Riley Sparks

Riley Sparks is a multimedia reporter based in Toronto. He has produced videos for The Globe and Mail, worked as a digital journalist and overseas freelancer for the Toronto Star and covered city news for the Montreal Gazette.

56 Articles

Bunny McDiarmid, Greenpeace International, environment, activism

Greenpeace’s Bunny McDiarmid dishes on lawsuits, sinking ships and Trump

National Observer spoke with McDiarmid about the Resolute lawsuits, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s environmental record, climate action in the age of Trump and more.

Race Against Climate Change

By Riley Sparks in News, Energy, Politics | June 19th 2017

Andrew Scheer, Conservative Party of Canada, Toronto leadership

Lucky 13: Scheer defeats Bernier in Conservative leadership vote

After 13 rounds, Scheer finally emerged as the winner of the Conservative Party of Canada leadership race.

By Riley Sparks in News, Energy, Politics | May 27th 2017

Late ballots frustrate would-be Tory voters

It may be harder to vote Conservative than you think

By Riley Sparks in News, Politics | May 26th 2017

Wastenot Farms founder Jocelyn Molyneux in downtown Toronto on April 28, 2017. Photo by Riley Sparks

How Toronto can worm its way out of food waste

At a Caledon, Ont.-based worm farm, 250,000 red wiggler worms turn some of Toronto's organic waste into nutrient-rich worm manure.

By Riley Sparks in News | May 4th 2017

Quebec "jailing" caribou in zoo, environmentalists say

The Quebec government says a plan to put a dwindling herd of caribou in a zoo is a "new start" for the animals. Environmentalists say it's a sham.

State Of The Animal

By Riley Sparks in News | April 27th 2017

Toronto chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat. Photo by Emily D Photography.

Chief City Planner Jennifer Keesmaat on how to fix Toronto

National Observer spoke with the city's chief planner to find out what's on her mind.

By Riley Sparks in News, Politics | April 21st 2017

RCMP officers one step closer to forming union

Despite a Senate decision last week that they say could slow the union drive by months, a group aiming to represent Mounties is pressing ahead after signing up almost 10,000 members.

By Riley Sparks in News, Politics | April 19th 2017

Oilsands, oil sands, tar sands, Alberta, oil and gas

Oil crash hasn't slowed industry research on oilsands innovation

The 2014 oil crash doesn't seem to have had much effect on research to shrink the environmental footprint of the oilsands, according to an industry alliance.

By Riley Sparks in News, Energy, Politics | April 13th 2017

A WestJet plane photographed in Ottawa on April 10. Photo by Alex Tétreault.

Lobbyists target Senate to derail WestJet union bid

A 'suspicious' letter and a coordinated lobbying effort have been deployed in the corridors of the Senate in what appears to be a bid to block a union from forming at WestJet.

By Riley Sparks in News, Politics | April 10th 2017

Trudeau-appointed senators holding up probe of Bombardier loan, Tory senator says

Liberal-appointed senators voted Thursday to postpone debate on a request for a Senate transport committee look into the federal government's $373 million interest-free loan to Bombardier.

By Riley Sparks in News, Politics | April 7th 2017