A 2022 hit parade, with a hint of moose

Since everyone loves a top ten list...

Our 2022 image round up.

Hello distinguished subscribers and brave visitors to the page,

Before you all head out to unconscionably decadent New Year’s Eve parties tonight, we thought we’d serve up an eclectic (i.e. somewhat random) platter of things we learned in the blur that was 2022.

Since the end of the year is traditionally a time for reflection and retrospection, we’ve turned the lens on our readers and what we’ve built together in this first year of Northern Beat.

First things first: thank you, thank you, thank you. For reading, subscribing, emailing, calling and caring about the issues and our stories. And for telling us where we should turn our attention next (there’s no end to the topics that need investigating!).

Because of that partnership, our big gamble paid off.

We saw a communication disconnect between decision-makers in Vancouver and Victoria and the people in the rest of the province. We saw a need for in-depth coverage of the divisive issues polarizing people and communities like never before. Call it the rural-urban divide or something else, people in the North, the Interior, the Kootenays and mid-to-upper Vancouver Island feel out-of-touch and out-of-mind of the province’s decision-makers. And regardless of where British Columbians live, they want to know what’s happening elsewhere.

Enter Northern Beat. We nosed around, made some calls, asked questions, held feet to the fire and wrote what we discovered. Through it all, we asked, what’s most important to British Columbians? In each community, what are residents most concerned about? How were the problems created? Who’s responsible for fixing them? And always, what is the real story?!

In essence, we wrote and you read. And read. And read. Thank you!

Top ten for 2022

Here’s a rundown of the most-read stories in our first year out the gate:

Terrace: Unchecked crime, a ‘community in crisis’ is our most-read story of 2022.

Occupy Blue River: High-conflict protest, two rules of law is #2.

Both stories investigate untenable situations for residents and frustrated locally-elected officials struggling to solve problems outside their jurisdiction. Both communities have been trying to get help from the provincial government without success while the safety in their communities degenerated. In Blue River, Thompson-Nicola regional district director Stephen Quinn has a theory why the provincial and federal governments haven’t stepped in: Two rules of law and the urban-rural divide. “We’re the bottom of the heap,” he said.

After we published our story on Terrace, people from other towns and cities reached out. They told us what was happening where they lived. We saw a pattern and wanted to know why. Which led to our series on prolific offenders.

Trapped in a cycle of addiction, mental illness and crime in Prince George. [Photo Fran Yanor]

If not prison, then where? investigates what should be done about individuals with addictions and mental illness who are jeopardizing public safety. Mean streets explores why the justice system is not jailing repeat offenders. Hardest to House investigates why they are wandering the streets unhoused. Mandatory care explores the ethics, efficacy, and how repeat offenders could be compelled into treatment. “There is actually a robust literature to support legally coerced treatment,” according to Dr. Amanda Butler, co-author of the independent investigation into repeat offending.

The next most popular story was the ‘Call out’ to anarchists by the Wet’suwet’en pipeline protest group just days before five police vehicles were torched in Smithers. The vehicles, in town to patrol the Coastal Gaslink pipeline, were specifically targeted, making it the second pre-meditated violent attack on pipeline-related resources in 2022.

On the OpEd front, independent ecologist Dr. Karen Price shared A scientist’s challenge, her personal account of trying to convey science in a world hooked on sound bytes.

The top column of the year was (you guessed it) on moose! Written by legislative correspondent Rob Shaw, Politics, not science, motivated moose hunt allocation changes touched a nerve in the North!

Next was Geoff Russ’ piece on how NDP forestry reforms may have the reverse effect of shoring up BC Liberals support in northern Vancouver Island.

Rounding out the hit parade were two stories by Keith Norbury: one on the brave new world of ‘safer’ supply and another exploring of the intricacies of Indigenous leadership.

Some of my favourites

A couple of pieces by former CBC legislative reporter Jeff Davies hit a chord: his conversations with veteran tree fallers on their regrets and hopes for the future, and his skillful profile of Mike Morris, the BC Liberal MLA who has become an unexpected advocate for biodiversity and forestry management reform.

Romancing the stone by Michael Cranny is a fun romp on panning for gold in B.C. and Saving southern resident killer whales by Tom Davies reveals the disturbing plight of these iconic creatures.

Our profiles weren’t the most read, but readers spent an impressive amount of time reading them. Sonia Furstenau led the pack in terms of time spent, followed by Geoff Russ’ profile of Ellis Ross.

The Q & A with David Eby is a good primer for the premier’s thoughts on public safety and repeat offenders (even though he was Attorney General at the time).

Rob Shaw revealed that permits for more than $2 billion worth of resource development projects were stuck in consultation limbo while the provincial government negotiates new economic agreements with Treaty 8 nations following the Blueberry River Supreme Court ruling.

Spencer Hall from EnergeticCity.ca dug into the details to find out why negotiations were creating uncertainty and delays.

And best photo of the year goes to the ever-talented Chad Hipolito, for his banner shot of truthteller Derrick Forsyth.

The enigmatic Derrick Forsyth. [Photo Chad Hipolito]

Our strategy

It’s been a great year. Because of our readers and subscribers, our writers, and the sources who trust us to represent their words and intentions with care and honesty.

Our strategy is simple. We focus on the intersection of provincial politics and public policy in communities outside Vancouver and Victoria. We gravitate to the most divisive and complex issues, then pass the mic around to understand what’s happening and what can be done about it. With a presence in the legislative press gallery, we bring the issues of rural communities directly to decision-makers in Victoria, then add their perspective to the mix.

This is what good journalism can do. It takes the time to ask the important questions of the people who have the answers. It informs and empowers people with the truth.

And because of your support – in reading and subscribing – we’ve had a real effect. We literally couldn’t do this without you.

Thank you for your support in 2022 as we laid the building blocks for Northern Beat!

But we’re just getting started.

We’ve got a great line up for 2023 and need your help to deliver it. We’ll be digging deeper into the degradation of public safety, the absence of a province-wide addictions treatment system, the challenges of old growth forestry reforms, and the massive land use changes being initiated by the provincial government as it implements DRIPA and various court decisions affecting Indigenous rights. We will look into the severe bullying tactics employed by some activist campaigns, the political implications of October’s municipal election results, and more.

If you appreciate the legislative reporting, columns, profiles, and investigative journalism we’ve delivered so far, consider making the jump to paid subscriber (if you haven’t already). Every dollar goes to our freelance journalists.

And now, with mere hours to go in 2022, we wish you a productive, prosperous and laugh-filled new year.

Fran

Questions, comments and suggestions contact Fran@northernbeat.ca

For brain calisthenics read NorthernBeat.ca