Investigative Journalism Foundation

For the first time in history, Canadians can now freely access over 2.6 million pages of internal government documents never before made publicly available with our newest dataset, Open By Default. The name, Open By Default, comes from a promise made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2015 about government transparency shortly after being elected. The database shares more than 20,000 completed federal Access to Information requests What used to take weeks or months to process is now accessible with a few clicks, thanks to the hard work of our team and collaboration from academics and journalists across the country. Our tech team also relied on the non-profit MuckRock Foundation’s DocumentCloud service to handle the hundreds of gigabytes of documents. We hope the database can help Canadians better understand how the #government works behind the scenes. Put in a keyword and let us know what you find! Access the data: https://buff.ly/4c2EHXW Here are other things you should know about the database: 1. Learn more about #OpenByDefault and what inspired its creation: https://buff.ly/3V4F9yW 2. From UFO sightings to thousands of monkeys, here are nine strange, surprising and fun finds from Open By Default: https://buff.ly/435zAlz 3. Open By Default documents show how criminals are using online gambling websites to launder money: https://buff.ly/3wCF8bg

Earlier this month, an ad claiming the death of Jagmeet Singh appeared on multiple news outlets. The IJF has found similar ads are pushing get-rich-quick schemes worldwide. Why is no one accepting responsibility for the publication of these fake ads? Read our latest: https://lnkd.in/eW227hXB

According to an IJF and Postmedia investigation, meth is Canada’s next drug export. Vancouver ports have become an increasingly popular spot for criminals to transport meth destined for Australia and New Zealand. Police warn Canadian meth markets have become “over-saturated.”. Read our latest: https://lnkd.in/eHYvHRha

Could this be the new Battle of Alberta? Edmonton pays outside firms to lobby on its behalf with the province. Calgary says it doesn’t have to. Read our latest: https://lnkd.in/erKJE86P

Pro tip: don't leave stacks of money lying around your car in plain view. That's what B.C. RCMP found in a traffic stop, and now the government wants to seize the cash. Read our latest: https://lnkd.in/dH3_cHPQ

Imagine a road used to bring supplies to your community in harsh Alberta winters is becoming less and less available every year. This is a reality for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, whose livelihoods are impacted by the effects of climate change. Read our latest: https://lnkd.in/dVxZgsEP

We dug into the lives of lobbyists in B.C. and found that many formerly held public office positions. See our findings: https://lnkd.in/eYs3rdh3

A Canadian media advocacy group wants Ottawa's online safety bills to address ad companies, which it says may be funding harmful content and misinformation. This and more in our latest newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e4sKqfxS

A group called West Coast Proud is campaigning vigorously in the B.C. election with online ads. But when you look for who's behind the Facebook page and website, all roads lead east – to Alberta. Our latest with the Tyee:

We are pleased to announce that our database, Open By Default, is a finalist at the Anthem Awards. This is the second award nomination OBD has received this month. See details here: