-haired orphan girl--my aim is to tell engaging, thought-provoking stories that spotlight the East Coast in all our complexity, as we exist right here and now.
The Walrus has invested deeply in growing its readership and now reaches an impressive global audience. In this new role, I’m excited to continue putting the news and views of Atlantic Canadians in conversation with the rest of the country and beyond.
I’d love for you to follow the journey. Consider a subscription to the magazine or sign up for the free Walrus newsletter.