
Joel Ballard
Joel Ballard is a reporter with the CBC in Vancouver. You can reach him at joel.ballard@cbc.ca
Latest from Joel Ballard

Cycling advocates call for safer bicycle parking options in the bike theft capital of Canada
Cycling advocates say bicycle theft is a large barrier in the city that keeps many would-be riders from strapping on a helmet and hitting one of the city’s many bike lanes.
Canada -British Columbia |

Closing up shop: Vancouver's Chinatown battered by crime, COVID-19 and dirty streets
In its heyday, Vancouver’s Chinatown was a bustling community. But today the streets are mostly empty. There are almost as many wooden boards covering the windows of shops as there are neon 'open' signs.
Canada -British Columbia |

Vancouver still has the most bike thefts per capita among major Canadian cities, despite efforts
Laura Fortey thought she and her partner did everything they could to protect their bicycles.
Canada -British Columbia |

Community search for missing Port Moody woman on hold as police ask for dashcam video
Trina Hunt, 48, has been missing from her home in the Heritage Mountain area since Monday, according to the Port Moody Police Department.
Canada -British Columbia |

Ski group on the hook for $15,000 bill while operator declines refunds and deferrals
When Steve Spencer of Rossland, B.C., and his friends entered a lottery back in May to book a backcountry ski trip in the West Kootenay, provincial COVID-19 case counts were low and staycations near home encouraged. Now they can't get out of it.
Canada -British Columbia |

Her husband was in hospital for 5 weeks. They stayed connected by phone but racked up a huge bill
Graham Boyle, 77, was a patient at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster for five weeks in November and December.
Canada -British Columbia |

Front-line workers on disability assistance marginalized during pandemic, advocacy group says
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities says the pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of the government's income assistance program for persons with disabilities.
Canada -British Columbia |

Lack of legal cannabis in B.C.'s 'access deserts' is helping illicit market thrive, retailers say
Across a large swath of B.C.’s South Coast, there lies an area the cannabis industry has dubbed an access desert. It’s a group of municipalities that — two years after legalization — still doesn’t have retail cannabis outlets within its boundaries.
Canada -British Columbia |

B.C. musician and teacher who died of COVID-19 was devoted to community and 'never afraid to show love'
Anton Kolstee, 71, died of COVID-19 on Dec. 8. Kolstee was a musician, academic, teacher and mentor and was passionate about Indigenous communities in B.C., said his son, Jullian.
Canada -British Columbia |

B.C.'s COVID-19 income and disability assistance top-up will soon be cut in half
The opposition B.C. Liberals are decrying what they call a government “clawback” of a supplemental COVID-19 benefit for people on income and disability assistance.
Canada -British Columbia |