Joel Balsam
The Train Company Responsible for the Lac Mégantic Catastrophe Still Hasn't Paid Up
As if the damage done to Lac Mégantic by a derailed train owned by the Montreal Maine & Altantic Railways, the company has refused to pay over $4 million to the town, and is planning to file for bankruptcy.
Who Cares About the Royal Baby?
We went to Quebec's finest British novelty store to figure out why anyone in Canada should give a shit about the monarchy.
Examining the Aftermath of Lac Mégantic
With the death toll at 50, and a class-action against Montreal, Maine & Atlantic building, Joel Balsam examines the aftermath of the Lac Mégantic tragedy.
Impressions from Lac Mégantic
Surveying the damage of the small Quebec town that was detonated by a runaway train carrying crude oil.
Canada Day in Ottawa Is a Sloppy Experience
Canada Day is the one day where Ottawa is not the country’s most boring city.
It's Been Three Years Since Toronto's G20 Protest
Thursday marks three years since the G20 was held in Toronto. The summit of world leaders was also the scene of the largest mass arrest in Canadian history, after over 1,000 people were sent to a detention centre.
This Guy Says FIFA and the IOC Are to Blame for the Brazilian Protests
David Zirin has extensively covered the problems with sports today and believes the one-two punch of the World Cup and the Olympics is largely to blame for things reaching a boiling point in Brazil.
This Is What Quebec Separatism Looks Like in 2013
Many Canadians treat separatism as a "when pigs fly" kinda scenario, but Quebec still has a ton of people who are looking to slice the province out of the proverbial Canadian pie. Our intern Joel caught up with some of the young separatists in Quebec...
The Murderer Who Escaped in Montreal Is Still Missing
Remember that prisoner who escaped while serving a life sentence for beating and killing a woman? Well, despite a national warrant for his arrest, 56 year-old Jean-Pierre Duclos is still on the loose and police don’t seem to be any closer to finding...
The Canadian Senate Is a Waste of Money
If you’ve read a Canadian newspaper in the last few weeks (and I know you haven’t), you might have seen that the Conservative Party of Canada is facing another scandal—this one being one of the biggest in the seven-year Harper regime. It all revolves...
Hey Montreal, Your City Has an Escaped Murderer In It
Have you seen this recently escaped murderer? His name is Jean-Pierre Duclous, and in 1991, he beat a woman, shot her through the heart, wrapped her body up in a sheet, and tied it in a knot. He also just escaped from police custody.
Celebrating the End of Capitalism on Lake Titicaca
I heeded the call of Bolivia’s first indigenous president, Evo Morales, and joined thousands of people from around the globe to celebrate the end of the Mayan calendar and the beginning of a new period in human history at 12,507 feet above sea level on...