Kristy Kirkup is a seasoned national journalist for The Globe and Mail. She is based in Ottawa.
Kristy specializes in federal health policy, including reproductive health issues affecting women and gender-diverse people, drug regulation and medical assistance in dying. Her reporting also brings national attention to systemic health inequities.
With more than 15 years of reporting experience, Kristy has earned a reputation as a trusted voice in Canadian journalism. She began her career with CTV News in Ottawa and went on to report at Sun Media, CBC News and The Canadian Press. She joined The Globe and Mail in the fall of 2019 and brings both political and policy knowhow to her work, along with a strong commitment to public service journalism.
Kristy has reported from Parliament Hill for much of her career and has chronicled major national developments and been part of coverage for five federal election campaigns (2011, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2025). She has travelled across Canada and internationally, covering both Prime Ministers Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau on official visits abroad.
Although she has extensive experience with breaking news and daily political coverage, Kristy is drawn to in-depth journalism.
In 2017, she received the Canadian Journalism Foundation Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism, alongside colleagues at The Canadian Press, for a groundbreaking series on sexual trauma in Indigenous communities.
In 2021, she was part of a team at The Globe and Mail awarded the prestigious Michener Award for a series that exposed the Catholic Church’s efforts to sidestep accountability for its role in the residential school system.
She also received the King’s Coronation Medal in 2025, an honour awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the country. In her case, the medal was given in recognition of her reporting on Indigenous affairs.
Kristy is passionate about using the power of journalism to shine a light in dark places and to lift up the voices of the silenced and forgotten. She also believes strongly in mentoring younger journalists.
Kristy is a mother of two and has a nearly 14 year old mini schnauzer/yorkie named Adele who has been at her side for her most memorable bylines.
Please contact kkirkup@globeandmail.com if you are looking to get in touch.
