Career Trajectory: From Local Insights to Provincial Impact
Luymes has built her reputation at the Vancouver Sun by focusing on three interconnected pillars:
- Agricultural Innovation: Tracking B.C.’s shift toward localized food production amid global trade uncertainties
- Climate Adaptation: Documenting how communities prepare for increasing environmental disruptions
- Policy Accountability: Examining the real-world impacts of government decisions on food systems
Defining Works: Articles That Shaped Conversations
- B.C. wants to increase its food autonomy. Here's what it would take This March 2025 investigation dissects the province’s push for agricultural self-sufficiency through greenhouse expansion. Luymes contrasts tomato production successes with challenges facing other crops, using procurement data from 12 regional farms. Her analysis reveals that while infrastructure exists for year-round tomato growth, strawberries face barriers like pollination logistics and economies of scale. The piece includes interviews with both ALR advocates and developers, framing farmland use debates within broader food security concerns.
- "Buy B.C. sounds simple. But increasing food autonomy could mean rethinking our relationship with every acre of farmland."
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- How can B.C. reduce its reliance on imported food? In this February 2025 piece, Luymes maps B.C.’s food import dependencies against climate-vulnerable regions. She highlights the Fraser Valley’s unique position to expand leafy green production but notes infrastructure gaps in processing and distribution. The article features a case study of Skipper Otto’s community-supported fisheries as a model for shortening supply chains. Luymes balances optimism about vertical farming potential with sobering statistics about current import ratios (42% of vegetables, per StatsCan).
- B.C. airports work to prevent bird strikes This January 2025 report exemplifies Luymes’ environmental beat work, connecting ecological patterns to public safety. She details YVR’s wildlife management program, which combines radar tracking with habitat modification. The article cites a 17% reduction in bird strikes since 2021 despite increasing air traffic, crediting collaborations between aviation staff and ornithologists.
Strategic Pitching Guide
1. Lead With Localized Data
Luymes prioritizes hyperlocal statistics that reveal provincial trends. A successful pitch might include:
- Farm-level production costs comparing B.C. vs imported goods
- Municipal food waste diversion rates
- Climate projection maps specific to agricultural regions
Her February 2025 piece on food imports effectively used BC Ministry of Agriculture data to show gaps in vegetable production.
2. Highlight Policy-Community Nexus
Stories that connect legislation to grassroots impacts resonate strongest. Example angles:
- How ALR modifications affect small-scale producers
- Floodplain management changes post-2021 atmospheric rivers
Luymes’ March 2025 analysis of greenhouse subsidies demonstrated this approach, linking provincial grants to farm-level ROI.
3. Solutions-Focused Environmental Reporting
While documenting climate challenges, Luymes seeks actionable responses. Pitches should emphasize:
- Successful erosion control pilot programs
- Cross-sector partnerships reducing food waste
- Adaptive reuse of non-arable land
Her January 2025 bird strike prevention piece exemplifies this balance between problem and solution.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2024 Jack Webster Award Finalist Recognized in the Excellence in Business Reporting category for investigative work on impaired driving legislation’s agricultural impacts. The series revealed how rural transportation gaps complicate DUI enforcement while maintaining food supply chains.
- 2023 Canadian Association of Journalists Climate Reporting Honoree Awarded for 2021 wildfire coverage that connected forestry practices to community resilience. Luymes’ team documented how salvage logging policies affected regrowth in Lytton-area burn zones.
