Behind the scenes stories from a Canadian Journalist overseas
We went to Egypt to cover the UN’s big climate conference in Sharm El Sheikh. Some good stuff got done – loss and damage fund – but some unfinished business was left unfinished. The path to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees is practically non-existent as there were no new agreements on reductions. But while…
The Danish capital of Copenhagen has much to rave about, but the bicycle culture must really be seen to be believed. People go everywhere on two-wheels; they wear their work clothes; they ride in the rain, sleet and snow; and the entire downtown has tricked out with bicycle paths, bridges and special lanes to handle…
We were in southeast Poland last week covering the story of the errant Ukrainian missiles that sadly killed two Poles in a border village and we decided to try to pop across the border to Lviv. Usually trips to Ukraine involve meticulous planning and intensive safety preparations, none of which we had time to do….
No where in Ukraine is safe from Russian missiles and attacks but on our most recent trip we got closer than we ever had to the front lines. Most of the time we were in Kharkiv. With the G-7 leaders and NATO meeting during our visit, Russia ramped up its attacks. Many nights the windows…
Our team is returning to Ukraine, in my case, for the fourth time since February and the third since Russia’s invasion. Each trip has taken on different characteristics – pre-war, there was the unease and disbelief that the Russians would actually invade. When I returned in early March, the fear was the capital Kyiv might…
The war in Ukraine has dominated the headlines and our workflow for the last five months. Even when our CBC teams are not on the ground in the conflict area, we’ve been covering the Russia/Ukraine conflict on the periphery. A few weeks back, we travelled to Romania, Lithuania and Latvia to watch some NATO Special…
Britain looked its best as it celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. I’m surprised how much of being based in London means covering the Royal Family. I’ve done plenty of Royal visits in Canada, but the party on the Mall was impressive by any measure. There’s not a whole lot of journalism involved but its also…
For me, it’s as if the world is now divided into two eras: before Feb 25th when Russia invaded Ukraine, and everything that has happened since. I am repulsed in every possible way at what I’ve witnessed and been exposed to involving Russia’s war against Ukraine. I feel loathing for those who rule Russia and…
Back from a trip to the Baltics to file two David versus Goliath stories. Lithuania pokes China over Taiwan and takes a big hit on trade for it. And then, there’s the ongoing Russian build up of troops and equipment across the border in Belarus and in the enclave of Kaliningrad. Usually when we travel…
Canada has 500 soldiers stationed at a NATO based outside the capital Riga. This is the fourth time I’ve visited and each time the base feels larger, with more buildings people and equipment. The foreign minister Melanie Joly visited, along with the head of NATO. The Canadian soldiers are far from the trouble in Ukraine,…