Justin Crann
@jcrann.bsky.social
📍Toronto, ON || He/Him
Editor with Canada's National Observer. Opinions are my own. Also an avid reader, companion to a canine and fan of films and felines. Somehow, inexplicably, still a journalist.
Editor with Canada's National Observer. Opinions are my own. Also an avid reader, companion to a canine and fan of films and felines. Somehow, inexplicably, still a journalist.
Reposted by Justin Crann
At every single stage of my life there has been a movie or show suited for my age group in which Catherine O’Hara was a standout player. This just sucks, man.
January 30, 2026 at 6:45 PM
At every single stage of my life there has been a movie or show suited for my age group in which Catherine O’Hara was a standout player. This just sucks, man.
Reposted by Justin Crann
I am in court this morning, covering the latest on the court battle between the Ford government and cycling advocates. The province is challenging a decision that ruled taking out major bike lanes to reduce traffic congestion is unconstitutional. Here's a primer for @nationalobserver.com
Ford’s war on bike lanes heads back to court
This week, the province will return to court to challenge a decision that ruled that taking out bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue in an effort to reduce traffic congestion...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:19 PM
I am in court this morning, covering the latest on the court battle between the Ford government and cycling advocates. The province is challenging a decision that ruled taking out major bike lanes to reduce traffic congestion is unconstitutional. Here's a primer for @nationalobserver.com
I'm so exhausted from the seemingly regular trauma of opening my social media to video recordings of cold-blooded murder committed by masked and unidentifiable thugs on the streets of the US who will never be held to account. (1/x)
January 24, 2026 at 9:40 PM
I'm so exhausted from the seemingly regular trauma of opening my social media to video recordings of cold-blooded murder committed by masked and unidentifiable thugs on the streets of the US who will never be held to account. (1/x)
Reposted by Justin Crann
no you see I was told that Trump’s deep respect and reverence for PMMC meant that he would never dare call Carney governor and that Canada and the US were v close to a deal but that pesky Premier Ford got in the way & ruined everything
maybe libs can stop sane washing Trump now!!
maybe libs can stop sane washing Trump now!!
January 24, 2026 at 2:44 PM
no you see I was told that Trump’s deep respect and reverence for PMMC meant that he would never dare call Carney governor and that Canada and the US were v close to a deal but that pesky Premier Ford got in the way & ruined everything
maybe libs can stop sane washing Trump now!!
maybe libs can stop sane washing Trump now!!
Reposted by Justin Crann
Canada's exports to China: 3.9% of overall exports.
America's exports to China: 7.1% of overall exports.
Kindly fuck off, Donald.
America's exports to China: 7.1% of overall exports.
Kindly fuck off, Donald.
January 24, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Canada's exports to China: 3.9% of overall exports.
America's exports to China: 7.1% of overall exports.
Kindly fuck off, Donald.
America's exports to China: 7.1% of overall exports.
Kindly fuck off, Donald.
Absolute scorcher from @maxfawcett.bsky.social. Highly recommend the read (and viewing of Carney's excellent speech).
After months of trying to play nice with Donald Trump and MAGA world, Mark Carney decided to drop the hammer of truth on his rogue administration, @maxfawcett.bsky.social writes. What comes next will help determine Canada's place in the world — and whether it even has one.
Mark Carney just shook up the world
His speech in Davos might be the most important one ever delivered by a Canadian prime minister. Its consequences will determine his place in history — and ours.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Absolute scorcher from @maxfawcett.bsky.social. Highly recommend the read (and viewing of Carney's excellent speech).
Reposted by Justin Crann
Thanks to Front Burner and @jaymepoisson.bsky.social for having @maxfawcett.bsky.social and myself on to sort through what to make of Carney’s climate retreats. Crucial topic right now.
Mark Carney: climate friend or foe? | Front Burner | CBC Podcasts | CBC Listen
In 2015, as governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney’s ‘Tragedy of the Horizons’ speech made waves in the global climate community. It was seen as a landmark call for the financial sector to recog...
www.cbc.ca
December 5, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Thanks to Front Burner and @jaymepoisson.bsky.social for having @maxfawcett.bsky.social and myself on to sort through what to make of Carney’s climate retreats. Crucial topic right now.
As a not-quite-lifelong Ontarian, I've not enjoyed Wasaga as much as many of my fellows. That said, I do have some fond memories on pristine beaches from my youth.
I don't think development on those beaches benefits anyone, except for the individuals who snatch up the land to enrich themselves.
I don't think development on those beaches benefits anyone, except for the individuals who snatch up the land to enrich themselves.
The Ford government has stripped protection from parts of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park to sell the land for redevelopment — despite thousands of public objections from critics who say it puts sensitive ecosystems and endangered species at risk. @matinsarfraz.bsky.social for @nationalobserver.com
Ford strips protections from Wasaga Beach to sell for development
Under its controversial omnibus Bill 68, more than one per cent of the park — with some estimates suggesting up to 60 per cent — has been removed from protection. Wasaga Beach is the province’s most v...
www.nationalobserver.com
December 5, 2025 at 10:53 PM
As a not-quite-lifelong Ontarian, I've not enjoyed Wasaga as much as many of my fellows. That said, I do have some fond memories on pristine beaches from my youth.
I don't think development on those beaches benefits anyone, except for the individuals who snatch up the land to enrich themselves.
I don't think development on those beaches benefits anyone, except for the individuals who snatch up the land to enrich themselves.
Reposted by Justin Crann
REPORTERS/RESEARCHERS/POLICY NERDS:
@nationalobserver.com has released a tool that automatically transcribes council meetings in 550 Canadian municipalities.
THIS Is how you use AI in the newsroom!
Check it out: civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com
@nationalobserver.com has released a tool that automatically transcribes council meetings in 550 Canadian municipalities.
THIS Is how you use AI in the newsroom!
Check it out: civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com
CivicSearchlight - by Canada's National Observer
Search transcripts of municipal meetings across Canada. Find discussions about topics that matter to your community with Canada's National Observer's search tool.
civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:14 PM
REPORTERS/RESEARCHERS/POLICY NERDS:
@nationalobserver.com has released a tool that automatically transcribes council meetings in 550 Canadian municipalities.
THIS Is how you use AI in the newsroom!
Check it out: civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com
@nationalobserver.com has released a tool that automatically transcribes council meetings in 550 Canadian municipalities.
THIS Is how you use AI in the newsroom!
Check it out: civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com
Reposted by Justin Crann
Enbridge execs have been boasting to shareholders they plan to return $40-$45 billion to them over the next five years supported by gas expansions across the continent. Ontario in particular is a cash cow where they have an opportunity to "over earn."
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/09/a...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/09/a...
Enbridge investors to get billions as gas giant expands into small-town Ontario
Enbridge executives know Ontario ratepayers are a cash cow for its gas business, and in recent calls with investors they said they plan to milk it for all its worth.
www.nationalobserver.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Enbridge execs have been boasting to shareholders they plan to return $40-$45 billion to them over the next five years supported by gas expansions across the continent. Ontario in particular is a cash cow where they have an opportunity to "over earn."
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/09/a...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/09/a...
Reposted by Justin Crann
As the campaign continues to pop up in communities across the country, Canada’s National Observer has developed an unprecedented new tool that allows us to track the spread of campaigns like this: Civic Searchlight.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/08/i...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/08/i...
How Canada's National Observer tracked a climate misinfo group going 'under the radar'
As KICLEI's campaign moves into the shadows, Canada’s National Observer has developed an unprecedented new tool: Civic Searchlight. To build it, we assembled a database of council meetings in more tha...
www.nationalobserver.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:17 PM
As the campaign continues to pop up in communities across the country, Canada’s National Observer has developed an unprecedented new tool that allows us to track the spread of campaigns like this: Civic Searchlight.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/08/i...
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/10/08/i...
This new tool is the sort of thing I would have loved to get my hands on when I was a community news reporter more than a decade ago. Kudos to @rorywh.bsky.social and the CNO team for their hard work on this asset, and to the publication for releasing it freely to journalists and researchers.
Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation
Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...
www.nationalobserver.com
October 8, 2025 at 9:29 PM
This new tool is the sort of thing I would have loved to get my hands on when I was a community news reporter more than a decade ago. Kudos to @rorywh.bsky.social and the CNO team for their hard work on this asset, and to the publication for releasing it freely to journalists and researchers.
Reposted by Justin Crann
Mark Carney's 'Tragedy of the Horizons' speech was a landmark moment for the financial sector to recognize climate change was a severe threat, but a decade later he's flouting his own prophetic warning as climate breakdown rapidly approaches.
A decade later, Carney's climate wake-up call to financiers still falls on deaf ears
Mark Carney's 'Tragedy of the Horizons' speech was a landmark moment for the financial sector to recognize climate breakdown was a severe threat, but a decade later he's flouting his own prophetic war...
www.nationalobserver.com
September 29, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Mark Carney's 'Tragedy of the Horizons' speech was a landmark moment for the financial sector to recognize climate change was a severe threat, but a decade later he's flouting his own prophetic warning as climate breakdown rapidly approaches.
That Greaves quotation is money. Parliament needs more Parliamentarians willing to break rank over issues they and their electorate care about.
Climate advocates within the Liberal party are finding common cause and voice, on the eve of parliament's resumption.
“I was not elected to parliament to either bite my tongue or not use my brain,” Will Greaves, freshman MP for Victoria, told me.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/11/a...
“I was not elected to parliament to either bite my tongue or not use my brain,” Will Greaves, freshman MP for Victoria, told me.
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/11/a...
A Liberal environment caucus is born
About 50 Liberal MPs have formed a sub-caucus on environment to serve as a forum for the party’s environmental advocates to compare notes and speak with a collective voice as they push for progressive...
www.nationalobserver.com
September 13, 2025 at 3:13 AM
That Greaves quotation is money. Parliament needs more Parliamentarians willing to break rank over issues they and their electorate care about.
New from me for CNO: Trump's anti-science strategy is so familiar, it could have been cribbed from the playbook of a former prime minister.
#cdnpoli
#cdnpoli
Trump’s war on science mirrors Harper’s chilling Canadian legacy
US researchers grappling with the challenges presented by the president can look to their counterparts north of the border for strategies.
www.nationalobserver.com
September 9, 2025 at 3:53 PM
New from me for CNO: Trump's anti-science strategy is so familiar, it could have been cribbed from the playbook of a former prime minister.
#cdnpoli
#cdnpoli
Such a great story. Sea otters have made an almost unprecedented comeback on the west coast, but their resurgence is threatening Indigenous ways of life. CNO's Sonal Gupta handled this piece adroitly, respecting the Indigenous point-of-view while also spotlighting the hard science of conservation.
Sea otters have made an astonishing comeback from the brink of extinction, reaching populations so dense that they're now ploughing through shellfish.
All of which is prompting some First Nations to ask: is it time to hunt sea otters again? www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/02/n...
All of which is prompting some First Nations to ask: is it time to hunt sea otters again? www.nationalobserver.com/2025/09/02/n...
September 3, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Such a great story. Sea otters have made an almost unprecedented comeback on the west coast, but their resurgence is threatening Indigenous ways of life. CNO's Sonal Gupta handled this piece adroitly, respecting the Indigenous point-of-view while also spotlighting the hard science of conservation.
A rare misfire from director Ari Aster and star Joaquin Pheonix, Eddington aims for satire but lands far short of the mark. Catch my review on Letterbox'd — but be warned, spoilers abound!
A ★½ review of Eddington (2025)
This review may contain spoilers. Visit the page to bypass this warning and read the review.
letterboxd.com
August 27, 2025 at 6:20 PM
A rare misfire from director Ari Aster and star Joaquin Pheonix, Eddington aims for satire but lands far short of the mark. Catch my review on Letterbox'd — but be warned, spoilers abound!
Got out for a 6 hour hike with the pup today. A wonderful time.
August 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Got out for a 6 hour hike with the pup today. A wonderful time.
Some genuinely excellent investigative work by CNO's @rorywh.bsky.social — don't miss it!
Meta banned the Epoch Times from advertising. Then it accepted $300k in new ads targeting Canadians
In the past 12 months, The Epoch Times has spent over $300,000 on Facebook and Instagram ads promoting political surveys to collect the emails of Canadians using a series of anonymous pages.
www.nationalobserver.com
August 21, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Some genuinely excellent investigative work by CNO's @rorywh.bsky.social — don't miss it!
Solid reporting here for CNO from Marc Fawcett-Atkinson and Joan Baxter. Canada has, for too long, engaged in a lot of exploitative resource extraction (and not just in the oil and gas sector) that has unfortunately primed our land for the climate crisis.
Nova Scotia's ban on entering the forest due to wildfire fears comes as the province deals with a moderate-to-severe drought, no rain in the forecast and a forest more susceptible to burn because of logging, say experts.
How industrial forestry and climate change created the NS wildfire problem
Nova Scotia's ban on entering the forest due to wildfire fears comes as the province deals with a moderate-to-severe drought, no rain in the forecast and a forest more susceptible to burn because of l...
www.nationalobserver.com
August 9, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Solid reporting here for CNO from Marc Fawcett-Atkinson and Joan Baxter. Canada has, for too long, engaged in a lot of exploitative resource extraction (and not just in the oil and gas sector) that has unfortunately primed our land for the climate crisis.
Stephen King, from whose work the film is adapted, describes The Life of Chuck as a "joy machine" — but that sells short the full emotional impact of one of the best films of the year so far.
My spoiler-free Letterboxd review: boxd.it/a2k8Zf
My spoiler-free Letterboxd review: boxd.it/a2k8Zf
A ★★★★★ review of The Life of Chuck (2024)
I have long said that my favourite films are the ones that can elicit great emotional responses, and The Life of Chuck did exactly that — three times over — when I caught it in the cinema this afterno...
boxd.it
June 17, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Stephen King, from whose work the film is adapted, describes The Life of Chuck as a "joy machine" — but that sells short the full emotional impact of one of the best films of the year so far.
My spoiler-free Letterboxd review: boxd.it/a2k8Zf
My spoiler-free Letterboxd review: boxd.it/a2k8Zf
Some excellent reporting here from CNO's very talented @natashabulowski.bsky.social and @rochellebaker1.bsky.social.
The question of how to rebuild has become existential: the NDP is down to seven MPs and lost official party status for the first time since 1993. @natashabulowski.bsky.social + @rochellebaker1.bsky.social on the future of the NDP for @nationalobserver.com
NDP grassroots buck against 'top-down' leadership race
With the NDP reduced to seven seats, Former MP Charlie Angus and party activists want to scrap data-driven or social media strategies and return to old-school organizing.
www.nationalobserver.com
June 12, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Some excellent reporting here from CNO's very talented @natashabulowski.bsky.social and @rochellebaker1.bsky.social.
The original Spaceballs is one of my favourite spoof comedies ever made. I'm ready.
Spaceballs 2 | Announcement
YouTube video by Amazon MGM Studios
youtu.be
June 12, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The original Spaceballs is one of my favourite spoof comedies ever made. I'm ready.
An opening message from Tom Cruise, the actor, precedes The Final Reckoning. Somehow, it raises the stakes far better than the previous entry in this franchise — and even though the first hour is heavy with exposition and flashbacks, the eighth Mission: Impossible still makes for great viewing.
A ★★★★ review of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)
At my local cinema, after the "Feature Presentation" graphic screened, a shot of Tom Cruise — out of character, as himself — appeared. The actor thanked his audience for turning out at a theatre to se...
letterboxd.com
May 28, 2025 at 12:47 AM
An opening message from Tom Cruise, the actor, precedes The Final Reckoning. Somehow, it raises the stakes far better than the previous entry in this franchise — and even though the first hour is heavy with exposition and flashbacks, the eighth Mission: Impossible still makes for great viewing.