J. B. MacKinnon

Author bio

J. B. MacKinnon is the author, most recently, of the national bestseller The Day the World Stops Shopping. His journalism has appeared in media ranging from the New Yorker to Reader’s Digest, as well as the Best American Science and Nature Writing anthologies. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

J. B. MacKinnon’s Contributions:

In Defense of the Rat

Rats are less pestilent and more lovable than we think. Can we learn to live with them?

Sep 26, 2023 | 5,700 words, about 28 minutes

In the 20th century, humans exterminated the gray wolf population of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, the largest island on the west coast of North America. The animals repopulated the island by the end of the century, and now live side by side with people. Photo by April Bencze

Death of a Modern Wolf

Once feared, vilified, and exterminated, the wolves of Vancouver Island face an entirely different threat: our fascination, our presence, and our selfies.

Oct 17, 2017 | 4,300 words, about 22 minutes

The Comox Glacier, or Queneesh, is a familiar sight from the surrounding towns, but possibly not for much longer. Photo by Michael Wheatley/All Canada Photos/Corbis

The Whale Dying on the Mountain

As the Comox Glacier disappears so does part of the local culture.

Feb 16, 2016 | 3,700 words, about 18 minutes

Hakai Magazine

Coastal science and societies

Other ways to engage with Hakai Magazine