Benjamin Shingler
Benjamin Shingler covers how politics, public services and climate pressures shape daily life and the economy, with a beat that sits at the junction of social issues, Quebec politics and business policy. He is a reporter for CBC News and has previously reported for CTV, The Canadian Press and the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and is an alumnus of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network.
Quebec politics and economic policy
Shingler’s political coverage focuses on what governments promise, what those promises cost and who is affected. In his analysis of Quebec’s final leaders’ debate before a provincial vote, he distills the key takeaways from the party leaders’ exchanges, concentrating on policy differences rather than theatrics.
He breaks down parties’ costed platforms in detail, explaining where each plans to spend, where they intend to cut and how proposals such as changes to corporate tax rates and the elimination of direct subsidies would ripple through the business community.
His reporting on Donald Trump’s tariffs and their impact on Quebec links international trade decisions to local manufacturing, metals and automotive exporters, showing how small and medium-sized businesses bear the brunt of policy shifts.
In that coverage he follows the flow of financial aid programs aimed at hard-hit sectors, clarifying how government support is structured and which firms qualify. Fact-checking claims about whether the Parti Québécois could abolish the monarchy, he parses constitutional and institutional realities, framing the issue as both a legal question and a political signal to voters. He also tracks how PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon reaches out to anglophones, situating language debates within broader electoral strategy and identity politics.
Shingler extends his economic lens to household-level issues, co-authoring an explainer on why vegetable oil prices have spiked more than other food items and connecting commodity markets and supply chains to supermarket bills. Across these pieces, he tends to rely on economists, official documents and financial data, and he writes in a way that allows non-specialist readers to follow complex numbers and policy instruments.
Social issues and vulnerable communities
A recurring thread in Shingler’s work is the impact of policy and systems on people living at the margins. His reporting on growing homeless encampments in Montreal uses municipal documents to show a patchwork of responses across boroughs, highlighting how uneven rules and enforcement shape conditions for people living outdoors.
In a feature on a shelter that gives residents a room of their own, he focuses on the lived experience of privacy and stability, and the operational choices that allow a large organization to offer individualized space.
During the BA.5 wave of COVID-19, he explains how a new subvariant is fuelling another rise in cases, translating epidemiological trends and public health guidance into clear advice on risk and mitigation. His coverage of “severe and unusual” wildfire smoke emphasizes health impacts and protective measures such as mask use, again connecting environmental conditions to practical steps people can take.
An obituary for Cécile Dionne, one of the Dionne quintuplets, shows his capacity to handle sensitive historical subjects, tracing how medical and social practices shaped the lives of children in a highly publicized family.
In these social-issue stories, Shingler threads together policy, personal testimony and expert insight, with attention to how government decisions and institutional design affect people who have limited ability to navigate or challenge those systems.
Climate change, environment and work
Shingler’s membership in the Oxford Climate Journalism Network is reflected in consistent coverage of climate-driven change and its consequences.
He reports on how wildfires and warming are transforming parts of Canada’s boreal forest into savannah-like landscapes, explaining the science behind shifting ecosystems and the long-term implications for forestry and land use. His piece on wildfire smoke spreading across large areas connects atmospheric conditions to everyday health risks, clarifying why certain particles are dangerous and how exposure can be reduced.
He also concentrates on workers and businesses operating in extreme heat, showing how scorching temperatures put workers at risk and what measures employers and public authorities can take to protect them. That article uses the example of an urban agriculture business to explore heat management in greenhouses and outdoor work sites, illustrating the practical realities behind climate statistics. Across this environmental coverage, Shingler combines scientific explanation with concrete examples from workplaces and communities, making climate impacts tangible without losing sight of underlying trends.
Infrastructure, public services and transparency
Shingler frequently covers large public projects and how they function for users and businesses. In his explainer on the REM light-rail line billed as a “game changer” for the West Island, he focuses on what people need to know about the new service, from routes and connections to how it will change commuting and access.[anchor] His reporting on the SAAQclic project details how Quebec’s automobile insurance board handled a major digital rollout, highlighting findings from the province’s public contract watchdog about undermined principles of transparency and fair competition.
These stories show an interest in the mechanics of public services: how infrastructure is planned and delivered, how procurement decisions are made, and how failures or successes translate into daily experience for residents and local businesses. Combined with his work on social issues, climate and economic policy, Shingler’s coverage offers a consistent view of how institutions and large systems intersect with ordinary life, with an emphasis on clear explanation, documented evidence and the practical stakes of policy choices.
4 more business journalists.
Aarjavee Raaj
Aarjavee Raaj focuses on how corporate decisions, government warnings and economic trends affect everyday Canadians, using clear, data-driven business and related news coverage. She is a CTVNews.ca journalist with experience reporting on arts, culture, business and more, and her name is pronounced Aar-Za-Vee. Her work links institutional and corporate developments to practical consequences for workers, consumers and families, including corporate losses, retail restructuring, tax schemes and compliance warnings. She reports on workplace trends, economic strain, consumer recalls and health impacts, using survey data, charity reports, regulatory notices and clinical stories to show how macroeconomic and policy issues touch daily life. A digital journalist, she keeps to tight headlines, clear summaries of official statements or data, and a steady focus on what developments mean for people who work, shop and rely on public services.
Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams reports human interest stories that follow how sudden conflict, loss and long-running mysteries reshape the lives of ordinary people in everyday settings. She is a writer-reporter on PEOPLE’s Human Interest team, a role she has held since joining the brand in June 2021. Her work centers on routine days that turn into major events, giving equal weight to what happened and the human cost. She covers minor disputes and errands that end in tragedy, sudden accidents, law enforcement and public safety incidents, and missing-person cases with new developments after years of uncertainty. Her reporting is concise, event-led and built around individual lives, often framed with clear emotional cues while staying grounded in verified facts. Business and workplace contexts appear as backdrops, but the person and their circle remain at the heart of the story.
Akshay Kulkarni
Akshay Kulkarni is a data-led reporter who explains how economic, policy and social forces play out in British Columbia through concrete numbers, records and local case histories. He has worked as a journalist at CBC British Columbia since 2021, focusing on business, labour and resource developments, including tariffs, trade rules, corporate strategies and regulatory decisions. His coverage of critical minerals, Amazon’s impact on jobs and wages, and responsible investment links market shifts to the lived experience of workers, consumers and small businesses. He also reports on infrastructure, energy and land use, such as the Site C project and high-value property disputes, and on policy and social systems, including Indigenous deaths in custody, social media use in harm reduction, and mandatory inquests. His stories are built around original interviews and quantitative detail that show how systems affect communities on the ground.
Alex Karpa
Alex Karpa is a journalist with CTV National News who connects policies, innovations and systems to their effects on people’s lives. His real beat spans health care, research, reconciliation, culture, infrastructure and the regional economy. He reports on treatment access, medical breakthroughs, cancer care, emergency-room failures and health-system accountability. He covers residential school survivors, Indigenous artifact repatriation and the legacy of Louis Riel. His business and economy stories examine the Port of Churchill, sustainable farming technology, small-business theft and the Canada Strong Pass. He also reports on music, climate change, forest fires and honeybee populations. Across television segments and digital stories, he relies on detailed interviews, on-the-ground reporting and specific cases. He uses patients, families, survivors, researchers, businesses and communities to explain wider structural issues and practical consequences.