Journalism
Work Samples
See below for a selection of my published work in various magazines and online publications.
Most Recent:
February 16th, 2021
"The first time Mark Farrant experienced a debilitating anxiety attack, he tried to push it aside. The 48-year-old had recently served as a jury foreperson for the murder trial of a Toronto woman — a service he explains as “the last mandatory civic duty left in our country” — and he couldn't understand why these fits of fear kept interrupting his life. Rather than fade, as other memories had, the horrific flashbacks of the trial grew in strength. Farrant startled easily and began avoiding social interactions, eventually isolating himself entirely. He soon fell into suicide ideation; life had become too painful. He believed his new son would be better off with no father than a tormented one."
January 29th, 2021
NUVO Magazine: The Importance of Indigenous-led Food Operations in B.C.
"Xazil Jocelyn Gabriel is only 20 years old, but she has worked in a kitchen for five years. Her culinary journey began when she was an Indigenous youth ambassador at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) in Whistler, British Columbia. Gabriel excelled during the program, but her passion had always been food, so when the SLCC began to host its annual Winter Feasts, she was a natural fit to work the braised bison carving station—a space that incorporated both her culinary and guest service skills ..."
August 31st, 2018
The underlying causes of an escalating crisis
As a society we want to pathologize addiction without understanding why it happens
July 18th, 2020
Better treatment for addiction?
Punishing users is ineffective. It’s time to look beyond jail and rehab centres
August 31st, 2020
The urgency of a safe supply during COVID-19
Activists are calling the rising number of deaths in B.C. a political rather than a health crisis
November 30th, 2020
The Canadian Government has invested in virtual mental health services, so why aren't we accessing them?
Interview: Centre College, Kentucky, USA
Dr. Rahim Mohamed and his political science students ask me about my addiction reporting in their course on the opioid crisis in the Appalachians.
January 27th, 2021
Interview: Unpacking The News podcast
André Goulet asks me about the root causes of addiction, drug policy, and today's media landscape.
October 17th, 2018
Interview: Track & Food podcast
Jamie Mah and Mickey Mcleod ask me about addiction in the food and beverage industry.
December 14th, 2018
Rosewood Conversations
Natural Wines Are Popping Up Everywhere
December 10th, 2019
Low-intervention producers are taking residence in Vancouver cafés.
The National Observer
November 27th, 2017
Why addiction isn't a pathology and how punishment is ineffective
Vancouver Observer
March 2nd, 2018
Deputy provincial health officer and VPD call for drug decriminalization
National Observer
June 17th, 2018
University of Victoria digital humanities lab expert on the privatization of knowledge
Ricochet
November 22nd, 2017
Angelina Jolie on preventing sexual violence in conflict zones
UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference, Vancouver
Ricochet
September 8th, 2016
Refugees as a shared international responsibility
UBC's Allard School of Law's Dean Catherine Dauvergne
Ricochet
January 26th, 2017
Author and professor Pietra Rivoli on trade agreements in a Trump Era
Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown University
Vancouver Observer
February 17th, 2017
New research from emerging field of Historical Ecology on benefits of human-nature interaction