It’s not every day that Drew Anderson, Prairies reporter for The Narwhal, gets the ear of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. But this week, Drew didn’t just talk to the premier, he got to talk sh*% with her. Literally. “This is a direct quote so forgive my salty language,” he said to her at a press conference on Tuesday. “[Your special advisor] called the current state of oil and gas regulations a ‘giant stinking pile of shit.’ I’m just curious if you agree with that assessment?” This stemmed from a doozie of a news story Drew wrote that sent waves across the Alberta political scene. (“I read it,” Smith interjected, before Drew could finish his question.) Two top political staffers in Smith’s government were at a meeting last week in rural Alberta to try to assuage landowners angry about the province’s long-simmering oil and gas well problem — and they didn’t mince words as the crowd argued with them. Meanwhile, Drew and photographer Isabella Falsetti, on assignment for The Narwhal, were the only journalists in the room. That’s because it’s not cheap to send two talented journalists out in the field. More and more often, reporters work from their desks. Which means more and more often, we miss out on what’s going on behind the scenes. But we were there, thanks to people like you who make our independent journalism possible. We’re just 50 members away from meeting our September goal to meet our budget. Will you join more than 7,000 readers who give what they can every month or year? Bonus: join today and we’ll send you a Narwhal tote bag to say thanks! Rural Albertans had a lot to say about the mess left behind by oil and gas companies at a recent meeting in in the village of Warburg. Photo: Isabella Falsetti / The Narwhal If Drew and Isabella hadn’t been at that meeting, we’d have no way of knowing what’s being said when senior officials roll up their sleeves and talk directly to Albertans. We knew. And we are holding politicians accountable. And we need your help to do more, because we know they’re paying attention. Drew’s reporting on oil and gas in Alberta simply can’t — and won’t — be ignored. “It is a bit of a mess — I’ll use less colourful language,” Smith said in her public response to Drew. “Enough is enough, we’ve got to address this issue.” We still need to add 50 new members this month to make our budget work. Will you help us hold our elected officials accountable by giving whatever monthly or yearly amount you can afford today? Recent Posts When a story sends waves across Alberta politics Sept. 20, 2025 2 min. read Prairies reporter Drew Anderson asked Alberta Premier Danielle Smith a question — with some salty… Your questions, our answers: here’s how climate and housing intersect Sept. 19, 2025 6 min. read More than 300 people joined The Narwhal for a lively online discussion about how B.C…. Across Canada, it’s a developing situation LNG exports in British Columbia, shrinking protections in Ontario and broken trust in Alberta: as…
When a story sends waves across Alberta politics
