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.
TIME: The Dream of an ‘Internet Country’ That Would Let You Work From Anywhere
What if anyone, not just people from countries with strong passports, could live the digital nomad lifestyle? Check out my feature about Plumia, a proposed global passport, on TIME.com here.
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.
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
Lonely Planet: Morocco 13
After six weeks on the ground, 100s of tagines and 1000s of olives, stray cats and za3za3, blood, sweat and a busted ligament, the first Lonely Planet guidebook I researched was finally released today. Buy it at LonelyPlanet.com
Beside: Sweet Survival For Quebec’s Sugar Shacks
The pandemic nearly killed Québec’s family-run sugar shacks, but the guardians of this centuries-old tradition wouldn’t let it die so easily. Read the story on Montreal's beautiful Beside Magazine, with photos by Stephanie Foden.
Travel+Leisure: ‘Roma’ Is More Than Just a Movie — It’s One of Mexico City’s Most Vibrant Neighborhoods
I spent the beginning of 2019 living in Mexico City's Roma and wrote a story & guide to the neighborhood for Travel + Leisure on the weekend before the movie was nominated for 10 Oscars. Gorgeous black and white photos by Stephanie Foden!
TIME: He Saved the Largest Venomous Snake in the Americas. Now, He Hopes It Could Save Human Lives.
Which would you rather save, a cuddly panda or a deadly viper? The snake is more valuable than you think. I’m proud to finally share this story I’ve been working on since early 2018 about a man saving the world’s largest pit viper. Photos by Stephanie Foden Story on TIME
Joel Balsam 