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Canada's National Observer

Canada's National Observer (CNO) is a journalist-owned publication founded in 2015 by award-winning reporter and publisher Linda Solomon Wood through the Observer Media Group (OMG), established in 2009. Recognized as a pioneer in digital journalism in Canada, OMG has 11 minority equity shareholders, and has offices in Ottawa and Vancouver with staff across the country.

CNO is led by Solomon and award-winning journalist and Editor-in-Chief Jimmy Thomson, supported by a national editorial team committed to independence, rigor, and public service.

CNO is widely known for its leadership in investigative reporting on democracy and climate change, including the Climate Solutions Reporting Project, produced in collaboration with the Canadian charity I-SEA. We gratefully acknowledge our strong and growing community of thousands of subscribers and readers who accelerate our reporting and encourage us every step of the way with their commitment and dedication to Canada, the planet and democracy.

A Model That Changed the Game

In 2012, Canada’s National Observer proved that crowdfunding could empower high-quality journalism. That year, we launched The Tar Sands Reporting Project on Kickstarter—its first year in Canada—which was named the platform’s “most socially responsible project” of the year. Backed by 500 supporters, the campaign funded in-depth reporting on the public health impacts of the oil sands.

Building on that success, we launched Reports from the Energy Battlegrounds and The Climate Solutions Reporting Project, supported by more than 800 contributors. These early campaigns helped establish a new model for funding journalism in the public interest in Canada— grounded in accountability to readers—a model that many other publications have since learned from and followed..

In 2016, CNO introduced a subscription model that has since generated millions of dollars to produce investigative, solutions-focused, and climate journalism.

What We Do

Live Journalism, Special Reports & Newsletters

CNO publishes across multiple platforms—investigations, documentaries, daily news, and storytelling that traces the arc of transformation in a world facing unprecedented challenges. We extend this work through immersive live formats, podcasts and curated subscriber offerings.

Through our Special Reports, we dive deep into the many dimensions of climate change—disinformation, democracy, energy, business innovation, and the human impacts of inequity—while telling the stories of people, communities, and institutions navigating a time of crisis. Our newest stream of reporting focuses on business-led climate solutions—highlighting how entrepreneurs, corporations, and investors are shaping a lower-carbon future through innovation, risk-taking, and systems change. These series are produced in collaboration with aligned institutions through the Climate Solutions Reporting Project. These editorial projects include Race Against Climate Change, The Takeover, Canada’s Clean Economy, Climate of Denial, and many others. 

Key Awards & Recognition

CNO has received dozens of awards for excellence in investigative and environmental journalism. There are just too many to list, but some recent highlights have been:

  • Canadian Journalism Foundation Winner-Darius Sniekus, Climate Solution Reporting Award (2025)
  • National Newspaper Award – Max Fawcett (2024)
  • Webby Award Honoree – The Salmon People (2023)
  • Canadian Journalism Foundation Finalist – Climate Solutions Reporting (2021)
  • Michener Award Citation – Public Interest Journalism (2019)
  • First digital-only NNA winner – House of Irving (2016)

"The little engine that could." — His Excellency David Johnston, Former Governor General of Canada

"Every morning I wake up and read National Observer and thank God you are there." — David Suzuki 

Who We Reach

CNO is read across sectors including:

  • Business executives
  • Government ministers and policymakers
  • Academics and educators
  • Civil society and advocacy groups
  • Engaged citizens from all walks of life

Our journalism informs legislation, shapes national conversations, and reaches over 3.5 million readers annually, with 6 million pageviews and over 400,000 users accessing content through paid institutional accounts.

Our Revenue Breakdown

  • 40% Subscriptions (individual + institutional)
  • 40% Contracts, Sponsorships & other Commercial Revenue
  • 20% Canadian Government Tax Credits & Grants

We are grateful to the Government of Canada, whose support as a subscribing institution reflects a broader commitment to public access to reliable journalism on climate and environmental issues. We participate in the Government of Canada's Local Journalism Initiative. 

 

Newsroom Values

CNO is a long-standing member of The Trust Project, a global consortium dedicated to transparency, accuracy, and fairness in journalism. Our newsroom is unionized under the Canadian Media Guild, reflecting our commitment to ethical labor practices and editorial independence.

  🌍 Climate Solutions Reporting Project

Led by I-SEA | Executed by Canada’s National Observer

The Climate Solutions Reporting Project is a public education initiative designed to spotlight the most effective and inspiring responses to the climate crisis. Through rigorous journalism, it tells stories of how governments, businesses, communities, and Indigenous leaders are advancing real solutions — from policy innovation and green technology to climate adaptation and nature-based approaches.

Who’s Involved

I-SEA (Institute for Sustainability, Education, and Action) is a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of urgent environmental and social challenges.

Canada’s National Observer (CNO) is a leading independent media outlet known for award-winning journalism on climate, energy, and accountability. 

More than twenty Canadian foundations and hundreds of CNO subscribers.

Leading the initiative, I-SEA provides administrative and strategic oversight of the project, while engaging CNO to carry out the journalism. CNO has full editorial control of the reporting. Founder Margery Moore has described I-SEA's mission as: “to propel forward great work in the world -and in so doing minimize the worst impacts of climate change.”

All reporting produced as part of the project is free to the public and is not behind CNO's paywall.

Powered by Purpose

The Climate Solutions Reporting Project brings trusted, solutions-driven journalism to a broad public audience. It informs policy, deepens public dialogue, and highlights both Canadian leadership and international innovation in the race to confront climate change. The project also amplifies community voices and underrepresented perspectives, equipping people with the information they need to take part in a just and sustainable transition.

Participating organizations:

  • Ivey Foundation
  • North Family Foundation
  • Roadburg Foundation
  • Trottier Foundation
  • Dragonfly Fund
  • Endswell Foundation
  • Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring
  • Trace Foundation
  • Donner Foundation
  • McConnell Foundation
  • BC Real Estate Foundation
  • Vohra-Miller Foundation
  • Salal Foundation
  • Aqueduct Foundation
  • Koerner Foundation
  • Willow Grove Foundation
  • Illahie Foundation
  • Esther Chetner Family Fund
  • Ottawa Foundation
  • Climate Story Network
  • Echo Foundation

 Reports Produced Include:

  • Big Green Build
  • The Takeover
  • Business Solutions
  • Vanishing Lifelines
  • Nations on the Front Lines of Fire
  • Climate of Denial
  • Powering Up
  • Race Against Climate Change
  • Cellular Agriculture
  • Canada's Clean Economy
  • The Influencers
  • Financing Disaster
  • Farming for the Future
  • Canada's Forests in Peril
  • Youth Climate Action
  • Sustainable Cities
  • COP26
  • A Green Stimulus Package for Canada
  • Bolder, Faster, Together (select articles)
  • First Nations Forward (partial support)
  • Negotiating Survival (COP27)

Newsletters and Podcasts

  • Zero Carbon newsletter by Chris Hatch
  • Canada's Climate Weekly
  • Canada's Climate Daily
  • Race Against Climate Change podcast
  • Selected episodes of Conversations with Linda Solomon Wood
  • Partial support for:
    • The Takeover
    • The Salmon People
    • The Poison Detectives
    • Maxed Out
    • Hot Politics  

Special Recognition

We would like to express our deep gratitude to the North Family Foundation for establishing, in partnership with I-SEA and Canada’s National Observer, the North Family Climate Journalism Emergency Fund — a vital initiative that supports rapid-response reporting on urgent climate developments.

We also acknowledge with appreciation our ongoing collaboration with the European Union’s Delegation to Canada, which began in 2019. With support from the Climate Solutions Reporting Project, CNO has hosted panels featuring EU climate leaders and Canadian environment ministers. These events have explored shared policy challenges and solutions, and helped elevate Canada’s role in global climate dialogue.

Advisory Board

Our advisory board brings expertise in journalism, sustainability, Indigenous rights, philanthropy, law, and digital ethics. Members include:

  • Geraldine Baum – PEN America, former LA Times NYC Bureau Chief
  • Denise Williams – Tech equity advocate, former CEO First Nations Technology Council
  • Stephen Huddart – Regenerative economics expert, former CEO McConnell Foundation
  • Carol Newell – Founder, Renewal Partners
  • Wendy Cooper – Co-CEO, Dragonfly Ventures
  • Margery Moore – President, I-SEA; founder of ehsAI
  • Esther Chetner – Lawyer and philanthropist

Contact Us
Linda Solomon Wood, Publisher – [email protected]
Jimmy Thomson, Editor-in-Chief – [email protected]

David McKie, Managing Editor-[email protected]
Darren Schuettler, Business Editor – [email protected]
Janel Johnson, General Manager – [email protected]
Ramneet Bhullar, Subscriptions – [email protected]
Sandra Bartlett, Podcasts – [email protected]

Visit our full team page →

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Why CNO Matters

In an age of terrors and wonders, Canada’s National Observer delivers journalism that meets the moment—with integrity, urgency, and accuracy. We expose systems of power that threaten the planet. We elevate solutions that can transform it. And we help people act with clarity and courage.

Every story we publish—whether funded by subscribers, foundations, or public partnerships—reflects a belief that truth still matters. That journalism, when done right, can inform, empower, and inspire. That public-interest media can lead the way toward a more just, informed, and sustainable future. And, that a community of committed readers, thinkers, and doers can be a powerful force for change.

From pioneering crowdfunding in Canadian journalism to launching bold collaborations like the Climate Solutions Reporting Project, to reaching millions across borders, we’re innovating all the time.

We're grateful to every subscriber, partner, and reader for helping to make CNO what it is, and for laying the groundwork for what it can become, an ever-more powerful voice for Canada.