We’re proud to introduce our 2021 Local Journalism Fellows. The fellowship is a 10-week, paid opportunity for aspiring and emerging journalists from communities underrepresented in journalism. This year’s fellows will be working alongside us as we prepare our fall issue on precarious labour. We’re thrilled to welcome Reina Cowan, Zeahaa Rehman, Tahmeed Shafiq, and Mirusha Yogarajah to The Local!
Reina Cowan is a writer and radio host from Ontario. Her work has appeared in The Charlatan, Stories North, TRAD Magazine, and on CKCU-FM. She is interested in storytelling with a purpose to empower marginalized communities.
Zeahaa (pronounced Zaha) Rehman is a Pakistani-Canadian freelance journalist who likes deconstructing everything from pop culture to politics with an intersectional lens. Her work has been published in The Walrus, Chatelaine, Flare Canada, The RepresentAsian Project, and more.
Tahmeed Shafiq is a writer and journalist. He is interested in stories that are complicated, technical, and intrinsically human. He is an undergraduate at the University of Toronto. His journalism has appeared in The Varsity and The Pigeon, and his fiction has appeared in Lightspeed Magazine.
Mirusha is a filmmaker, writer, and artist who grew up in Texas and currently resides in Toronto, Canada. Their work aims to interrogate the multifaceted experiences of being a person on the margins and the delicate and intimate experiences they host alongside survival. They enjoy their friends, their dog Neptune, and Bananagrams.
More from this issue
The New Chill Facing Trans Health Care
As anti-trans rhetoric intensifies at home and abroad, the organizations providing training in trans-inclusive healthcare say they’re seeing less uptake from physicians across Ontario.
The Local Wins Six National Awards
Our journalism took home top prizes at the National Magazine Awards and Canadian Association of Journalists Awards.
An Ancient Past Unearthed by Urban Construction
In 2024, an Indigenous burial site was found during construction on Withrow Avenue, near Riverdale Park East. Where others see a “hole” in the ground awaiting investigation, journalist Gabrielle McMann sees a window into Toronto’s complex pre-colonial history—and a deeper sense of belonging.
The Long Last Days of Toronto’s First Safe Consumption Site
Nick says he’ll go back to Manitoulin. Texas can’t even think about the closure. Inside Moss Park in the final days of a nine-year era of safe consumption.
The Local Expands Into Peel
Introducing Prarthana Pathak, our new Peel Reporter
The Local is Nominated For Ten More Journalism Awards
The nominations at the Digital Publishing Awards and National Magazine Awards recognize our journalism in 2025.
When Refugees Can’t Afford the Care They Need
New federal cuts to Canada's refugee health program take effect this week. The people who work with asylum seekers say the consequences could be devastating.
The Local is Nominated for Four Canadian Association of Journalists Awards
The awards recognize our in-depth reporting on everything from school boards to international students to AI to worm harvesting
The New Reality for Toronto’s Crossing Guards
Once a job for local retirees backed by the police, today's crossing guards are poorly paid contract workers employed by private companies. As they confront growing road rage and speeding drivers, their work is more dangerous than ever.
We’re Hiring a Peel Reporter
The Local is looking for a talented journalist to join our team as a staff reporter covering civic issues in Mississauga and Brampton.