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Joel Balsam

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January 16, 2023 joelbalsam online, Portfolio, Print

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.

June 17, 2022 joelbalsam online, Portfolio, Print

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.

June 13, 2022 joelbalsam online, Portfolio

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.

November 6, 2020 joelbalsam online, Portfolio

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.

On February 20, 1943, a Purépecha farmer was working his cornfields when the ground beneath him began to shake. Then, sparks and ash spewed out the ground and the farmer ran for his life. Over 9 years, the youngest volcano in the Americas arose from the ground and completely consumed two towns in lava and ash. All that remains is a stone church in a bed of jet-black lava rock. Fortunately, all the villagers escaped.

Twitter

  • @vivekmjacob BONJOUR! 1 month ago
  • Could nickel dust in the air of a Quebec City neighborhood be making residents sick? Read my latest climate feature… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2 months ago
  • Louisiana's swamp-dwelling Rougarou has scared kids for decades, but now it needs our help. This story for… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 3 months ago
  • In July, I had the opportunity to go to the #MarquesasIslands and came back with a custom tattoo that means a lot t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 3 months ago
  • Shared my excitement about the #FelliniMuseum in #Rimini for @fodorstravel fodors.com/world/europe/i… 4 months ago
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Recent Posts

  • Toronto Life: The Homesteaders of Mount Forest
  • Globe: Is Nickel Making These Quebecois Sick?
  • TIME: The Dream of an ‘Internet Country’ That Would Let You Work From Anywhere
  • Globe & Mail: Saving Quebec’s Chorus Frogs
  • Gastro Obscura: What Happened to Montreal’s Legendary Melon?

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