Maritime Journalists - Canada

Colin Farrell is a maritime and environmental journalist at The Southern Gazette, where he dissects the intersection of industry innovation, policy, and ecological sustainability. Based in Marystown, Canada, his reporting has shaped national conversations about Arctic security and green shipping technologies.

Pitching Insights

• Coverage Priorities: Focus on maritime security protocols, port infrastructure sustainability, and climate-driven regulatory shifts. His recent work emphasizes Arctic geopolitics and decarbonization roadmaps for small-scale shipping operators.
• Avoid: Leisure cruise industry trends, celebrity-driven maritime stories, or generic updates on established environmental policies without fresh data angles.

Achievements

• 2023 Canadian Maritime Media Award winner for advancing public understanding of sustainable shipping.
• 2024 CAJ Environmental Journalism finalist for groundbreaking Arctic reporting blending defense and Indigenous perspectives.

PR professionals should approach him with exclusives on underreported policy gaps, scalable green tech case studies, or community-led conservation initiatives. Data-rich pitches with cross-stakeholder viewpoints (industry, government, NGOs) yield the best engagement.

Katie Tower is an award-winning maritime and environmental journalist at The Sackville Tribune-Post, where she documents climate resilience in Atlantic Canadian communities. Her work bridges hyperlocal stories with global environmental discourse, particularly through Indigenous-led conservation efforts and sustainable fisheries management.

Pitching Insights

• Focus Areas: Coastal policy, community adaptation models, interspecies conservation
• Avoid: International shipping logistics, naval military operations

Career Highlights

• 2023 CAJ Environmental Reporting Award for coastal erosion series
• Regular contributor to the Maritime Environmental Journal

For story ideas, emphasize regional innovations with scalable solutions or cross-cultural partnerships. Tower prioritizes pitches that include primary sources from rural communities or visual storytelling components like photojournalism submissions.

Based in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mark Squibb has established himself as The Packet’s foremost analyst of maritime policy and municipal decision-making. His decade-long tenure covering coastal Canada’s towns and fishing villages has produced:

• 300+ municipal meeting analyses decoding local governance impacts on maritime industries
• 45+ infrastructure project investigations tracking $2.8B in coastal development spending
• 20+ exclusive policy change reports that influenced provincial resource management guidelines

Pitching Priorities

• Maritime Tech Innovations: Focus on solutions improving safety/efficiency for small-scale fisheries
• Coastal Zoning Conflicts: Especially land-use debates between developers and conservationists
• Alternative Energy Projects: Tide/wind initiatives with direct community benefits

Avoid pitches on national politics or international trade agreements. Squibb’s value lies in his granular understanding of how global maritime trends manifest in harbor town council chambers and fishing co-op boardrooms.

Based in Newfoundland, Terry Roberts brings a novelist's depth to his coverage of coastal communities for The Compass. His dual career as journalist and award-winning author (Thomas Wolfe Literary Award, Willie Morris Prize) informs a unique approach to maritime storytelling that blends investigative rigor with narrative flair.

Pitching Priorities

• Community-Driven Angles: Prefers stories showing policy impacts on specific families/harbors
• Historical Parallels: Looks for modern issues with roots in maritime history

Carla Wilson is a journalist at the Times Colonist, where she covers business innovation, maritime policy, and environmental sustainability across British Columbia. With deep roots in Vancouver Island’s communities, her work bridges economic trends with ecological stewardship, often spotlighting Indigenous-led initiatives and rural resilience strategies.

Pitching Insights

• Focus Areas: Marine conservation partnerships, small business adaptation to climate change, regional policy impacts on coastal economies.
• Avoid: Celebrity-driven stories, global finance trends, or urban real estate development without rural connections.

Career Highlights

• 2023 Jack Webster Award Finalist for exposing gaps in pandemic recovery funding for Island businesses.
• Cited in BC Legislature debates on fisheries co-management frameworks after her 2022 investigative series.

“Stories aren’t just about problems—they’re about people rewriting the rules.”

Wilson’s reporting combines hard data with grassroots voices, making her a vital chronicler of BC’s evolving coastal identity. Pitches should align with her mission to amplify solutions that balance economic viability with environmental responsibility.

As assistant managing editor at the Journal Pioneer (SaltWire Network), MacLean shapes coverage of issues defining Prince Edward Island’s identity. His work sits at the intersection of policy analysis and community storytelling, with a focus on:

• Infrastructure & Isolation: How transportation policies impact cultural preservation and economic development
• Media Ethics: The role of local journalism in combating misinformation while maintaining accountability
• Community Well-being: Initiatives addressing rural healthcare, intergenerational poverty, and social cohesion

Pitching Insights

• Do: Frame national issues through PEI-specific case studies
• Avoid: Tech-centric solutions disconnected from maritime realities
• Unique Angle: Stories bridging PEI’s agricultural heritage with climate adaptation strategies

Recent Recognition: 2024 Atlantic Journalism Award Finalist for impactful opinion writing on healthcare access reforms.

Joetey Attariwala is a Canadian defense journalist specializing in naval warfare systems and Arctic security. His current primary outlet is USNI News, with frequent contributions to Asian Military Review and Shephard Media.

Key Coverage Areas

• Naval Innovations: Submarine technologies, Arctic patrol systems
• Aerospace Developments: Next-gen aircraft, unmanned aerial systems
• Defense Strategy: Procurement patterns, interoperability challenges

Pitching Priorities

• Seek: Technical solutions with operator testimonials
• Avoid: Pure policy analysis without equipment focus

"Effective military reporting requires understanding both the engineering and the human experience."
- Attariwala, 2024 CSIS Media Symposium

Ryan Melanson has established himself as Canada’s preeminent journalist covering naval modernization and Arctic defense strategy. Through The Maple Leaf and earlier work at Trident, he brings technical military developments into public discourse with uncommon clarity.

Core Coverage Areas

• Naval Infrastructure: Tracks how physical upgrades impact operational readiness, as seen in his analysis of Halifax base improvements
• Defense Technology: Explores implementation of AI and clean energy in maritime systems
• Arctic Security: Documents climate change’s impact on sovereignty patrols and vessel design

Pitching Recommendations

• Lead with Canadian Innovations: Melanson prioritizes domestic military advancements over international systems
• Quantify Human Impact: Successful pitches connect technical specs to sailor welfare metrics
• Avoid Theoretical Concepts: Focus on deployed systems rather than prototype-stage projects

Recent accolades include the 2024 Canadian Military Media Award for his Arctic patrol vessel series, cementing his reputation as a journalist who shapes defense policy discussions through rigorous reporting.