The Rocky Mountain Goat welcomes Abigail Popple as the publication’s new Civic Reporter.
Hailing from a suburb of Dallas, Texas, Popple moved to Montreal in 2019 to attend McGill University. While there, she got her start in journalism at The McGill Daily, one of the longest-running publications in North America. She served as a news editor and reporter at the Daily for three years, focusing on labour unions, student government, and the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in December 2022, she went on to freelance for a number of publications – among them Xtra Magazine and rabble.ca – primarily covering labour and public health. She most recently completed an internship at Maisonneuve Magazine, where she rigorously fact-checked and edited articles, and contributed the occasional book review. What little free time she had was spent organizing with her tenants’ union and going on long runs through Montreal’s parks.
While she will miss Montreal, Popple is eager to make a home in Valemount and explore the local hiking trails and rock climbing scene. When she’s not outdoors, you can find her baking, knitting, or practicing French (mostly by watching standup shows). Most of all, she hopes to find new friends to go camping with.
A member of the Sentient Media Writers’ Collective – a group of writers aiming to promote more thorough coverage of animal agriculture – she looks forward to covering agriculture and agricultural policy in the Robson Valley region. In particular, she is interested in sustainable agriculture initiatives and the intersection of agriculture and labour. Other topics she’s passionate about include Access to Information requests and food safety policy.
Popple excited to expand her coverage to include forestry and environmental policy more broadly, plus dive deep into BC politics. She especially enjoys attending city council and school board meetings, so you can expect to see her wherever municipal officials are meeting.You can find Popple on X (formerly known as Twitter) at abigail_popple, or you can message her on Instagram at abigail_lee_popple. She also encourages you to email her at [email protected] with any tips, comments, or offers to chat about local issues.
