Wednesday, 4 June 2014

George Canyon- Country Music, Warm Smiles, Warmer Blankets


Canadian Stories is an independently operated blog by 19 year old Cody Groat, in preparation for the upcoming Canadian Stories book (also by Cody), which details his adventure meeting some of Canada's coolest people- from Prime Minister Paul Martin, to astronaut Marc Garneau, television star Kenny Hotz (Kenny vs Spenny) and even Paulette Bourgeois, creator of Franklin the Turtle!
Like facebook.com/Canadian Stories and follow @CanadianStories for regular updates.

     I looked at my phone to check the time and rushed to my car, jamming the key in the ignition. The pride I had for myself for finally remembering an interview time, and knowing I wouldn't be late for my upcoming phone call from famed country/ western singer George Canyon, was fading away faster than it had initially came. George would be phoning in ten minutes, and I still had to get home.
     Oops.
     After red light followed by red light, I finally turned onto my street (maybe faster than I should have), and rushed into my driveway. After the cliche movie key fiasco, trying to find which one fit in my back door, I grabbed my iPod from my dresser in my bedroom and got it prepared to record the upcoming conversation and all the singer had to say. I mean, saying I was excited was an understatement. Saying this interview had been a long time coming was an understatement as well. It had all started at work one day, when I was checking Twitter on my phone...

Photo from roughstock.com

     I looked down and noticed something political, which always sparked my interest.
     “Oh cool, hey Diana”, I said to my boss, in preparation to tell her something that she probably wouldn't find all that interesting, “you know country singer George Canyon? He's going to try running in the 2015 Canadian Federal election!”
     “Oh”, was her reply.
      Well. I thought it was cool, Diana.
      I decided to send George an email, hoping that he could be my breakout interview in regards to Canadian musicians, as I had trouble gaining momentum in that regards. Athletes and musicians, take my word, they're hard to reach. Needless to say, I was surprised when I had received a reply from his personal assistant, Karen. At this point, she wouldn't confirm an interview, wanting to see some of my other work first, but I was glad I had a foot in the door.
     I sent Karen the links to my interviews with famed sex educator Sue Johanson, and with Thomas Cardinal Collins, the Archbishop of Toronto. Very different ends of the personality spectrum, but hey, both great people I had been able to meet along the way of my journey.
     A few days later, Karen approved an interview. I would get 15 minutes with George Canyon.
So began the scheduling, which always turns out to be much for difficult for both sides than some may think. There's George, with life as a musician and media figure, constantly being asked for some of his time (while also trying to have a personal life), and myself, still in school with a bombardment of other interviews to plan, and work on top. Our date was finally decided, when I received an email from Karen the night before.
     The power was completely out on George's ranch, and they had no idea when it would come back. Our interview was to be postponed.
     Okay, not the end of the world. We began re-planning, and in that time Karen forwarded me a statement that George had released, stating that for a few personal reasons, he would longer be attempting to run for public office in 2015.
     With a new date to talk on the horizon, and new questions to write, I blasted me some George Canyon  music and prepared for our chat.
     The day arrived, and deep breaths were taken. I had sped down the road and sped to my couch. The minute hand was ticking away, and any second now the phone would ring.
     Then, it did.
     As always, my heart was racing, as it does when I expect a phone call from someone for Canadian Stories. I pushed “record” on my iPod, and answered the phone with the speakers on, so I could listen back to our chat later. As soon as I answered, the voice on the other end spoke...
     “CONGRATULATIONS! You've won a cruise!”
     Admittedly, I then said some choice words very loud. I slammed the hang up button, proceeding to then end my recording. Stupid telemarketing robocalls getting my hopes up for nothing. When all of a sudden, about ten seconds later, the phone rang again. Twice I was put through the heart racing excitement, and this time I hoped that it was actually the call I anticipated.
     I answered the phone, and anxiously said “Hello? How are you?”, to none other than George Canyon himself.

Photo from music.cbc.ca

     “Hey! I'm doing great,” George said, “it's been a very busy morning but I'm glad I can finally talk to you, how have you been?”
     I was great, but I felt bad. It was 11:05 for me, so I knew it was 9:05 for him, pretty early for an interview I thought. When I brought it up though, he told me he had been up since six that morning. Well, I felt a bit better then.
     “It's already been like, a crazy morning and it's only nine!”
    After both agreeing that time wasn't on our hands, we decided to go from small talk to some questions. It sounded almost as if George was driving somewhere, and I was on speaker on his other end, just as he was on speaker for me. Looking down at some notes I had jotted, I knew which question stood out as all the all encompassing one, so I asked the famed singer “sitting at your dining room table at night, or in your living room, and looking back at the incredible career you've had, how would you describe it in a few shorts words?”
     For George, it only took one.
     “Blessed.”

     For him, no artists really stood out as his inspirations. Growing up, he was just like me, listening to a little bit of this and that. A few songs here and there by certain artists allowed him to look at life in an abundance of ways, from the works of Johnny Cash to Randy Travis, and Bon Jovi to White Lion. But, there was more. Just like every lyric could hold an insurmountable amount of meaning, so did the lives of every person he had the chance to meet growing up. Their stories, together with the stories from his favourite singers, began to shape his outlook on life.
     Just like an entrepreneur, he told me, he began trying to sell a product from a very young age. But for George, that was his voice.
     “You try and create the best music you can, and then just try to get your voice heard. Back in the day, that was grabbing your guitar and going to play anywhere, and everywhere. Sometimes you were playing for 50 bucks a night, sometimes your were playing for nothing. It's a very strange business that way. It's not like you go to school, get a degree, get a job and make a salary. In this business, you're really just giving it.”
     As he told me, getting heard proved to be one of the greatest early challenges.
     I sat on my couch, listening to his answers, and contemplating how hard that must have been. Establishment after establishment, some days being asked to perform, some days asking to play. Now, we have YouTube to post our videos on, which may spread like wildfire or go nowhere. Same battle, different weapons, I guess.
      “What kept you going when times got tough?”
      I asked, knowing that I myself sometimes find it hard with my writing. Wondering most days if I'm ever making progress. George had a clear answering, knowing perfectly well what helped him.
     “My faith,” he began, “I'm a very strong Christian with a very strong faith. It's lifted me up, held onto me, and continued to do that to today.”
      He wishes that his faith was around stronger back then though, so he could of leaned on it harder and seen all that could of become of his journey.

Photo from o.canada.com

     When he looks at it, it all comes back to the one word answer he gave explaining his career, 'blessed'.
     “I'd say that's my life in general. Yes I've had my ups and downs, and yes I've been a spoiled little brat in not getting my own way or not getting a certain record deal, getting frustrated sometimes too easily. Regardless, my life and career wrapped up in one word would be blessed.”
      That feeling doesn't just come from one moment though, but it's all-encompassing in his life. Standing on stage, looking down at all of his fans who have come out to support him, singing along to his songs, gives him a certain feeling he has never been able to truly explain.
     With a laugh, George told me “seeing them, hearing them, it's like a warm blanket wrapped around you on a cold winter night.”
     “It's the greatest feeling ever, and it never gets old. I'm always grateful.”
      What makes George even more grateful though, would be that (in his eyes), this warm blanket isn't just   extended to him. It's all of Canada wrapping it around each other, and around the world.
      “That's why I love living here, raising my family here, and having my career here. We're like the medics of the world, always there to put down what we're doing and helping those who may need it the most.”
      He told me of his home town of High River, Alberta, and the floods they faced only last year.
     “Everyone came out to help where ever they could, cleaning basements or smiling at their neighbors. Everyone helped out, however they could.”
      But that's the thing about George Canyon, he's one of those incredible people who takes his time to help those who may need it, too. He's never too busy to speak with an aspiring 19 year old writer, or to strum his guitar for a child who needs a smile.
     In my life outside of writing, I've been honoured to work as an autism support worker for two teenagers who are diagnosed as non-verbal, and recently I've been working towards advocacy for my young cousin, Aidan, and his life with cerebral palsy. When you have the chance to do some of the work I do, you realize that even those who may not be able to talk or move the same way you do can smile with their mouth or with their whole body and truly change your life forever.
      Or as George put it in one last story, they can give you a smile that puts your whole life into perspective.
      From the seat of his car, George told me of a time he traveled to a place down in Alabama started by one of his friends, which aids children and adults with cerebral palsy and autism. Youth and adults don't reside there, but have the chance to come and learn practical employment skills and find meaningful, fulfilling careers.
      “One of the most amazing things working with them came one day when I was playing for a small crowd there. There was this boy with severe cerebral palsy, who could only move his eyes, and slightly move his mouth. He laid his hands on my guitar while I began to play, and this young boy grinned the largest smile I had ever seen. Then he began making noises that I could tell were ecstatic". 
       He could hear and see the excitement coming from this boys' whole body, and for George, that put everything into perspective. His family, his country, his singing... it was for moments like this that made him realize it was all worthwhile. that everything was going to be okay.
     Hearing that story, and realizing how much I could relate, made me realize something too. Hearing stories like the ones George Canyon told me, from overcoming challenges to working for that smile, are the reasons I continue reaching out to people, too. At least, I think so.

     I looked down at my clock, and realized I had to let him go. We said our goodbyes, and I thanked him for letting me speak with him. He told me it was his pleasure, and continued on his way.

     Me? I sat there realizing that George was so much more than a musician. He's one of those people that's truly just good to the bone. A person that cares as much about how you're doing than how they are. It's hard to explain what I mean, but if I had to try, I'd say he's almost like a warm blanket on a cold winter night, if you know what I mean.

     I got off my couch, locked up my house, and got back on the road. 
     Knowing that three Provinces away, George Canyon was doing the same thing.

Photo from vancouversun.com

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Sheena Snively- MTV Live, from Happy Accidents

     I couldn't believe my eyes when I checked my email inbox on the evening of January 23rd, nearing the one year anniversary of the Canadian Stories blog. None other than Sheena Snively from MTV Live had emailed me! I opened it up, not knowing if I should be super excited for an interview confirmation, or super nervous, for a respectful declination. Instead, I had a list of questions from her. They were logistical issues she had wanted clarified before she could do either confirm or deny, which I should of expected from someone such as a television personality. As I would learn is quite frankly the story of Sheena's life, a collection of happy accidents lead to me being able to meeting the incredibly hilarious lady that is Ontario's own Sheena Snively. But it wouldn't be until after I met her that I would learn something else. Sheena wasn't just hilarious, she was also inspiring.
      In all honesty (which not even Sheena knows), she was one of the first people ever considered when Canadian Stories was kicking off as a potential venture of mine. I'm full of random, harebrained schemes for success. Luckily, my little brother Derek is always there to help me out whenever he can. In this case, brainstorming people we could try to convince for an interview with me, a random teenager from Ingersoll, Ontario. As he sat there listing off some names, he switched to MTV Live on television. We watched it for a bit, then it dawned on both of us.
     Let's emailed Nicole Holness to see if she would do an interview!
     Okay, maybe not where you thought that was going, but as I said, she was ONE of the first people in mind. While we found out possible ways to reach out to Nicole, we stumbled upon ways to contact all of the hosts. We figured since we in fact loved all of them, and found them all hilarious, we should try our luck at all of them. Well, none of them replied. Them' were the rough days, the days when I had an empty inbox more often than not.
     That's how my way path to Sheena began, but her path to Canada's hearts was much different. One, as I mentioned, filled with happy accidents. Those happy accidents all began with, surprisingly, her job working at Lick's Homeburgers, in the town of Hamilton, Ontario. More specifically, it all began with her milkshakes. Just give me a second to explain, it's not what you're thinking.

Sheena Snively striking a pose!

     While working in the Lick's drive-through, a customer by the name of Dash kept on coming through every couple of days. Every time he went to order, he would ask if that girl Sheena was working, and if she could make him a milkshake because she made them the best. Sheena, listening in, would blush a bit then go to the window and flirt with Dash before he had to drive off and she had to go back to work. Her milkshakes, quite literally, lead to her to the boy who would not only become her boyfriend, but in fact her husband. Happy accident number one.
     During that time, she didn't really have many aspirations as to what she had wanted to do with her life. Totally understandable, as it's a problem my friends and I go through every couple of weeks. As she would sit there and try to figure out where her life was heading, she internally checked off what her passions were. One stood out the most, radio! Sheena laughed when she told me about her love for radio as I was sipping an apple juice box she had so graciously provided as I sat in her living room, being overlooked by a life-sized statue of Jack Daniel (long story) and the zombie pictures on the wall. She told me she was the type of girl who would call in to all the radio contests and answer questions the broadcasters would ask the listeners. The answer seemed clear, apply for radio broadcast. She went down to Mohawk College and did just that, but was thrown off when she learned she in fact had to apply for at least three programs there. Dash, her (by then) boyfriend had suggested she apply to the television broadcast program as another option, as he thought she would be good at it. After mulling it over, she thought she would give it a try. Well, this would prove to be happy accident number two, as she in fact didn't get in to radio broadcasting. Television it was. As it were, she not only liked it, but LOVED it, it was something she "fully embraced" as soon as she entered, and started realizing that this really could be something she could get into, and aren't we all glad she did?

Sheena poses for my photographer, Victoria!
Photo provided by Victoria Alexander.

      As she was nearing the end of her education, she applied for (and thankfully received) an internship from the budding MTV Canada. Sheena wasn't just happy for having the chance to watch a television station grow from the ground up, but when you consider that the station in mind was MTV, well that changes things. She told me how her internship was like most, with her doing the work other more senior staff couldn't find time for. She would transcribe interviews, sort tapes, get the coffees and of course, manage the AOL and MSN accounts (Sheena and I both laughed at how old this sounded in 2014). In her words, “then they hired me because I guess they liked me, and so it is written”. Of course, we all know this isn't the role we know Sheena in. That came from, as you can guess, a happy accident. 
      One of the hosts, Daryn Jones, was part of a skit which had something to do with a zombie game show, which was to conclude with the firing of a confetti gun into the scene. Sheena, at the time a PA, was responsible for various minor roles, including this one. She was about to fire the confetti gun from off to the side when she, of course, fell and wiped out to the visibility of all watching the live show. Embarrassed, she ran off. Can you guess where I'm going? This would prove to be happy accident number three. Number four was that the next day happened to be Halloween, number five was that host Daryn Jones happened to be dressed and nothing else but a giant... well, male body part, and number six was that he felt the need to replay the clip of Sheena wiping out over, and over, and over again during the live show for all those who may had missed it the day before. All of a sudden, the cameras turned to her for a reaction, and a microphone was shoved into her hand. Not knowing what to do, she did what her small town upbringing had taught her, say exactly what was on her mind. In this case, something along the lines of "you know what Daryn Jones, you don't need to put that costume on to be a dick." That sentence was happy accident number, what, seven? But, it was seven that would hold the most weight, as everyone watching (from fans to producers) loved what they saw, and granted Sheena more and more screen time. 
       From then on, things were wild. She would get in to the studio in the morning, and inform her producers about current affairs that she could work into something for the show. Then she would be off to makeup for an hour, hair for an hour, and out onto the streets with her cameramen and camerawomen in the hopes of getting something workable to send off to their producers to edit and have ready for that night. Quite frankly, I couldn't imagine it.
                                                      Sheena looking dangerous, as always.
                                        Photo retrieved from http://fora.mtv.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/SheenaMafia.jpg

     Paul "The Intern" Lemieux and Nicole Holness were doing their skits, while Sheena was out on the street doing hers. She told me how they all came together as a puzzle, and when they finally all meshed it created something amazing. Although it was fun, it wasn't always laughs. Well, okay, maybe it was. Sheena, the self-called Queen of going off topic laughed as she began a story about one skit she worked on entitled "Pregnant in the Street". The whole premise was to wear a baby belly, and accuse random people on the street of being the father to get their reactions. Can you see where this one is going? Well, one man, for some strange reason, wasn't too happy. In fact, he started getting rather angry at her for the accusation, then switching back to thinking she was serious.
      Things like this got her the label of a raw personality, doing what she wanted. Of course, people would complain to her about this and inform her via social media all she was doing wrong with her life. But as she told me, “Like they'll do with you, Cody. They'll attack because you're out there, trying to make a name for yourself and for your blog [or her skits, etc.]. People are going to be rude, mean and critical. Value their opinion, but don't react back. Make it fuel to your fire to help you're drive. If it's constructive criticism, use it!" In a clear sign of how the world is going today, only one person has ever complained to her face. Seemingly, it's so much easier to attack behind a screen, nameless.
      What threw her off the most was people quite frankly noticing her. It was exciting, it was new, and it was surprising. She had never really seen herself as someone worth getting an autograph from or a photo on the street with. One story in particular from her own life put this experience into perspective. When she was 20, she met none other than former MuchMusic VJ Bill Welychka in a mall. For a small town girl like her, meeting him was something that changed her life. She got a photo with him, and kept it her whole life (yup, she still has it). She really doesn't want to deny people the same chance with her, if that's how they may view her. Except when she's eating, then she's off limits. I hear ya' sister.

Sheena and pose for photos in her house!
Photo provided by Victoria Alexander

     Sheena keeps in touch regularly with everyone else from her time at MTV Live, and knows she always will. They are, after all, their own family now. She's proud of all they've accomplished as individuals, and all they have accomplished together as a group. 
     When we sat there in her living room, I asked her if she misses her regular time commitment to the show. She told me more than I could imagine, but some time she's taking off now, she thinks, will prove to be just as thrilling. She's taking some time off to spend with that boy who would go to Lick's, go down the drive-through, and ask if that Sheena girl was around.

     Luckily for him, and for us all, she was.

     For more,

     Facebook: www.facebook.com/CanadianStories
     Twitter: @CanadianStories
     Twitter: @SheenaSnively

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Conversations with Senator Nancy Ruth


     It's not often I have the chance to travel to the home of a current Canadian Senator. In fact, I've only ever done it once. Needless to say, as a political junkie, it was a pretty incredible experience. Although the Honourable Nancy Ruth wasn't the first senator I had had the chance to meet, she was the first to allow me into her home to sit, and have the chance to discuss her life so far. For that, I think I'll be forever grateful. The conversation we had was powerful, and was a great start for my planned month of interviews dedicated to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning awareness.
     Only a week before meeting Senator Ruth, I had the chance to have coffee with former Canadian Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, who was none other than Canada's Prime Minister at the time when same-sex marriage was legalized. The topic of same-sex marriage was central to my conversation with him, too. I'll never forget a story he told me about the daughter of a close friend of his, who remained unnamed. This friends' daughter, for large aspects of her teenage life, grappled with depression and issues of self-identity. It was hard for the family, as Paul noticed, who had no idea what they could do to help. Eventually, the daughter informed her family that she was in fact gay, and the societal angst that this caused her had led to issues related to depression. Paul told me, with a sigh, just how much that story impacted his life. He asked himself "how could a government deny a young person happiness in life?"
     How could they. To me, that wasn't the question that should of been asked. To me, the question we needed to be asking was why, in the 21st century, in Canada, should children or teenagers or even adults feel the fear of being who they are, who they know themselves to be, and being with who they love? That's why I wanted to speak with Senator Nancy Ruth, and a variety of other incredible Canadians this month, a dedicated month. Senator Nancy Ruth has the distinction of being the first ever openly lesbian Canadian Senator. She's an advocate for women's rights, and the human right to love whomever you want. Here, is her story.

Senator Nancy Ruth, in the Senate Chamber.
Photo retrieved from http://gendertrender.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/263e7f8246c89c2d8ea8b872c919.jpeg


     Sitting down opposite Senator Ruth, she told me definitively that her sexual orientation has never effected her career. She continued by saying that if homophobia weren't still present in Canada, the distinction of being the 'first openly lesbian Senator' wouldn't be a thing. It just wouldn't matter. To me, that sort of seemed like an obvious remark, but one that I had admittedly never considered before. With that being said, Senator Ruth wanted to let me know right off that this her sexuality also wasn't a driving force in her political career. What came first was gender equality, and for her, the fight of gender quality dates back far in her life.
     Although not often, a Prime Minister will occasionally name citizens as Senators who aren't from their party, as with Senator Ruth being named by Prime Minister Paul Martin in 2005. Senator Ruth told me "it's all a game", the Senate is always weighted heavily for whatever party is in power at the time. To her, the timing of her appointment was more so from pressure on a minority government to add Conservative representation. Regardless, to her, it was an exciting moment. Her brother is The Honourable Hal Jackman, who served as the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1991-1997, her late father was Harry Jackman, who served as the Member of Parliament for Rosedale from 1940- 1949, and her maternal grandfather was also a Canadian politician, Newton Rowell, serving as the Member of Parliament for Durham from 1917- 1920, and as a member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament before that. With all that in mind, I can see why she may have been excited, as her family had a history of being in positions to make change happen.
      It was for that very reason she was most excited, being able to make things happen. Senator Ruth explained some of her background to me, and I found it fascinating. We spoke for a bit about some work she did in Bali, Indonesia, in the immediate aftermath of the 1963 eruption of the volcano that makes up Mount Agung, and work she's done in numerous other nations of the world. But to her, it all came back to Canada, and her fight for the equality of women. What really drove her was rage. Leaning back on her couch, she me straight in the eyes and told me "I was angry at the stupidity of all the laws I saw and the fact that women weren't getting a fair deal. Not in wages, not in violence against women and they still don't in wages and violence against women and access to jobs. A lot of that's changed, but not enough.” She paused, and told me to think of the list she just gave, her main reasons. They didn't have anything to do with sexual orientation, a sign of the greater battle she felt needed to be fought first.

Senator Nancy Ruth
Photo by Victoria Alexander

     Now that she was a politician on Parliament Hill, she further defined her objectives. She ruled it down to "two fundamental things" that the Canadian government needed to do. First was dealing with violence against women, which is an issue for both the provincial and federal governments, with the second being "gender-based analysis of all government policies." I admittedly didn't quite know what this meant, but was informed that it related to clearly looking at everything the government is producing and enforcing and seeing if it happens to in fact be based on gender-equality or not. With that, to her, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Cabinet, Members of the Privy Council, Members of Parliament and Senators all need to be trained in this mindset so the future doesn't stay halted in the inequalities we still face today.
     In both of these regards, progress has been made, but then ceased. Senator Ruth informed me how Prime Minister Harper's previous Throne Speech touched upon the issues of violence against women, yet no definitive progress has been put in place. Her other objective had been delayed for a much different reason. The former Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser, had began gender-based analysis's, and had finished five when the work was postponed, and with audits on every Canadian Senator in the works as a result of the Senate scandal, Senator Ruth feels it will be a while before they're continued. 
     A question I hadn't intended asking at first, I had the urge to ask if she (as a female politician) felt discrimination in our Canadian Parliament. To that, she laughed. She then implied it was obvious, quoting Senate Committees as an example. She pointed to how few of these were chaired by women, and even how many were vice-chaired by women, with the answer being resoundingly few. She continued how seeing as the chair of the Senate Committees were responsible for stating what's to be researched. When these are male dominated, issues regarding the rights of women are clouded or put aside. It was saddened me to hear this about our political system, so I asked what she thought it would take to change this. Her reply was definitive, "an outrage of women." In her eyes, unless women stop feeling it's not worth feeling angry about, nothing would change.

Llewyn, Senator Ruth's dog, wanted a photo too.
Photo by Victoria Alexander

     "What would you say the everyday citizen could do help with your goals, Senator Ruth?"
     "Actually doing something," she began, "Just make it happen. Do it." To that, she continued, "social activism doesn't happen through social media."
     I couldn't agree more to this, people of my generation think the problems of today can be solved behind a keyboard. I know they may help a cause, but they're not the problem solvers. It takes people outdoors, making change in person. Whether that's in regards to women's rights, the rights of same-sex couples, or whatever it may be.

    Looking back at her career in politics, The Honourable Senator Nancy Ruth told me with a sigh, "Eight years down the line, I'm a little more cynical and actually think it's a probably fairly destructive place in terms of my own soul, and wellness.” She continued by saying Parliament isn't a healthy place for people. “It's unfriendly, it's malicious”. But, as she said, she would not have access to the Cabinet unless she was there, so that's why she stayed. It's all about power. Power to get things done you want done. 
     I fully understand where she's coming from. Politics are a rough field, with hundreds of individuals holding their own agendas, representing their tens of thousands of their constituents and, in totally representing the 34 million people who call Canada their home.
     "It's easy to be a purist sitting on the outside, but when you have the weight of responsibility..." said Senator Ruth with a pause, "things get harder".


Senator Ruth and I pose for a final photo!
Photo by Victoria Alexander

Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Stories with Stuart McLean

     Everything with Stuart McLean involves an adventure. He's the type of individual that I strive to be, a storyteller. A wizard of spoken or written word, a man that can make you learn about yourself by reading his tales of others. Back in 2010, I remember walking through a Shopper's Drug Mart before work and having a book cover catch my eye. It depicted a crow writing in an book with his beak, with an open ink bottle to the side. I figured I may as well buy it and check it out for my shift, but didn't expect that four years later, the author would be the first name featured on the second year of my own literary journey, an adventure of (almost faithfully), learning and sharing the stories of those around me in Canada. But as I said, everything with Stuart McLean involves an adventure, a tale. Including the story of how our phone call with each other came to be.
     I was sitting in the loft like upstairs of my co-workers house, with some music blaring (it may have been Harry Connick Jr, but I could be wrong) and good food was being digested. Christmas was fast on its way, and the staff of the newspaper The Sputnik from Wilfird Laurier's Brantford campus was taking a well-deserved break with the last issue of the term off to the presses. We were all getting ready for the exciting "non-denominational gift exchange", as we all jokingly referred to it since some of us didn't participate in Christmas, and felt Secret Santa needed a new title for the day. Some really cool gifts were exchanged, and I was getting very excited to see what I would get. When I eagerly ripped off the wrapping paper during my turn, I tried to best to hide my initial concern. It was just a red notebook, and a pen. Now, feel free to judge me, but with all the cool gifts going around, I was hoping for something a little cooler than a notebook, not that there's anything wrong with them. Then as I was smiling and thanking whomever my gift-giver was, someone suggested I open it. Upon doing so, I found a note on the first page, it read;

     "In my first year of journalism, I did a radio project about the magic of storytelling over the airwaves. It was this very project that gave me my first 'celebrity' interview- an interview that I still very proud of today. It was Stuart McLean, from CBC radio's 'The Vinyl Cafe'. [...] To me, Stuart is one of the most influential voices of Canada. I pulled some strings, and Stuart is excited to be a part of Canadian Stories. Tell [them] it's a Christmas present from me- [they'll] understand."

     Knowing how much this meant to my boss Layla, who gave me the gift, sincerely touched me. She was willing to share one of her proudest moments with me, so I felt the pressure to make it all is was worth. With that, at noon on a Monday, I picked up my phone, and called the home of CBC's Stuart McLean.

A smiling Stuart McLean 
Photo retrieved from http://www.cleveland.com/tv/index.ssf/2008/10/canadian_vinyl_cafe_show_sched.html

     As I've said twice now, everything with Stuart is a story, including how his family first came to Canada. As Stuart told me, he's "a true Canadian, born of the snow". Unlike many tales I've heard of new beginnings, snow was the drawing factor for Stuart's Australian parents to settle in Quebec, with a pit stop in England. I heard a story of life after war, with Stuart's father trying to find employment. He began at a English firm with a branch out of Australia, before moving to the main office a continent away. While there, he befriended the owner of the company and began to form an almost father/ son like relationship, which I've learned weren't uncommon with the fractured families resulting from the Second World War. Stuart's father found great success during his time in England, and was offered the chance to form a new branch in one of three possible countries; New York City, New York, Montreal, Canada, or Johannesburg, South Africa. The choice seemed obvious, the aspiring business man and his young wife would move to Canada, for new beginnings, a new family, and skiing. Resulting in one of the most iconic Canadian literary figures. 
    An iconic figure who, as it were, didn't enjoy academics very much. As a child, Stuart would go to his room after supper as he was told to do to 'do his homework'. With his textbooks sprawled on his desk, a drawer was casually left open. You wouldn't find the expected comic books or Hardy Boys series his fellow students were enraptured by, but the tales of young journalist Ken Holt who would go around the world with his friend Sandy Allen solving mysteries. Whenever his mom would enter to check on her son, he would causally lean his hip on the drawer, closing it and hiding the book, while at the same time making it look like he was leaning over his work, heavily involved. With a slight chuckle, Stuart hinted that the tales of Ken may have been what drove his journalistic pursuits. With a sigh, I wished I was as smart as that as I kid so I could get away with things.
     It wasn't books that were his love though, it was radio. In his most definitive answer of our interview, Stuart proudly told me how from day one he was "in love with radio." He would sit down and listen to the "Dave Boxer Show", catching some of the new pop songs of the month, and when it got dark outside, he would try to pick up stations from Boston, New York, such as WKBK when "the radio waves were bouncing around the atmosphere" in the hopes of hearing that good old American rock n' roll.

Stuart with a collection of books.
Photo retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2013/12/06/stuart_mclean_the_man_of_a_thousand_stories.html

     In a powerful foreshadow, the tales of journalistic detective Ken Holt and the global radio waves soon meshed together in the late 1970s, when Stuart was in his late twenties. Landing a job with CBC's Radio One, Stuart soon became a well known name from his time on the very successful program "Sunday Morning". Referring to himself and his co-workers as "foreign correspondents of days gone by", he shared tales with me of young writers who would be standing in the Toronto airport ready to travel the world, with "a handful of money in our hands and a briefcase of research", prepared to interview "everything that moved" to provide a Sunday show sharing with the listeners all that's happened around the world that week. It was here that he learned the technical side of writing, but it was in his next radio journey that he found something much more important, his voice. 
     Starting in the mid-1980s, Stuart began working on the popular program "Morningside" with famed Canadian radio host Peter Gzowski. Gzowski, who has been estimated to have conducted over 25000 interviews really got to know people, understand who they were, a skill Stuart found too. It was during his time at Morningside that McLean would meet another individual that would change the course of his life, a man by the name of David. Together with David, they would soon conceptualize one of the most well-known Canadian literary characters. They would create an average guy named Dave, who owned a independent record store called "The Vinyl Cafe". Little did Stuart know, he had just conceptualized a character that would be loved by millions.
     The Vinyl Cafe started off as a replacement show for the summer, a program that could be added in during the time slots of radio hosts who were on vacation. The driving agenda for Stuart was to provide the best show he could for the next week, and somehow top what he had done on the previous show. Tales of observation, self-discovery, familial bonds and simplicity in the complex were heard by those sitting by their radios or driving around to wherever they may be heading. With no idea as to what people thought of his program, he continued when he could, and even tried a live show after his third season. Ambition driven, they made both the radio program a success, and the live shows too. The result? A spot on the network with a weekly show. Not to mention several international tours, several best-sellers and over a million books sold. As Stuart told me, "It was a bit of an unplanned journey. We never sat down and said 'Okay, here's what we're going to do, we're going to conquer the world'". I guess some of the best ideas are the spontaneous ones.

Stuart relaxing over a meal.
Photo retrieved from http://walrusmagazine.com/articles/2010.12-books-mister-nice-guy/

     In 2011, with years of the Vinyl Cafe under his belt, Stuart was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. The official citation for his award stated the following;

     "Author, journalist and humorist, Stuart McLean has been informing and entertaining Canadians for more than 30 years. Host of the popular radio series "The Vinyl Cafe," he engages his audience with timeless stories that resonate both at home and abroad, showcasing small communities and the talents of local musicians. He is a warmly regarded mentor to aspiring journalists and a generous supporter of community and charitable causes, particularly those aiding abused and underprivileged women and children."

     For someone who spent so many years stressing the beautiful aspects of our country, and really trying to explain what made 'us', 'us', and why that was so special, I asked what this distinction meant to him. With a proud sigh, he told me it was a confirmation. A confirmation that at least somebody thought he was on the right track in his ideas, at least one person believed that the path he was taking in life was a successful one. As he said, a confirmation that at least someone thought his compass was "pointing true North". With that compass pointing him North, he has no idea what he'll run into the future along the way. He doesn't want to plan for the future, whatever happens, happens. He's still being driven by those early ambitions- providing the best show he can, and making it better than the week before. With pride, he told me The Vinyl Cafe will probably be referred to his life's work. It means a lot to him, and affects his life in and out.
     With that, I said goodbye to Stuart, and thanked him for our time together. I could see what Layla meant, and was glad she could help me out. Stuart told me "we Canadians need each other", but sort of left it at that, leaving me to wonder what he meant. There were a million possibilities, but I feel even the simple gesture of Layla giving me this conversation as a gift, and Stuart agreeing to it, is a sign of how when we do need each other, we're there for each other.
      Turning around, I grabbed that book I bought so many years ago, and realized I had left a page marked with a folded (clean) tissue. Odd, as I never leave books marked in anyway, and after years of journeys and years of moves, it managed to remain marked. It was a story called "Maynard Helmer", about a man named the same. Maynard was referred to in the story as "a fixture in the village", a person that everyone couldn't help but knowing.
     I feel it's safe to say that Stuart McLean is the same for Canada.

Stuart McLean
Image retrieved from http://www.banffcentre.ca/event/6266/stuart-mclean-a-vinyl-cafe-christmas?d=2013-12-07+19:30

Friday, 7 February 2014

BOOK PREVIEW- Late Night Chats with Hayley Wickenheiser

      It was around 11:30 at night. My dad was asleep. as was my older brothers' cat, Justin, who perched on top of the couch I was laying in. As a way to kill time, I put on the movie “Little Miss Sunshine”, probably one of the best movies of all time. I guess I'm a sucker for feel-good films, even if they feature heroin addicted grandpas, as this one did. While watching the movie, and watching the second hand slowly tick by, I knew that Hayley Wickenheiser was three provinces away playing the sport she'd become famous for. Hockey.
Any second now she would be finishing that game and calling me shortly afterwards for a rather brief interview. Let's be honest though, I didn't care how long the interview was, it was with Hayley Wickenhesier! Widely regarded as the best female hockey player in the world! The thing that caught my eye though was her Olympic record. If I'm a sucker for Little Miss Sunshine, I'm an even bigger one for the Olympics, especially the winter games. An obsession that started back in grade six when my then-teacher, Mrs Gale Pollock, allowed us to watch some of the events of the Turin, Italy games while sitting on the library carpet back in my old public school, Harris Heights (now renamed). Thanks a lot Pollock, you set me on the track of my only athletic obsession, but I'm forever grateful!
In 2002, Hayley won the gold medal for women's hockey with the Canadian national team. Already, I would of loved the chance to have a chat with her... I mean, Olympic gold! But she didn't stop there, those 2006 games that sparked my passion brought Hayley another gold. Myself on one side of the world learning the wonder of the games, and her bringing in her second gold from them.
Every Canadian, as remembers the 2010 Olympic men's team winning a dramatic gold medal game, and I think Sidney Crosby's name will be remembered in Canadian Olympic lore because of it. But three days before that amazing gold medal moment, Hayley and our women's national team landed their third consecutive gold. Three gold medals, (not to mention a silver from the 1998 games), and she would be calling me in three minutes. I couldn't wait!
“I GOT IN! LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, I GOT IN, I GOT IN, I GOT IN.” Shit. That was being screamed from the movie at the top of young actress Abigail Breslin's lungs, as high pitched as possible, while my dad was yelling at me to turn it down and I was just trying to turn the whole darn thing off because while all of that was happening, the phone was ringing with whom I assumed to be Hayley on the other side. Quite, tranquil, moment down the drain, and stressful situation rising. I angerly jabbed my finger into the television remote to shut it down, took a deep breath to calm myself, and thanked the Olympic champion for calling me, acting as if nothing had happened. I was on the phone with Hayley Wickenheiser! I was in the big leagues now!

Image Retrieved from: http://olympic.ca/team-canada/hayley-wickenheiser/

Wednesday, 22 January 2014

Kim Cloutier- Canadian Model

    My upstairs neighbour Jenna and I were watching the Victoria Secret Fashion Show (my first time ever) and she voiced the idea that I should consider interviewing a model. It hadn't really crossed my mind before, but as soon as she suggested it, it was something that I felt could have some serious potential. With that in mind, Jenna and I started looking at a list we found of well-known Canadian models. To be honest, we looked for a mix of a good story and, well, honestly, who we thought was one of the best-looking Canadian models currently in the business. Hey, it's best to be honest, right? We decided who I was going to try and reach out to, a 26-year-old from Quebec named Kim Cloutier. I really had no idea how to reach out to her, but I did notice that she had Twitter. Well, it's a modern world we live in, so I just decide to send her a tweet asking if she'd consider an interview. Imagine my surprise when I hopped on Twitter the next day and realized she had followed me, and sent me a private message curious for more information. After we messaged back and forth on Twitter a few times, Kim decided she'd love to do an interview. With excitement, I planned a time and date to Skype.
     Leading up to my interview with Kim, I realized I knew very little of the modelling world- from how you get into the career, to how you come around to getting contracts, and what the work week was like. It all seemed like really basic knowledge, but I didn't have a single clue and was really curious. Unfortunately, school and work got the best of me, and by the time I was to speak with Kim, I had no questions prepared. With that in mind, I winged it. Totally winged it. Luckily, it turned out great. It was an hilarious, wide-ranging discussion, touching on The Notebook, musician Adam Lambert, and even some of the psychological troubles of being a model. There was tons of laughter from both of us, and it turned out to be one of the funnest interviews I've ever conducted. In short, the story of Kim Cloutier is incredible.

Kim's first "big" photo shoot- Abercrombie and Fitch, 2008
Retrieved from http://abercrombieandfitchmodels.blogspot.ca/2008/06/kim-cloutier-next.html

     At about the age of seventeen, Kim's father (well-known photographer Michel Cloutier) voiced the idea that maybe "she would interested in modelling" herself, to which she replied with a definite no. Photos may have been her father's thing, but it wasn't something that really interested her. Her life as a teenager continued as normal, and (as I've learned some teenage girls tend to do), Kim and her girlfriends would occasionally flick through magazines. After a while of seeing photo shoots that seemed fun, she decided to ask her father after all if he could get in touch with the people he knew in the modelling world, and see where it went from there. To both of their surprise, her career exploded. Her first shoot was pretty big in itself, Elle Quebec (a magazine, branching from Elle Canada). I didn't know much about Elle Quebec, but when I asked what she felt to be her first "big contract" was, it was a name I recognized immediately- American clothing retailer Abercrombie and Fitch. It was a big set with 25 models in total, and a really welcoming photo crew. Having the chance to shoot with Abercromie as a teenager was a fun experience, and when explaining modelling to others her age, it was really a company that stood out. She finished high school, and turned 18. In was then that she moved it, and started travelling for her career.
     I couldn't imagine what she was going through. She told me it was difficult at first, she was "really suddenly, and really early" dropped into an adult life. From having her mother there to "cook and do my laundry", Kim transitioned to being based in Montreal and France for the sake of her career. That back and forth lasted for about three years, and then she finally moved to New York state. During the span of those three years, she had the chance to do one of her most memorable shoots, and I made sure to ask about it. I asked all about the time she had the chance to do a "rather racy" photo shoot with Grammy-nominated pop-musician icon Adam Lambert, only a few months after he was named runner-up in American Idol season 8.

Kim Cloutier and Adam Lambert (one of the "non-racy" shots)
Retrieved from http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f52/kim-cloutier-41778-35.html

     Although she seemed sort of shy when using the wording that she had heard back then, I asked how she ended up getting that contract. It was like any other contract, Adam had voiced that he wanted to do a shoot with a "sexy woman", and Kim's agency was approached. They decided that she would be the best for the job, fit their criteria, and she was pleased to take it. She was nervous at first, but that eventually changed. It wasn't due to Adam as a person, since he was "super nice" as Kim informed me, it's just that some of the shots in mind were a bit outside of what she was used. Never the less, it was a blast.
      Kim then seemed to predict one of the things I was going to ask about right after, by saying she could never forget the time she had the chance to be in the famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. This was back in 2009, a year before the Adam shoot, and had to be one of the funnest photo shoots her career has yet to ever hold, Kim informed me. This was due in part from how well known the publication was, and in part from how different of an experience it ended up being. She told me how she was flown down to Mexico and was working with an extremely incredible team of photographers. This was paired with a red carpet release, and I'm sure the feeling of a real appreciation for her (occasionally) underrated art form. In that 2009 issue (with Bar Refaeli on the cover), Kim was named "Rookie of the Year", a title she still proudly lists on her Twitter biography. 

Kim Cloutier posing in a photo shoot.
Photo from http://www.listal.com/viewimage/1474439h

     Sitting on a stool, while Skyping Kim from my kitchen of all places while making some coffee, with my roommate beside me doing some homework, I decided to take a more serious direction to the interview and touch on what I have heard to be some of the biggest struggles of modelling as a profession- the competitive atmosphere, and what I assumed to be the inevitable toll it took on your mental well-being. I was glad when Kim was not only willing to answer, but willing to answer with complete honesty. First, I began with competition, wanting to touch on other models from Canada. Kim voiced some of the other big names on the scene today from our home and native land, such as Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam, Heather Marks and Linda Evangelista among others. When asked, she said she didn't feel in competition with them at all. In fact, it was the opposite. She was always proud to see others from Canada excelling in the industry, especially those from her home province of Quebec. Being Canadian is also a big asset globally, as she recalled several memories of people getting excited whenever she mentioned her home nation, or informing her "how cool Canada is".
     Then, the psychological. Kim told me it's ever present, even if her, especially in her early day. At age 17, she would have people commenting on your visual appearance (negatively as much as positively), which got to her. There was pressure "to always be thinner, be more toned, change your hair", she was literally in an industry that paid based on appearance. She realized at a young age that you needed to be grounded, and a strong person mentally to not let it get you to a place you shouldn't be. Luckily, she had those traits. It got to her, but never made her stay up at night worrying. It was taken in stride, and the next day was always a new one.
      There was one last stereotype, that I had knew to be around from a life of television and film viewing, that I decided to not question Kim about. I didn't need to, as she busted it without even mentioning it. I hate to even write it, but there is the common stereotype that models are generally not that intelligent. I was never one to believe this, and Kim solidified that for me. Even through our short Skype conversation we had the chance to have some incredible conversation, on topics ranging from authors Marie Laberge to Paulo Coelho and his famous book, The Alchemist. I sincerely hope that stereotype is bashed soon, because like most stereotypes, it's based on nothing. We also did have the chance to touch on her favourite movie, The Notebook. Although it's a great movie, I still had to poke some fun at her choice. She knew it was coming though, she began laughing before she even got her answer out and started with "oh, this is going to be very cheesy, but..."
      She knows that the career she's in is generally a short one, and really depends on being "in the right place at the right time" or "the look of the month." As of now, she's travelling for work about once a week, and is enjoying every moment while she can. For model Kim Cloutier, the dream would be a chance to do a shoot for a cosmetics line, or a perfume, as she feels that would something really fun that she's never yet had the chance to do. Of course, the best case would be getting a contract with Victoria Secret. I laughed, thinking at how full circle that would be from how the idea to speak with her came to mind.
       Maybe I'll just have to watch next year to keep an eye out.

Kim Cloutier strikes a pose.
Photo from http://www.viewmanagement.com/models/969-kim-cloutier

Thursday, 9 January 2014

"Feeling Music" with Craig Cardiff


     It was getting close to midnight if I recall, and I was sitting in a rather comfy armchair at the Brown Dog coffee shop, located on my university campus. On the couch beside me sat Juno nominated recording artist Craig Cardiff, listening to a group of fans discuss with him the show he just put on, and simply how their days had been going. Just as I had experienced a few weeks before with Rob Dyer, Craig seemed to be someone who genuinely loved hearing people's stories, and more importantly, someone who loved to share the gift of music with all who would listen. I don't mean just sharing his amazing voice, but also discussing how music can actually make you feel something, something about yourself, others, or life in general.
     As the crowd dispersed, Craig turned around and with a smile, and introduced himself formally. We had met for a couple minutes before his show began, but more so just exchanging pleasantries. After some small talk and explanation of the Canadian Stories initiative, I pulled out my cue cards holding the discussion points I hoped to reach during our short time together. But, before I could get a question out, Craig had some comments and questions of his own for me. First, he informed me that him and I "listen to music the same way". That led me to look at him with what must have been a confused face, because I really had no idea what he meant. So, he explained.
     "You had your hands grasped together, and you were looking down." He told me that he knew I wasn't being rude and not paying attention, but that I was, as he worded it, "listening with my whole body." What I think he meant by that was that it wasn't simply in one ear, through the brain and out the other, but that I was listening to the words and the sounds with it, and trying to figure out what he meant by it all. It's not something I think I intentionally do, but something I've for sure noticed since meeting Craig.

Craig Cardiff!
Photo provided by Lindsay Chung

     Like me, Craig Cardiff came from small town Ontario. But unlike me, his singing voice set him on the course of an amazing journey. All my singing voice (and more importantly, my rapping) gets me is disgusted looks and pleas to stop. Since Craig had a long drive home ahead of him, we didn't have much time to touch on his early days, but there were some career highlights I wanted to touch on. One of them being a rather large and unique experience, singing with the former Governor General of Canada, The Right Honourable Michaelle Jean. For those who may not know, the Governor General (David Lloyd Johnston being the current one) acts as the Queen's official representative in Canada for ceremonial and Constitutional duties as she acts as the Sovereign for fifteen current nations. I had the chance to travel to Rideau Hall (the official residence of the Governor General) once in grade ten as part of a field trip, and Michaelle Jean (who was Governor General at the time of the trip) had always been someone I found extremely interesting, so I really wanted to know how this experience came around.
     It was 2012, and Craig found himself nominated for his first ever Juno award! The nomination was for "Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Solo", and he found himself up against David Francey, Dave Gunning, Lindi Ortega and Bruce Cockburn (who eventually won). The experience with Jean was dubbed by Craig as a "happy accident stemming from the nomination". As a collaboration between the National Capital Commission and the University of Ottawa to raise awareness of the Juno's being held in Ottawa, the two organizations offered him the chance as a nominee to preform with the well-known stateswoman, which he gladly accepted. The nomination alone to him meant a lot, this only adding to it. It was nice for him to be acknowledged more so than often, and it was nice to meet the "gracious and very kind" former Governor General. But, this time really put other aspects of life into perspective for him. Fully recovered since then, at the time, his father suffered a stroke. With a newly increased media presence directed at Craig as a Juno nominee, questions for him asking what he was thinking or how he felt about the experience automatically made him think about the well-being of his father, a valuable lesson regarding what truly mattered in life.

Craig preforming at the Brown Dog, in Brantford
Photo by me!

      As an artist, Craig has the chance to learn valuable lessons, learn what really matters in life at every single show. Not just by taking the time to speak with one or two fans afterwards, but with his self titled "Book of Secrets", one of the coolest things I've ever seen. He felt that his performances, and that of other performers, were "very egotistical". "I mean, look even here, there's only one microphone." With his books, he's able to give people the chance to share their stories with him, as they've allowed him to do for them. The books, essentially, are free range. At the start of the show, and during the performance, a blank notebook and pen are passed around for you to simply write or draw in. What you're feeling, how you're feeling, the concerns facing you in life or even why you're life now is better than it has been before. They're for you to be honest, and anonymous, and finally say what you may have been holding in. Quite frankly, I find it amazing. Craig equated it to my interviews. "Like your writing, there's a story that gets told and a story to be ferreted out." Like I do, he loves hearing people's stories first hand. It's an honour.
     Though, since he encourages you to be honest, to not be afraid to finally say what's on your mind, I imagined there must have been some difficult things to read. His reply confirmed my thoughts. "For sure, there are some difficult things, but also some beautiful things." Some of these anonymous messages are then shared online by Craig to show the range, and often the similarities, of the happiness and sadness in people's lives. I think to end, I want to share one of the most touching I've seen, and thank Craig for sharing so much with us. His voice, his cheer, and the message that, as his album says, "Love is Louder than all this noise"

     "The night I thought I lost my love, he sent me a song. I sent him back your 'Last Night at the End of the World'. And I took a break, and let go.
     He's sitting beside me tonight, holding my hand, and this is the second time we've been to see you.
     We'll be back every time you're here.
     I've never been so happy." -Anonymous, to Craig Cardiff

Craig and I meet before his show.
Photo by Jaime Addario