With 36 years shaping Canadian public discourse, Licia Corbella brings razor-sharp analysis to energy policy, municipal governance, and immigration systems. Her Calgary Herald columns blend data-driven investigation with compassionate storytelling, making complex policy issues accessible to general audiences.
"Real journalism matters. It’s not me – it’s the role."
Licia Corbella’s 36-year journalism career began at The Province in Vancouver in 1986, where she cut her teeth on general assignment reporting while completing journalism studies. Her early work demonstrated a knack for humanizing complex stories, from local crime reports to cultural features. This foundation propelled her to national prominence through roles at:
"Working in that newsroom was the most fun you could have with your clothes on, while simultaneously toiling incredibly hard."
In her March 2024 analysis, Corbella dismantles contemporary critiques of Mulroney’s environmental policies through meticulous archival research and interviews with policy architects. She reveals how the former PM’s unpopular acid rain regulations became the blueprint for modern cross-border environmental agreements, drawing parallels to current climate policy debates.
This 2023 investigative piece combined FOIA requests with on-the-ground transit ridership data to challenge Calgary’s $5.5 billion light rail project. Corbella’s analysis of bus route utilization patterns versus projected rail demand became required reading for municipal budget committees, influencing subsequent infrastructure hearings.
Through the lens of Luz Martínez’s 10-month permit wait, Corbella exposed systemic failures in Canada’s immigration bureaucracy. Her 2023 report paired emotional storytelling with comparative analysis of processing times across provinces, prompting calls for parliamentary review.
Corbella excels at connecting technical energy sector developments to household impacts. A successful pitch might explore how carbon capture tax credits affect small/medium oilfield service companies in Alberta, mirroring her 2021 analysis of pipeline approval delays’ effects on regional employment.
Her Green Line LRT investigation demonstrates appetite for infrastructure projects with competing stakeholder interests. Pitch comparative analyses of light rail vs bus rapid transit systems in mid-sized Canadian cities, emphasizing cost-benefit data visualization opportunities.
Following her refugee permit investigation, Corbella remains focused on bureaucratic inefficiencies. Compelling pitches will combine individual narratives with FOIA-obtained processing statistics, particularly cases highlighting provincial/federal jurisdiction conflicts.
Corbella: Brian Mulroney deserves even more credit than he’s rightly getting
Corbella: Is the Green Line LRT on the right track? Many say it’s past time to pivot on costly rail line
Corbella: Colombian refugee’s agonizing wait for travel permit highlights Canada’s immigration failures
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Politics, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
