A cross-Canada and international investigative collaboration
Drained was produced as part of Tainted Water, an ongoing investigation into drinking water safety in Canada. The project involves students and faculty from 10 campuses, working with 26 journalists reporting for media outlets across Canada, as well as the US-based Associated Press, a wire agency that distributes stories internationally. The collaboration is coordinated by the Institute for Investigative Journalism at Concordia University as an initiative intended to explore methods for restoring local investigative journalism in Canadian communities.
Published Work to Date
Canadians exposed to high levels of lead in drinking water, investigation finds. The Guardian, Nov. 4, 2019.
Lead levels in Canadian water ‘exceed safe limit’ in a third of cases. BBC, Nov. 4, 2019.
Parched: Experts urge transparency on lead-tainted water in some Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw homes. Regina Leader-Post, Nov. 4, 2019
Saskatchewan residents have some of the highest levels of lead-tainted water in Canada. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019.
Canada-wide investigation reveals dangerous levels of lead in tap water. Toronto Star, Nov. 4, 2019.
Is Canada’s tap water safe? Thousands of test results show high lead levels across the country. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
Edmonton residents exposed to high lead levels in water over last decade, investigation finds. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
Calgary doesn’t know how many homes have lead pipes that could make water unsafe. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
Lead levels in Prince Rupert drinking water could point to province-wide problems. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
Thousands of Nova Scotians at risk of lead exposure from wells. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
Quebec says it will pay for daycares to test tap water for lead. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
Is Montreal’s lead problem worse than Flint, Michigan’s? Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
The secrets of Canada’s tap water, explained. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
‘I don’t want citizens to be worried’: Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante insists water is safe to drink. Global News. Nov. 4, 2019
‘There is lead in our water … Don’t doubt it, just start flushing,’ says Prince Rupert resident whose water tested three times the national guideline. Vancouver Star, Nov. 4, 2019.
It would cost just $11 million for Calgary to replace all its public lead service lines. So why hasn’t the city acted? Calgary Star, Nov. 4, 2019.
Edmonton residents have been drinking tap water with lead levels as high as 120 times the federal limit. Edmonton Star, Nov. 4, 2019.
A third of Halifax tests for lead in water exceed the federal guideline. Halifax Star, Nov. 4, 2019.
More than half of Nova Scotians on wells are at risk of having lead in their water. Halifax Star, Nov. 4, 2019.
Her landlord didn’t tell her the home she rented had lead pipes — and he didn’t have to. Toronto Star, Nov. 4, 2019
Removing lead pipes is the only way to eliminate risk. But it’s expensive for cities and homeowners. Toronto Star, Nov. 4, 2019
Flushing taps before testing for lead produces misleading results. So why is Toronto telling residents to do it? Toronto Star, Nov. 4, 2019
Investigation: Lead in some Canadian water worse than Flint. Associated Press. Nov. 4, 2019.
Investigation: Lead in some Canadian water worse than Flint. Washington Post, Nov. 4, 2019
Investigation: Lead in some Canadian water worse than Flint. ABC News, Nov. 4, 2019.
Investigation: Lead in Some Canadian Water Worse Than Flint. US News, Nov. 4, 2019.
Ce plomb que Québec refuse de voir. Le Devoir. 2019-10-16
Les malades invisibles du plomb. Le Devoir. 2019-10-1
Petit guide citoyen contre le plomb. Le Devoir. 2019-10-16
Le Québec sous-évalue le plomb dans l’eau. Le Devoir. 2019-10-16
Quebec to review how it tests drinking water following investigative report. Global News. 2019-10-16
Investigation reveals dangerous lead levels in some Quebec drinking water. Global News. 2019-10-16
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante will require households to replace lead water pipes. Global News. 2019-10-22
Montréal revoit son plan de lutte contre le plomb. Le Devoir. 2019-10-23
Quebec to adopt national standard for testing lead in drinking water. Global News. 2019-10-23
Montréal a longtemps fait fi des solutions contre le plomb. Le Devoir. 2019-10-23
Chaos et opacité dans les municipalités du Québec. Le Devoir. 2019-10-24
Investigative Team
Investigative Reporters:
British Columbia: University of British Columbia
Lauren Donnelly
Jamuna Galay-Tamang
Brenna Owen
V. S. Wells
Nancy Wu
Alberta: MacEwan University
Maya Abdallah
Keshia Bundred
Austin Connelly
Zoe Cronin
Shaela Dansereau
Derrick Ferry
Dylanna Fisher
Clint Hoekstra
Cheyenne Juknies
Raysa Marcondes
Claire Okeke
Sarah Spisak
Molly Stogrin
Kiefer Sutherland
Ishita Verma
Alberta: Mount Royal University
Alannah Page
Stephanie Hagenaars
Karina Zapata
Saskatchewan: University of Regina
Joseph Bernacki
Jacob Carr
Dominique Head
Nathan Meyer
Kaitlynn Nordal
Heather O’Watch
Kayleen Sawatzky
Dan Sherven
Rigel Smith
Ethan Williams
Wenqing Zhan
Saskatchewan: First Nations University of Canada
Taryn Acoose
Jaida Beaudin-Herney
Regan Dreaver-Agecoutay
Charmaine Ermine
Danna Henderson
Darla Ponace
Mercedes Redman
Shayla Sayer-Brabant
Doris Wesaquate
Ontario: Carleton University
Ashleigh Abraham
Stephen Cook
Danielle Edwards
Levi Garber
Matthew Gergyek
Dana Hatherly
Lauren Hicks
Alicia Kalmanovitch
Jennifer Liu
Susana Mas
Christian Paas-Lang
Raisa Patel
Mateo Peralta
Adam van der Zwan
Ontario: Humber College
Kit Kolbegger
Brendan Pietrobon
Michelle Rowe
Ontario: Ryerson University
Lidia Abraha
Charlie Buckley
Kiki Cekota
Ben Cohen
Valerie Dittrich
Chelsey Gould
Benjamin Hargreaves
Declan Keogh
Kenzie MacLaren
Randeep Mandar
Stefanie Marotta
Ryan Moore
Julie Mutis
Julianna Perkins
Victoria Shariati
Kelly Skjerven
Katie Swyers
Quebec: Concordia University
Brigitte Tousignant
Miriam Lafontaine
Michael Bramadat-Willcock
Mia Anhoury
James Betz-Gray
Matthew Coyte
Thomas Delbano
Ian Down
Elaine Genest
Adrian Knowler
Mackenzie Lad
Benjamin Languay
Franca Mignacca
Jon Milton
Lea Sabbah
Katelyn Thomas
Ayrton Wakfer
Nova Scotia: University of King’s College
Lyndsay Armstrong
Megan O’Toole
Investigative Reporting Fellows:
Lyndsay Armstrong
Lauren Donnelly
Ian Down
Dylanna Fisher
Declan Keogh
Mackenzie Lad
Alannah Page
Practicum students and interns:
Kiki Cekota – Ryerson University
Shaela Dansereau — MacEwan University
Cheyenne Juknies — MacEwan University
Raysa Marcondes — MacEwan University
Victoria Shariati — Ryerson University
Morgan Bocknek — Ryerson University
Brigitte Tousignant — Le Devoir
Jaida Beaudin-Herney — First Nations University of Canada
Teaching assistant, University of Regina: Céline Grimard
Partner Journalists:
Associated Press:
Martha Mendoza
Global News:
Mike De Souza
Carolyn Jarvis
Marney Blunt
Max Hartshorn
Paul Johnson
Elizabeth McSheffrey
Megan Robinson
Dan Spector
Katelyn Wilson
Julia Wong
Heather Yourex-West
Le Devoir:
Annabelle Caillou
Veronique Chagnon
Ameli Pineda
National Observer:
Emma McIntosh
Stephanie Wood
Regina Leader-Post:
Jennifer Ackerman
Toronto Star:
Robert Cribb
Lynn McAuley
David Bruser
Star Calgary:
Trevor Howell
Star Halifax:
Zane Woodford
Star Edmonton:
Kevin Maimann
Star Vancouver:
Ainslie Cruickshank
Kelly Bennett, freelance reporter
Faculty Supervisors:
Charles Berret — University of British Columbia
Joe Couture — University of Regina
Robert Cribb — Ryerson University
David Fraser — University of Regina
Trevor Grant — University of Regina
Lara King — Humber College
Steve Lillebuen — MacEwan University
Janice Paskey — Mount Royal University
Patti Sonntag — Concordia University
Pauline Dakin — University of King’s College
Christopher Waddell — Carleton University
David Weisz — Humber College
Patricia Elliott – First Nations University
Faculty Board Members:
Patricia Elliott — University of Regina/First Nations University of Canada
April Lindgren — Ryerson University
Institute for Investigative Journalism, Concordia University
Series Producer: Patti Sonntag
Research Coordinator: Michael Wrobel
Project Coordinator: Colleen Kimmett
Editorial assistant: Fabio Luis Leon-Rosa
Editorial assistant: Lea Sabbah
Data support: Jeremy Glass-Pilon
Institutional Credits:
Carleton University, School of Journalism and Communication
Concordia University, Department of Journalism
Humber College, Journalism Program
MacEwan University
Mount Royal University, Journalism and Broadcast Media Programs
Ryerson University, School of Journalism
University of British Columbia, Graduate School of Journalism
University of King’s College, School of Journalism
University of Regina, School of Journalism
Associated Press
Global News
Le Devoir
National Observer
Regina Leader-Post
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Star Calgary
Star Edmonton
Star Halifax
Star Vancouver
Toronto Star
Produced by the Institute for Investigative Journalism, Concordia University