Explain Québec's complex history of French–English relations, sovereignty and identity in less than 125 words? Challenge accepted! (To be fair, I split them up in a few sidebars.)I crisscrossed Quebec from Montreal to Lac-Saint-Jean and Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine to write the 80-page chapter in the Lonely Planet Canada guidebook – my largest, and most personal, guidebook to … Continue reading Lonely Planet: Canada (Quebec Chapter)
Podcast Interview: The Maverick Show
I rarely talk publicly about the nuts and bolts of my career, but I got that opportunity on The Maverick Show podcast with Matt Bowles. On the show, we go over some of my stories from Armenia, Kenya and Brazil, and discuss the ethics of journalism and travel writing. Listen to Part 1 and 2 (Episodes … Continue reading Podcast Interview: The Maverick Show
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.
BBC: A revival of Indigenous throat singing
Inuit throat singing was at risk of extinction after years of erasure by colonists and missionaries, but TikTok star Shina Novalinga is sharing the tradition for a new generation. Read the in-depth feature with beautiful photos by Stephanie Foden over at BBC Travel.
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.
Toronto Star: Quebec’s language watchdog targets store’s use of English on Facebook
I knew when Eva Cooper walked into the Low Down to Hull and Back weekly newspaper's office in Wakefield, Qc with a notice from the OQLF, it would be a big story. I definitely can't say I was surprised it went viral, but I'm not going to lie, it felt good to be the journalist who … Continue reading Toronto Star: Quebec’s language watchdog targets store’s use of English on Facebook
Joel Balsam 