While in Kenya, I kept hearing about these naked nuisances that spook their neighbors at night. Thrilled to see the story with such amazing illustrations by Rodolfo Reyes for Atlas Obscura. Read it here.
Toronto Life: The Homesteaders of Mount Forest
One of my favorite stories ever. I interviewed the Murph-Ariens at their off-grid homestead in Ontario and channeled their life story in an as-told-to feature. Read it at Toronto Life.
Globe: Is Nickel Making These Quebecois Sick?
Concern about contaminated air causes tension in a small town at the heart of Canada’s push to be a leader in a green economy. Read the multimedia feature in the Globe & Mail.
Globe & Mail: Saving Quebec’s Chorus Frogs
Another feature for the Globe & Mail's climate desk. This time, it's about Quebec's tiny chorus frogs and the fight to save them before they're silenced. Story here.
Gastro Obscura: What Happened to Montreal’s Legendary Melon?
A century ago, Manhattan residents with a hankering for dessert might flick on their finest frock coat, get a table at a white-tablecloth restaurant, and order a juicy slice of Montreal melon for $1, or around $30 in today’s currency. But then it disappeared. Here's what happened, for Gastro Obscura (branch of Atlas Obscura): story here.
Lonely Planet: France 14
Lonely Planet just released a guidebook I updated: France! I did the section on Lyon & the Rhône Valley. Buy it here.
Globe & Mail: Why The Magpie Is Legally A Person
Can a river have rights? I drove up to Quebec's Côte-Nord region with photographer Stephanie Foden to find out how and why the Ekuanitshit Innu pushed to make the Magpie River a legal person. The story appeared on the front page of the Globe & Mail newspaper and was released online as a multimedia feature. … Continue reading Globe & Mail: Why The Magpie Is Legally A Person
CBC: The psychology behind pandemic decision making
Plenty of people (including myself) made huge life decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic – why? I interviewed Bruce Feiler, author of New York Times' bestseller Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age and Derek J. Koehler, a professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo. Read the story over at CBC Life.
CBC: Thinking About RVing? Here’s What You Need to Know to Hit the Road
My first story for CBC Life is about RVing in Canada.
Thrillist: Retro Motels Are Having Their Moment
With road trips making a serious comeback due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, retro motels are also roaring back. Read the story over at Thrillist
Joel Balsam 