Climate in the headlines: Canadian media narratives on climate change and outdoor activities

• Coverage since 2008 frames impacts as personal challenges, not systemic issues. • Four narratives—adaptation, resilience, economy, identity—shape public views. • Media link outdoor activities to Canadian identity, pride, and belonging. • “Canadian-ness” blends cultural traditions with nature, parks, and seasons. • Outdoor play seen as core to Canadian life, culture, and rites of passage. Climate change-related environmental challenges are increasingly impacting people’s lives, including their ability to enjoy outdoor activities. This study investigated what and how Canadian newspapers frame climate change and outdoor activities—focusing on leisure, recreation, and play. Data collection was conducted using the Canadian Newsstream database in English only. Media analysis was conducted, combining quantitative descriptive analysis and qualitative content analysis. Of 89 articles, the topic coverage has increased since 2008, with Ontario receiving the most attention. The most frequently discussed climate topics were general climate change, wildfires, and warm winters. Four key themes emerged in relation to the topic: adaptation, resilience, economic impacts, and Canadian-ness. Canadian media often framed the impact of climate change on outdoor activities as individual responsibility that can be resolved through personal adaptation and as a threat to national identity, culture, and intergenerational well-being. The findings highlight the media’s capacity to influence equitable policy change by shifting the narrative from individual responsibility towards structural determinants and by reframing outdoor activities as essential to national identity. This approach can help mobilize more inclusive, justice-oriented responses to climate-related disruptions in outdoor life across Canada