Introducing Jimmy Thomson, managing editor of Canada's National Observer

I am pleased to announce Jimmy Thomson is joining Canada’s National Observer as managing editor.

Jimmy is an accomplished journalist who has lived on the East and West Coasts and places between. He is now based in Victoria, B.C.

“Working with a team like CNO’s is a dream for an editor — they're sharp, they're driven, and they're so well-positioned to cover the most pressing story of our time,” Jimmy says. “It’s a privilege to join this great organization and try to help it build toward something even better.”

Jimmy was born in Newfoundland but was raised in Nova Scotia and Alberta, spending much of his time in the North before moving to Victoria.

Before getting serious about journalism, he held an eclectic variety of jobs, including work as a polar bear guard, zodiac driver and naturalist on expedition cruises to the Arctic and Antarctica.

He launched his journalism career at CBC North in Hay River and Yellowknife, and was an early contributor to The Narwhal. He then took a position as top editor with Capital Daily, an online publication in Victoria which won multiple national awards for journalism and news under his watch.

Jimmy’s writing has been published in The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, The Walrus, The Toronto Star, Hakai Magazine and VICE. His work has earned him multiple awards, including the Canadian Journalism Foundation award for climate solutions and an Edward R. Murrow award for equity, diversity and inclusion.

He has written extensively on climate, resource extraction and Indigenous-led conservation.

I am looking forward to working with Jimmy, whose experience will add depth to the CNO team.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Jimmy to our team. He’s held in high regard throughout Canada for his many accomplishments, and I’m confident he’ll make an enormous contribution to CNO’s impact and growth. I look forward to working with Jimmy as part of the brilliant team that strategizes, enriches and guides our publication to a high bar of excellence through turbulent times,” CNO publisher Linda Solomon Wood said.