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The Walrus

Brian Payton

Brian Payton is the award-winning author of Shadow of the Bear, The Ice Passage, and the national bestselling novel The Wind Is Not a River. His nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and Canadian Geographic. He lives on Vancouver Island, BC.
A photo of ancient Indigenous fish traps lining a harbour in British Colombia.
Environment

Can Ancient Indigenous Technology Help Save BC’s Salmon?

September 1, 2021April 5, 2022 - by Brian Payton

After an earthquake exposed thousands of mysterious wooden stakes off Vancouver Island, researchers spent over a decade figuring out what they mean

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Four researchers equipped with nets and buckets stand in shallow water, surrounded by seaweed.
Environment

The Shark Research That Upended Marine Conservation

January 28, 2020 - by Brian Payton

Efforts to preserve ocean life are meaningless if governments don’t enforce standards of protection

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The hull of a cruise ship
Business

Cruise Ships Often Represent the Worst of Capitalism

September 13, 2019September 16, 2019 - by Brian Payton

When cruise ships dock, a town’s population can more than double. Who decides when the cost of tourism is too high?

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collage including elephant and pop art
March 2008

Fat of the Land

March 12, 2008May 25, 2020 - by Brian Payton

How trans fats endanger wild elephants in Borneo

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The cover for the November 2023 issue of The Walrus. Cover artwork: An illustration of stylized text reading 'The Best of 20 Years.' 2023 Nov Issue
Canada's national parks, growing up trans, the darker side of Leonard Cohen, and more!

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The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.
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​​The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

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Here’s why Nick supports The Walrus

20 years ago, I came across a magazine with a striking cover photo of a harbourfront. The headline grabbed my attention: “Inside Paul Martin’s Empire.” He had just become our prime minister, so what better way to educate myself? It turns out the magazine I brought home that day was a copy of the first ever issue of The Walrus.

Two decades have passed since then. The world has changed, but I know one thing remains constant: every time The Walrus lands in my mailbox, I know I’m in for a stimulating and absorbing intellectual trek. I donate to The Walrus to ensure they continue to keep the conversation in Canada fresh and interesting without lowering the bar. Consider doing the same if you also believe in this kind of work.

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With thanks,
Nick Yeo
Reader, Toronto

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Hey, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed these stories.

Before you go, did you know that The Walrus is a registered charity? We rely on donations and support from readers like you to keep our journalism independent and freely available online.

When you donate to The Walrus, you’re helping writers, editors, and artists produce stories like the ones you’ve just read. Every story is meticulously researched, written, and edited, before undergoing a rigorous fact-checking process. These stories take time, but they’re worth the effort, because you leave our site better informed about Canada and its people.

If you’d like to ensure we continue creating stories that matter to you, with a level of accuracy you can trust, please consider becoming a supporter of The Walrus. I know it’s tough out there with inflation and rising costs, but good journalism affects us as well, so I don’t ask this lightly.

Will you join us in keeping independent journalism free and available to all?

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With thanks,
Claire Cooper
Managing Editor, The Walrus

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