“Thornhill Verma moves expertly between historical fact, qualitative interview, and personal reflection. Stories of resilience and ingenuity rest alongside accounts of hardship and death.”
—Gemma Marr, The Miramichi Reader
National coverage
Stay tuned for forthcoming coverage in The Globe and Mail (Pulitzer Center funded project), Canadian Geographic, and more. And see latest regional coverage, book reviews and more (below).
Testing history: New research places the Vikings at L’Anse aux Meadows in the year 1021, providing new insights into a pivotal moment. May 2024. Saltscapes
Organizations can help journalists navigate deluge of climate research research. January 2024. J-Source
Northern cod numbers may have moved out of critical zone, says federal scientist. November 2023. The Globe and Mail.
This Newfoundland town’s old fish-sauce plant is a stinking, hazardous mess. But whose? October 2023. The Globe and Mail.
To report fully on climate change, journalists need to integrate Indigenous knowledge into their coverage. August 2023. Oxford Climate Journalism Network Essay Series.
Atlantic mackerel numbers have collapsed – can a moratorium bring them back? March 2023. The Globe and Mail. Noted as noteworthy reporting in the Globe Climate newsletter: Do we need a moratorium to save the mackerel population?
How new fishing technology could help save North Atlantic right whales. January 2023. The Globe and Mail. Noted as noteworthy reporting in the Globe Climate newsletter: New fishing tech could help save North Atlantic right whales.
Laying the groundwork for climate-smart fisheries. December 2022. The Globe and Mail. Noted as noteworthy reporting in the Globe Climate newsletter: Solutions: Climate scorecard provides picture of how marine life will fare as oceans become warmer.
The federal government is less likely to protect an at-risk fish if people like to eat it: When a fish is listed under the species at risk registry, federal protection measures kick in. But the vast majority of at-risk fish that are commercially valuable never get that designation, data shows. November 2022. The Narwhal. Noted as noteworthy reporting in the Globe Climate newsletter: Investigation from The Narwhal: The federal government is less likely to protect an at-risk fish if people like to eat it; and featured in The Narwhal’s December newsletter.
The cod delusion: A moratorium on cod fishing that was supposed to last two years has now lasted 30. What will it take to rebuild cod stocks — and a way of life? July-August 2022; and refeatured in October ‘Best of 2022’ issue. Canadian Geographic magazine. The author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Access Copyright Foundation – Marian Hebb Research for supporting the research making this story possible.
Post-tropical storm Fiona shows vulnerabilities in Canada’s weather-radar network, expert says. October 2022. The Globe and Mail. Noted as noteworthy reporting in the Globe Climate newsletter: Weather: Post-tropical storm Fiona shows vulnerabilities in Canada’s weather-radar network, expert says.
Girls Who Fish wants more women on the water: A Canadian program, bringing girls and women to the fishing wharf, has inspired a sister program in Japan, and could hold the key to more sustainable wild fisheries. September 2022. The Globe and Mail. Also featured in Globe Climate: Why getting women and girls in the fishing boat is good for the environment
This fishing captain is combining Inuit knowledge with scientific expertise to fight climate change in the Far North. April 2022. The Globe and Mail. Also featured in Globe Climate: Inuit knowledge and science skills fight climate change in the Far North
The future before us: Youth have become an unrelenting force in using their voices to safeguard biodiversity. (Cover story) Winter 2022. Nature Conservancy of Canada.
In Labrador, desperate pleas for search and rescue resources still unanswered. January 2022. The Globe and Mail. The author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Access Copyright Foundation – Marian Hebb Research for supporting the research making this story possible.
You may not be relying on the best available evidence to make decisions and design programs — here’s why. December 2021. Future of Good.
Is the social impact workforce ready for the next emergency? September 2021. Future of Good.
Scapegoat or scoundrel? Why scientists want to clear the air about the role of seals and focus on ecosystems. August 2021. The Globe and Mail.
Could smaller, more sustainable cod fishing make a comeback? Newfoundlanders look cautiously for ways to rebuild. March 2021. The Globe and Mail
Atlantic cod rebuilding plan undermines scientific evidence and Indigenous Knowledge: critics. March 2021. The Narwhal.
New film shows three-decade old cod collapse even more relevant today. February 2021. Canadian Geographic.
Fishing Lessons: Bringing the whole community back to the wharf, one child and one woman at a time. November 2019. Reader’s Digest. Now available online.
Film (screenwriting)
Last Fish, First Boat. 2021, adapted from Cod Collapse. Animated short film released Feb 18, 2021 by McIntrye Media and Canadian Geographic with funding by Canada Council for the Arts. Co-produced with Kat Frick Miller and Matt LeMay.
Unsettled. Forthcoming film (2024). Animated short film about communities contending with climate change, determined to stay.
Talk-tapes (radio)
- National
How the cod moratorium rocked N.L. and what can be done to recover from it three decades on(July 2022) – CBC Radio’s The Current
- Regional
How fish react to warming ocean is part of new climate risk scorecard (Dec 2022) – CBC Radio’s The Broadcast
Impacts of the moratorium three decades later (July 2022)—CBC Radio’s The Signal
Regional coverage
Read the latest Seasplainer – The Independent’s fisheries and oceans explainer series:
- Commercial redfish fishery to reopen, but pending quota threatens to push some fishers out (February 2024)
- Is Northern cod on its way back from the brink? (November 2023)
- How Climate Change is Threatening our Fisheries
- Fishers are Back on the Water, but they say the province’s fish pricing system is pushing rural communities toward economic collapse
- How can Fisheries Support Biodiversity Recovery?
30 years after the moratorium, what have we really learned about cod and science? July 2022. CBC NL.
Really old rocks in Gros Morne: Gros Morne National Park, and the remarkable Tablelands, is a trip back in ancient history. Spring-summer issue. Saltscapes.
Home is where the harvest is: How community freezers are helping NunatuKavut Inuit stay connected to their values and way of life. Spring-summer issue. Inside Labrador. The author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Access Copyright Foundation – Marian Hebb Research for supporting the research making this story possible.
Brave Lucy Bolger: What her great-granddaughter learned about her as she followed her light at Point Amour Lighthouse. Spring-summer issue. Inside Labrador. The author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Access Copyright Foundation – Marian Hebb Research for supporting the research making this story possible.
Fishy business: Five young harvesters explain why they’ve chosen to haul anchor for a life on the water. September 2021. Atlantic Business Magazine.
Haunting tales of Point Amour Lighthouse. Fall 2021. Inside Labrador.
As the Climate Changes, So Does Managing Fisheries: Over 20 years ago, DFO recognized that “changes in climate cannot be ignored.” Why is it taking so long to put this insight into practice? May 2021. The Independent.
A season of change: How N.L.’s wild fisheries have gone from plentiful to pitiful. May 2021. CBC NL.
Honouring Inuit Elders: Memorial University hosts first-ever convocation in Labrador. April 2021. (Inside Labrador)
Conservation Conundrum: Will listing Atlantic Salmon under the Species At Risk Act help or hinder restoration efforts. Spring issue. Atlantic Salmon Journal.
Status report: slow starts and further delays for N.L. offshore in 2021-22. March 2021. Atlantic Business Magazine.
Colab co-founders: from hyperloop pioneers to Innovators of the Year. May 2021. Atlantic Business Magazine.
TEA FOR 2SLGBTQIA+ (Memorial University of Newfoundland, Office of Public Engagement)
Is Corporate Concentration the Future of Fish Processing? December 2020. The Independent (NL). Shared byline with Jack Daly)
Who Controls Fish Processing in Newfoundland and Labrador? November 2020. The Independent (NL). (Shared byline with Jack Daly)
Cod Haven’t Fully Returned, but We Still Return for the Cod. October 2020. The Independent (NL).
2020 Innovator of the Year. September 2020. Atlantic Business Magazine.
Why NL Fishers are Protesting in a Pandemic: An Explainer. May 2020. The Independent (NL).
Report: FLR Complied with Disclosure Rules in Salmon Die-off. April 2020. The Independent (NL).
Quirpon Island: Abandoned, but Still Bursting with Life. March 2020. Downhome. (Cover story)
After the Cod Collapse: Is Cod Jigging Still a Rite of Passage? October 2019. Downhome Magazine.
Accordion to Don: How a Squeezebox Became a Barometer for My Father’s Health. Summer 2019. Newfoundland Quarterly. (listen to the Father’s Day 2019 show of VOCM’s Sunday Drive with Darrell Power for an interview with Jenn Thornhill Verma about this article – the segment runs 15.53-23:21)
The Newfoundland Expatriate Survey (Part 1). July 18, 2019. The Independent (Newfoundland and Labrador).
The Newfoundland Expatriate Survey (Part 2). July 22, 2019. The Independent (Newfoundland and Labrador). (Read the August 3, 2019 CBC News story “Buried report offers insight on why expats leave N.L. — and why they’d return.” The story followed Jenn’s interview on CBC Radio’s On the Go on July 23, 2019)
Cod and The Fishery: Down, But Not Out. July 2, 2019. The Independent (Newfoundland and Labrador).
Shed Culture: Some Work, All Play is the Newfoundland and Labrador Way. May 2019 (Cover story). Downhome Magazine. (Cover story)
Letter: Career opportunity in fishing. . . for plastic? (Opinion-Editorial) November 19, 2018. The Telegram (St. John’s, NL)
Letter: The reasons we fish: Calling it “recreational” misses the mark. (Opinion-Editorial). October 6, 2018. The Telegram (St. John’s, NL)
Letter: Abuses to Recreational Cod Fishery Hurts Everyone, Including the Fish.(Opinion-Editorial) September 28, 2018. The Telegram (St. John’s, NL)
I’s The B’y That Catches the ‘Bergs: Meet Newfoundland and Labrador’s Iceberg Cowboy. Winter 2018. Explore Magazine (p.14)
Half a Century a fisherman – ‘til they closed it. First Person Feature. Winter 2018. Saltscapes Magazine
Letters from Pop (Newfoundland and Labrador’s Poor Literacy Legacy). March 2018. Maisonneuve Magazine
Still Afloat. March 2016. Downhome Magazine
Book reviews
Their Beautiful Land: An Inuit history of Northern Labrador. A review of “Avanimiut: A History of Inuit Independence in Northern Labrador”
by Carol Brice-Bennett, revised by Lena Onalik and Andrea Procter. May 2024. Literary Review of Canada.
Finding Amelia: The old man and the fish. A review of “Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas” by Karen Pinchin. December 2023. Literary Review of Canada.
Boiling Point: Of treaty rights and fisheries. A review of “Contested Waters: The Struggle for Rights and Reconciliation in the Atlantic Fishery” edited by Fred Wien and Rick Williams. November 2023. Literary Review of Canada.
From Writing Breaking News to Stories that Stand the Test of Time. A review of “Changing Our Tunes: Why National Anthems Fall Flat” by David Pate. February 2024. University of King’s College.
A story finds its moment. A review of “Work Life: Working Remotely from Bali to Boardroom” by Melinda Jacobs. September 2023. University of King’s College.
Author Esmeralda Cabral persisted, buoyed by her MFA mentors’ belief. June 2023. University of King’s College.
King’s MFA program helps Gina Woolsey publish her unique story on Swissair crash. June 2023. University of King’s College.
Book Review: A Primer of Life Histories: Ecology, Evolution, and Application by Jeffrey A. Hutchings. March 2022. Atlantic Books Today.
Book Review: Land of Many Shores, edited by Ainsley Hawthorn. January 2022. Atlantic Books Today.
Book Review: Reflections from Them Days by Nellie Winters. Fall 2021. Inside Labrador
Book Review: Reflections from Them Days by Nellie Winters. February 2021. Atlantic Books Today.
Must-Have Newfoundland and Labrador Books of 2020. December 2020. Atlantic Books Today.
Book Briefs. Poetry. New-found-land by Carol Hobbs. Spring/Summer 2020. Atlantic Books Today.
Arts writing
Snowmageddon: Revisiting a snowfall like no other through a child’s eye. January 2021. CBC NL.
Portraits and Portrayals. October 2020. Downhome.
Rocking the Art World: In the Painted Rock Movement, The Fun is in The Find. July 2020. Downhome.
The Yarnbomber. Not Your Grandmudder’s Knitting: A Yarnbomber Leaves Her Mark in Newfoundland. Spring/Summer 2020. [EDIT] magazine.
Roam Like Home: Journal Entries From a Trip Across Newfoundland. April 2019. Newfoundland Quarterly.
Here Comes the Sun: Artist Jean Claude Roy’s Bright Outlook for Newfoundland and Labrador. March 2019. Newfoundland Quarterly.
Abandoned Architecture as Art. January 2018. Downhome Magazine
An Artist’s View. October 2016. Downhome Magazine
© 2024 Jenn Thornhill Verma
jennthornhillverma.com 