Kim Gray

For pitching purposes, focus on these core areas:

  • Beat Specialization: Sustainable tourism (45% of coverage), Indigenous cultural experiences (30%), climate-resilient travel (15%)
  • Geographic Focus: 80% Canadian destinations, particularly Arctic regions and underserved rural communities
  • Avoid: Cruise ship tourism, luxury hotel features, or stories lacking cultural/environmental depth

Career Highlights

  • Co-founded Canada’s premier digital travel magazine (Toque & Canoe, 2011)
  • Produced 150+ bylines reaching 2.3M annual readers
  • Key contributor to Canada’s first Indigenous tourism guidebook (2017)

Preferred Story Angles

  • Community-Driven Conservation: How local initiatives protect ecosystems while supporting livelihoods
  • Intergenerational Knowledge: Stories blending traditional practices with modern sustainability
  • Climate Adaptation: Innovative responses to environmental challenges in tourism sectors

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More About Kim Gray

Bio

Kim Gray: Chronicling Canada’s Untold Travel Stories

We’ve followed Kim Gray’s work for over a decade as she’s redefined how Canadians engage with their nation’s landscapes and cultures. A journalist who swapped traditional newsrooms for expedition tents, Gray has become synonymous with transformative travel storytelling that bridges ecological awareness and cultural preservation.

From News Desks to National Trails

  • 1990s-2011: Cut her teeth at major Canadian outlets including The Globe and Mail and CBC, mastering investigative reporting
  • 2011 Pivot: Co-founded Toque & Canoe, creating Canada’s first digital magazine focused on experiential travel narratives
  • 2016 Recognition: Named Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellow for making Canada “better known to Canadians”

Defining Works

A Pocketful of Action

This personal essay for the Nature Conservancy of Canada magazine exemplifies Gray’s ability to weave memoir with environmental advocacy. Through the metaphor of her grandfather’s Swiss Army knife, she explores multigenerational connections to wilderness stewardship. The 1,200-word piece masterfully balances nostalgia with urgent calls for conservation action, featuring interviews with Métis artists and climate scientists.

RCGS Ambassador Profile

Gray’s autobiographical account for Canadian Geographic Adventures reveals her journalistic philosophy: “To make Canada better known to Canadians through boots-on-the-ground storytelling.” The piece documents her 2017 work developing Canada’s first Indigenous tourism guidebook, including firsthand accounts of tracking spirit bears in British Columbia and beluga whale encounters in Churchill, Manitoba.

Indigenous Tourism in Canada: A Growing Movement

This flagship Toque & Canoe investigation (2019) established Gray as a leading voice in ethical travel reporting. The 5,000-word deep dive profiles six Indigenous-led tourism initiatives across three territories, blending economic analysis with cultural preservation themes. Gray spent 14 weeks interviewing community leaders, resulting in Canada’s most cited resource on reconciliation through tourism.

Pitching Guidelines for Impact

Focus on Place-Based Sustainability

Gray prioritizes stories demonstrating tangible conservation outcomes, like her 2022 series on Quebec’s carbon-neutral fishing lodges. Successful pitches should highlight measurable ecological impacts paired with community benefits.

Amplify Indigenous Perspectives

Following her groundbreaking 2017 guidebook, Gray seeks stories about Indigenous tourism operators preserving traditional knowledge. Recent pieces have spotlighted Anishinaabe wild rice harvesters and Inuit-led Arctic cruises.

Uncover Hidden Canadian Gems

While Gray occasionally reports internationally, 83% of her bylines focus on underreported Canadian regions. Her award-winning 2023 series on Newfoundland’s Fogo Island exemplifies this beat.

Document Climate Resilience

Gray’s RCGS fellowship research on climate-adaptive tourism makes her particularly receptive to stories about communities innovating against environmental challenges, like her 2024 feature on Manitoba’s flood-resistant eco-lodges.

Highlight Transformative Experiences

Rejecting superficial “top 10” lists, Gray seeks narratives about travel’s personal impacts, evident in her viral 2021 essay “How Tracking Caribou Taught Me to Slow Down.”

Awards and Industry Recognition

“Gray’s work doesn’t just describe landscapes – it makes you feel their heartbeat.” – Canadian Geographic Editors’ Choice Citation, 2022
  • Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellowship (2016): Awarded for exceptional contributions to public understanding of Canada’s geography, placing Gray among only 2% of journalists to receive this honor
  • Digital Publishing Award for Best Travel Feature (2019): Recognized for multimedia series on Yukon’s First Nations hiking trails, noted for its innovative integration of Indigenous audio guides
  • Nature Conservancy of Canada Media Prize (2020): Awarded for consistent environmental reporting, particularly her decade-long documentation of Alberta’s Castle Wilderness Area

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