Faces Magazine July/August 2021

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ENTERTAINMENT

Ottawa’s prodigal son returns to the Capital & talks career highlights, best advice.

On his biggest takeaways from his 6 month medical to get back to the career and community that he loves.

We caught up with Tara to discuss Hometown Hockey’s return, her career highlights, and her best advice for aspiring musicians.

On her early athletic career and Olympic highlights, her role at CTV Ottawa, and her best advice.

How To Sell Your Home For the Highest Possible Price in Any Market, Without Wasting Time!

Go to MetroCityPlan.com to get your customized list of properties that sold around you and a copy of our 7 Step Home Seller Plan that we customize for our successful sellers.

With this information and plan... you’ll only list once.

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FACES READERS NAME THE TOP 5

For National Husband Appreciation Day, we surveyed our readers and followers to know what makes a good husband.

This One Daily Activity Will Make You A Better Leader And other surprising of research.

Faces Time Capsule: Ottawa in 1996 Here are the headlines, shows, and places that were popular in The Capital 25 years ago.

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Photography by Sean Sisk

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om Green needs no introduction, especially in his hometown of Ottawa.

It is here, afterall, where Tom spent his teens and early twenties creating The Tom Green Show, and wreaking havoc in the Byward Market with his man-on-the-street style pranks and gimmicks.

Today, the idea of pranking an unsuspecting done, but in the 90s it was comedic innovaGreen stands as the pioneer of the shock comedy genre that is rampant on Youtube and other social media platforms today.

While his ideas and skits have been replicated by countless comedians over the last 20 years, his explosion to fame has not. At 25, Tom was the modest creator of a non-paid, public-access television show on Rogers Cable out of Ottawa, a 1-hour variety show where he would interview guests in front of a live audience. A format, he has said, that was inspired by his love of David Letterman, SNL, and other interview talk shows of the time. By 27, his show was picked up by MTV, and Tom would go on to grace those very stages: Letterman, SNL, and Oprah, among others. A couple of major movie deals later, and Tom had become a celebrity.

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He never shook his Ottawa roots, of course.

Some 20 years later, Tom has regularly returned to the Capital to visit his parents and brother. He’s spent the last year travelling the complete with a compact recording studio.

Though he has journeyed alone (save for his dog and loyal companion Charley), Tom has continued to make content for his Youtube channel and podcast, while also sharing some of his photography, to take his fans along on his journey.

In late May, Tom drove from LA to Ottawa But this time, he’s here for a while. Tom isn’t just visiting, but hitting the streets of Ottawa again to interact and make content, in a full-circle way, right back to his beginnings. town where he got his start. Tom turns 50 in July, and though he’s made a career out of projects as more of a creator than a frontdays for Tom, who has now had the chance to in his 20s, a rollercoaster of fame, creativity, achievement, and pushing the limit.

We sat down with Tom to discuss the early years of the Tom Green Show in Ottawa, his recent work, and some of his best insights on life and laughter: both of which Tom has had no shortage of.

Photography by Sean Sisk

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In May, you drove from Los Angeles all the way to Ottawa. Why did you decide to come home?

do during this pandemic that would keep me occupied. That led to this. And after a while I wanted to see my family, I hadn’t seen them in a year. So I’m back and visiting them and I’ve got my camera set up and my van with me. I didn’t want to get on a plane, I’m not really ready to do that yet. streets of Ottawa again?

It feels great. During the whole of the pandemic I wasn’t really interacting with people. That’s why all of the videos you see have been just me and Charley out in the desert. Now that I’ve been vaccinated I feel a bit more free to go on the street and talk to people.

Ottawa and shooting on the streets right now, which I’m doing quite a bit, is how much it brings me back to those early days of launching my show… back when I was in college and doing the show on Rogers Cable. It reminds me of what was so speother cities in Canada, and when we moved the show to New York, Los Angeles, and were traveling around America. There was

I remember when the show got picked up

by MTV in 1999 and I went down to New Long Island and did this shoot called Under Cutter’s Pizza. hour and this guy chased me with a hammer. He wanted to kill me. It was certainly hilarious, but it also really showed a distinct and the way I would act… after that I was always worried about someone coming at me with a hammer.

We’ve always had all sorts of reactions.

Even in Canada people have reacted in edgy ways. But for the most part, people here are just so happy to talk.

There’s a lot to be said about the tone of the early years of the Tom Green Show being shot on the streets of Ottawa. I think it has a lot to do with the people of the city.

They are very friendly, engaging people that in America where people are a little more guarded. That’s just the nature of what it’s like in big American cities. People are a little more cautious about talking to somebody with a camera.

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O T T A W A Because I grew up here, and I’m so comfortable on the streets of Ottawa, I also dic energy that comes out of me and the people I’m talking to.

I’m just starting to realize that there’s a lot to be said for the art and creativity that’s come out of Ottawa. I think there’s a reason why there’s been some unique creativity that has come out of this city, and it’s because it’s always been a very supportive environment for people to experiment. It’s a less threatening environment, less daunting for artists and musicians to experiment with things and not feel like they’re being judged.

If you’re doing art, music, comedy or video, and you’re in a big city with a lot more people doing the same thing, it can be daunting and intimidating. It can demotivate you.

If you’re in Ottawa, and you really want to explore your creativity and be an artist, I unique ways of innovating because you’re not surrounded by people doing the same type of thing everywhere you look.

When I’m in LA, I’m surrounded by other comedians, actors, videographers, and directors. It almost becomes a blur, just how many people are doing that kind of creative work. On the street, when you talk to people, they aren’t really as interested in talking to you. It changes the entire dynamic.

That’s why I’ve really enjoyed being back in town and exploring that and creating these videos that I’ve been putting up on my website, Youtube channel, and all of my social media. Being back in Canada has been great for that.

It’s not just something that I’m noticing alone. All around the world, people are watching and saying that the new videos that I’m shooting right now in my hometown are really bringing back some of the fun, raw, innovative energy of the early years of the Tom Green Show.

I think it surprises those viewers from around the world. They know of Canada, but not necessarily what it’s like to walk down the streets of a city like Ottawa.

I’m very proud of this city. I always have been. I always make a point of telling people I’m from Ottawa, every chance I get.

You mention your parents. Most fans knew your parents in your early work, usually being caught in one of your sketches and being very surprised or even disgruntled at your recent prank.

But what were they really like in those early years? How would you describe their support?

There’s a lot to be said about the tone of the early years of the Tom Green Show being shot on the streets of Ottawa. I think it has a lot to do with the people of the city. They are very friendly, engaging people that like to talk.

They encouraged me to follow my passion in life. They were worried at times that it was maybe not going to work out, but there were little successes along the way, even when I was a teenager, doing stand-up at Yuk Yuk’s in Ottawa. Or my band, we had some success when I was a teenager. So I think they saw that it was something that I had potential in.

They had a good sense of humour, so even though they were annoyed when they were getting woken up in the middle of the night, they could kind of see the comedy in it the next day.

I think it was a combination of factors. Their humour matched the ideas I had. We never pushed it to the point where it was mean or hurtful. It was more confusing than it was mean. I think that’s why it worked. It was

the years?

I can see every little change, but I don’t see any huge changes. Which is kind of what I like. When I make my new videos, there are some comments from viewers who say people aren’t responding the way they used to in the 90s. But it’s the same for me.

I come back all the time.

You’ve been called the pioneer of the shock comedy genre, a form of comedy that is explosively popular today ‘YouTube’ star before YouTube existed. What are your thoughts on the exsuccess with it on YouTube today?

I see a lot of young people doing what I did when I was their age. It’s exciting to see, because I’ve been through it myself. It was more about getting on television, there was no social media. It was and is all a product of changing technology.

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“If you’re so stressed out about your goals in life and your career and every little detail of things, you’re not having fun, and that defeats the purpose. That can hold you back in so many ways. It’s really about having fun with the people you’re working with, and with your audience.”

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In the 90s, video cameras were new and exciting, and now social media is new and exciting.

When you’re young, you have this desire to go out and do something creative. And in my case, silly. I things that are blowing up today.

You mention my parents. There are multiple generations now, since I would wake up my parents on TV every night, who are doing just that. There’s a guy on TikTok now that’s doing it. It’s neat to see replicated and redone. Like painting their parents’ car or house.

There was a period of time where actual television shows were doing it, and now it’s just everywhere. I like it. It’s been good for me, because people hear I was doing it in the 90s, and go back and revisit my tunities for me, too.

I was very inspired by comedians and people who came before me, like David Letterman, Johnny Carson… I always wanted to try and use their inspiration to trigger ideas in my head. On The Tom Green Show, I was sitting behind a desk interviewing people, and going out on the streets doing weird my love of David Letterman.

So I think it’s normal for artists and for young people when they’re inspired by something to want to replicate it.

Tell us about Charley. What is the inspiration behind her name?

Charley is named after Travels With Charley in Search of America, by John Steinbeck. At the back of my van it says Rocinante, what John Steinbeck called his camper examples of somebody who who was living in their van and travelling around the desert. He wrote Travels With Charley, a book about travelling across America and meeting people, in the 60s. And that’s what I’ve been doing with my videos.

You recently started a podcast. What do you think of that as a platform for content delivery?

There are so many of them now.

It’s like when I started doing my internet web show in the early 2000s from my living room in Los Angeles. There was nobody doing Shortly after that, the technology for podcasting came in.

I’ve got some mixed opinions ent ones. But for me, I always like to do whatever everyone’s not doing. It’s fun being creative and trying to happen next, but sometimes by the time something’s ready to pop I’m bored of it already, and someone’s coming in and is ready to give it their all.

There’s something less exciting about it to me right now because all of my friends in Los Angeles have a podcast. They are talking to each other and interviewing each other… that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing now instead. Filmmaking is a more unique skill I have.

And photography, too, right?

Yes, and that’s why I’ve really enjoyed going into the desert and getting all of these beautiful landscapes. I think it confuses some people in a good way, because it’s not the type of videos I usually do. They’re not really funny videos, they’re more just slice of life videos, travel vlogs.

But, I’ve wanted to take my fans who have been with me all of these years on this adventure.

Any memorable encounters out there in the middle of the desert?

I never felt totally in danger. When you’re in the United States and it’s nighttime, and you see somebody in a van camping, it’s probably more dangerous for you to try to break into the van. So I was pretty much ready for anything.

How do you feel about hitting that milestone? What are some of the goals you have for this next decade in your life?

I feel really good about it. I’m glad life, I’ve been doing all of this silyouthful endeavour. But there’s

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always been a more serious side to me, a more technical side. I feel like maybe I can embrace a little more of that now that I’m turning nobody really takes you seriously.

I plan on directing some more ects that we’ll probably be announcing this year for some movies I’ll be directing. We’ve got some big plans for the next ten years. ence between you today, and the Tom Green who was just starting his career in his mid twenties?

When I was in my twenties, I was scared to death. I didn’t know what was going to happen with my life. It was very scary to be worried about the future. Now that I’m turning there is just so much less of my life left to ruin (laughs). So that’s a good thing. It’s something I want to explore in my stand-up comedy as well, which is another big thing that I continue to do.

When you’re young and you don’t know what’s going to happen, and if you’re going to be able to pay the bills… a lot of those worries are what drive you. You’re worried about getting to live your dream.

And honestly, I’ve already gotten to. So I am able to relax now and take some time to enjoy the success. It’s a much more relaxing existence at this stage in my life, I get to focus on what I want to do. moment in your early career when you realized that you had achieved your dreams?

A moment when you realized that you had ‘made it’?

There’s a bunch of moments like probably been when I got to be a guest on the David Letterman show. Some of the other ones had money before, and all of a sudden I was getting paid ridiculous amounts of money to do movies and things like that. I sort of realized, like, wow. I actually did It all happened so quickly. The show got picked up by MTV and then Letterman asked me to do

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his show, Oprah asked me on her show, I got to host Saturday Night Live… and then I got to do like ten movies in a row, some really big ones. By the time that was done, I was able to say ‘that worked out pretty well.’

We weren’t actually in the same room.

She was in New York and I was in LA. I don’t think many people know that.

at Yuk Yuk’s here in Ottawa when you were only 16. What do you remember from that show?

It depends on what kind of person you cessing the world around them. If you’re an artist, or ambitious, and young, you sometimes don’t see things clearly because you’re so focused on the thing that you’re trying to accomplish. Sometimes you can be a little bit blind to the way you’re supposed to get there. So much about being successful, certainly in a creative business like this, is about engaging with people and having fun. And that’s the answer. You can’t forget that you need to have fun. If you’re so stressed out about your goals in life and your career and every little detail of things, you’re not having fun, and that defeats the purpose. That can hold you back in so many ways. It’s really about having fun with the people you’re working with, and with your audience. Because then everyone can see that, and wants to have fun with you.

I always look at jokes as a sort of a synergy between the audience, the energy in the room, the material, and the perwhat makes it funny to me. So saying particular jokes outside of that context can sometimes not translate well. I don’t television. If you went and saw any comedian live, in a comedy club, you’re going to be laughing to the point where you can hardly breathe. But if you sat down and watched the same person tell those jokes from your couch, you might only watch for twenty minutes. well. The second show wasn’t so good. A lot of people will tell you that there’s this thing that happens when you do your have a sort of nervous energy. And the audience senses that excitement. And then you come back on your second have the material to back it up because you’re so new. So that’s when you bomb, on your second show.

Back in the day, when I was a teenager, there was probably a fair amount of experimentation. But over time, you start to learn how not to bomb. You start to understand that a lot of it has to do with ing dance you have to do in your head.

And you also have to have some jokes, too.

How was catching up with Drew Barrymore on her show?

It was fun to catch up. I hadn’t talked to viously hard feelings at one point, that’s why we got a divorce. But that fades after a while and you kind of sit and think about all of the fun things that happened and the good memories are the ones that percolate to the surface.

It was fun for her fans and for mine as well. Because I think there were a lot of question marks in the air. It was interesting to be on her show and to see her for

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You’ve spent decades of your life making people laugh. What do you think is the key to happiness in life?

Sometimes that’s hard for people in their twenties to understand. Your sense of too. You think you have more time than you’ve got.

I would just say that: try to have more fun, try to stay positive. There’s never really anything worth getting really angry about. I think back to a lot of the things that I’d get really angry about when I was starting up the show, like a joke or an idea, or the fact that someone wouldn’t want to shoot something with a certain camera angle. You look at all the bands in the world that break up, because the bass player doesn’t get along with the drummer. They have a disagreement and the whole thing falls apart. It’s sort of a tragic thing for a band that has worked so hard. And that can happen with anytry to enjoy the ride. @tomgreenlive youtube.com/tomgreen

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TIME CAPSULE Prime Minister: Ontario Premier: Mike Harris Ottawa Mayor:

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Gauthier’s big Alexei Yashin, then trading #1 overall pick Bryan Berard (who had refused to report to Ottawa) Toronto and the Islanders that saw Wade Redden and Damian Rhodes come to Ottawa in January of 1996.

- Shawn McEachern from Boston

Rounder - Jason York, Shaun Van Allen + Mika Stromberg from Anaheim for Ted Drury and Marc Moro - Christer Olsson for Pavol Demitra

.

Don Beaupre was the Senators

Corel Centre.

The season began with Rick Bowness as Head Coach, start. Dave Allison became the next Head Coach. The Senators went 2-22-1 under his lead, and his tenure didn’t last long. Jacques Martin came

Ottawa selected Chris Phillips #1 overall in that 1996 NHL Draft. They also signed Ron Tugnutt, Sergei Zholtok, Denny Lambert, and Phil Crowe as free agents.

, after leading the Senators in scoring

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- The Britannia Drive-In was still open

(it would close the next year to be replaced by the Colisseum Movie Theatre) - The Westgate Mall movie theatre - The Kanata Town Centre movie theatre

In 1996, the Ottawa Lynx were the Montreal Expos Triple A team.

For those who are too young to remember, the Lynx were the toast of the town in the early ‘90’s, breaking previous attendance records for the team.

- KOOL FM 93.9 - ENERGY 1200 - MAJIC 100.3FM - 106.9FM The Bear - CHEZ 106.1 FM - CFRA 580AM - Oldies 1310 - CKBY Country 105.3

NHL: Colorado swept Florida 4-0 to win the Stanley Cup NFL: Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the Super Bowl NBA: Chicago Bulls beat Seattle Supersonics 4-2 in best of 7 to win the NBA Championship MLB: NY Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 in best of 7 to win the World Series CFL: Toronto Argonauts beat the Edmonton Eskimos 43-37 in the ‘Snow Bowl’ to win the Grey Cup

The Tom Green Show – Rogers 22

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Homegrown Cafe – CJOH (CTV Ottawa)

On The Road Again – CBC Ottawa

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Independence Day Twister Mission: Impossible The Rock The Nutty Professor

ER Seinfeld Suddenly Susan Friends The Naked Truth

Macarena – Los Del Rio One Sweet Day – Mariah Carey + Boyz II Men Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion Nobody Knows – The Tony Rich Project Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey

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ara Slone has carved an incredibly unique career path as a rockstar turned hockey broadcaster. Today, she is one of the faces of Hometown Hockey. Before that, she was known as the lead singer of the hit Canadian band Joydrop, who rose to fame in the late 90s and early 2000s.

spent many weekends in the Ottawa Valley, working out of Zadorozny’s studio in his hometown of Pembroke.

Tara grew up on the East Coast, and studied music as a young adult. When she was in her early twenties, she answered a newspaper ad for a band calling for a female lead singer. Tara was

as a host on Breakfast Television for CityTV Calgary, she became a lead broadcaster for Hometown Hockey alongside Ron MacLean, and has since travelled from coast to coast with the show to connect hockey communities across Canada to the game they love.

form Joydrop, whose hit songs included Beautiful and Sometimes Wanna Die (a music video that featured Tommy Lee). After her successful career with the band, Tara went on to have a solo career, working closely with Canadian musician and producer Jordon Zadorozny. It was then that Tara

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After her solo career, Tara looked for a to shed her identity as a musician, she fell in love with the world of broad-

Tara lives in Toronto with her husband (who is from Ottawa himself) and young daughter. We caught up with her to discuss Hometown Hockey’s return, her career highlights, and her best advice for aspiring musicians.

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2 0 2 1 Tara Slone_AZ – by Anita Zvonar

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Taragreathall – by Lisa MacIntosh

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You were born in Montreal, but grew up in Nova Scotia. What are some of your fondest memories from life growing up in the Maritimes? How does it compare to living in Canada’s biggest city?

or something, and in no way did I think I was a rock goddess, but I liked the sassiness of the call out. So there was no question that was one I was going to follow up.

I spent my elementary school years in Wolfville Nova Scotia, the home of Acadia University. It’s on the Bay of Fundy. It’s just an extraordinary part of the province and part of the country. Although I came from a divorced family, I had a kind of storybook childhood because of the freedom I had to run around with my friends, bike everywhere, and just enjoy the magical landscape of Nova Scotia. I have such

heard your song Beautiful on the radio?

What was that moment like for you?

I went to junior high and high school in Halifax, which is a vibrant, awesome city.

And I got to work at Sam The Record Man, the legendary record store all through high school. So that’s a very fond memory for me. So I love my connection with the maritime provinces and Nova Scotia.

You were interested in all kinds of music, Classical Music and in your own words you remember what it felt like for you to be a young kid, out on your own, feeling that sense of failure? How were you able to get back in the saddle and discover your love for rock and for acting?

Well, it was a huge learning experience. in high school. I was certainly one of the best singers in that very small talent pool.

And then, you know, you go into university, which is a very serious setting for people who are very serious about pursuing that career path. And you have to do the work, otherwise game over. And for me, I simply didn’t have the discipline.

I was 18. I wanted to do what most of my other friends were doing, which was to have fun and party and, you know, the two could not coexist. So, you know, I think I learned a lot about work ethic.

My work ethic now is very intense, probably overly so. And maybe that’s a reason why. It was a huge wake up call for sure.

You’ve told the story many times about how you answered an ad in Now Magazine and became the ‘rock goddess’ of Joydrop. Do you remember if you were on the fence, or nervous to go? Or did it feel like a true calling to you at the time?

That one I had to answer. It was tongue in cheek as it was written by Tony, who is the drummer, and he’s actually from Ottawa.

And they were asking for a rock goddess

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it often gets played on specialty shows before it’ll be put into the conventional playlist. So we knew it was going to come up on some new music show and CFNY which is 102.1 in Toronto, which is, you know, obviously one of the biggest alternative radio stations in the country, it’s mind blowing. You get to have one of those moments where all that hard also remember hearing it coming out was also a really momentous occasion.

You enjoyed a lot of fame during the late 90s and early 2000s as the ‘rock goddess’ of Joydrop. How do you think your social media existed during that time?

What are your thoughts on it today?

I think it’s given bands and artists a lot more autonomy. Back then, it was harder to be an indie artist. A lot of us were following the route, which was to get a record deal or spend a lot of money and go into severe debt to a record company forever. I remember we even tried to go with an independent video director and we weren’t even allowed to. The whole thing was driven by the had a bit of a DIY spirit to us and weren’t really able to do that because there just weren’t the outlets. So I think we would have really appreciated social media.

But at the same time, you know, it’s hard enough reading bad record reviews or any kind of criticism. And those are easy enough to kind of get away from when it’s just been in newspapers. But when it’s literally everywhere, I think I probably would have had a hard time with that.

So after Joydrop, you went on to do some solo work that led you to spending some weekends in Pembroke Ontario. What did you think of the area and your time in the Ottawa Valley?

Oh, I loved it. I absolutely loved it. I think it’s a great testament to Pembroke and the Ottawa Valley that somebody with the talent that Jordan Zadorozny possesses went back to Pembroke to work.

His band Blinker The Star had a giant re-

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lot of time in L.A. and ultimately was drawn to returning home. And he still works out of Pembroke. So, I mean, it was a part of the world I didn’t know anything about until I met Jordan. And that was an album that was made on weekends over a span of years. So I spent quite a bit of time there. I did quite a bit of karaoke at the Lasso Saloon. So I have a great fondness for Pembroke. And if I had a Lumber Kings Jersey I would wear it.

Is there a story you’ve told that you’re proud of the most or that impacted you the you’ve met and stories you’ve told over the years with Hometown Hockey?

I tell this story a lot, but it’s because it had such a profound impact on Ron and myself and the whole crew. And I think particularly on a day like today with the discovery made welcomed by many First Nations commu2018 we were hosted by First Nations, in Enoch Cree nation just outside of Edmonwas a simulcast of our NHL game in Plains Cree. It was a profound weekend. We listened a lot to people from that community, including Chief Wilton Littlechild, who was at the time, the Treaty Six Grand Chief who grew up in the residential school system.

To experience them hearing the Montreal Canadiens game called in their ancestral language was an incredibly moving experience.

As someone who has really seen the heart of Canadian communities throughout Hometown Hockey, what is it about hockey that you think really brings this country together?

Well, I think at the best of times, it can be a great equalizer. When people are on the ice and they’re just doing what they love and what people love to cheer for or against. Everybody has a hometown loyalty and arenas and hockey communities can really bring out the best in people. We see it all the time, that when people are in need, these communities can be a place to capacity to be a uniting force. It doesn’t always happen that way, but we have been fortunate enough in Hometown Hockey to Tell us about your docuseries Top of Her Game, which explored the lives, careers and accomplishments of women in sports and pop culture. Why was this an important story for you to tell?

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Canadians, stories of Indigenous Canadians, and stories of BIPOC people. And obviously, for me as a woman and somebody who has always been really passionate about equality and equity, I was just noticing that, although our crew is equal in numbers of men and women, we were often not seeking out stories of women. So we started to become very intentional about telling those stories. And then when the pandemic hit and there were no live sports, there was this call out from Sportsnet, you know, they actually needed content. You can look at all the NHL and baseball games they were reairing from 1993, but there was just not a lot of female programming.

We know that four percent of media coverage is dedicated to women’s sports. So we used the opportunity that came from the of Her Game was only supposed to be six episodes. We’ve done about 50 by now. We just wrapped for the season and we’ll be back in the fall.

What is the best thing about being a mom?

It’s never dull. I think parenting pushes all of your limits. Whatever you thought you were, whatever you think you are, how nice you think you are, however generous you think you are or patient, it pushes all of that. It pokes at everything. But it also pushes the limits of your heart because you just don’t know how much you love somebody until you have a kid. I mean, at least in my experience. I don’t think that’s fair to impose on everybody. Parenting has taught me that you have to be able to be present and just keep learning because you have to look at things which are ever, ever evolving.

Here’s a list of a few of my streaming favourites: Euphoria, Superstore, Please Like Me, Catastrophe, and The Wilds.

What is your best advice to anyone looking to follow in your footsteps, and achieve a level of success that you have enjoyed?

It sounds cliche, but don’t listen to the negativity around you. And sometimes it’s from other people and oftentimes it’s from yourself. I think you have to make a practice of making your voice louder than your negative voice.

Never give people a reason to say you didn’t work hard enough. You might have to work harder than the people around you. It’s not necessarily the easiest thing to do when you’re 19 years old. I would say, don’t be afraid to speak out. Don’t be afraid to use your voice. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to approach people to ask for advice. Make sure you surround yourself with the right people. Find the right support network and don’t be afraid

to call on them.

I spent a lot of time thinking I needed to assimilate in a certain way. But really, I think I personally do my best work when I’m being my authentic self with my authentic voice, which might not be like everybody else’s.

And I think that ultimately is your strength.

As we hopefully move out of this pandemic, what’s next for you?

Maybe somebody out there can tell me?

(Laughs) You know, in the shorter term, I certainly hope that Hometown Hockey can return in the fall and resemble its former self, at least in some way. I’m not sure how close we’re all going to get to one another.

But I certainly hope that we can return because, in particular, the stories of heroism and community and healing that I think we can tell will be unbelievable. My hope is that Top of Her Game can morph into being something that’s bigger and that leads to the inclusion of more women’s sports on our network. So I do hope that that continues in some form. And, you know, in the long term, I don’t really have a need to be on TV for the rest of my life. I feel the most fecting change. So I don’t know what it’s suggestions. @taraslone

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FACES READERS NAME THE TOP 5

For National Husband Appreciation Day, we surveyed our readers and followers and asked: what makes a good husband?

Of over 750 responses, that ranged from ‘someone who communicates’ to ‘a good wife, makes a good husband!’, 5 answers were the most common. Not only were these traits the most voted, they also seemed to be the least complicated, and very applicable to any relationship, partnership, or even friendship.

Among the most common answers was unconditional love. According to our survey, a good husband is one who loves you for you, at both your best and your worst.

“Someone who makes you feel beautiful no matter what day it is, and whether you’re feeling your best or your worst.” Said one respondent.

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A supportive husband got the top vote in the survey, and respondents that a husband can be supportive, including supportive during times of crisis or illness, support of aspirations and goals, and daily emotional and mental support.

“A husband who is kind and supportive even on your bad days. One who listens, and is patient.”

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A husband who is understanding and knows how to compromise takes the top three spot, according to respondents.

“A man who knows how to compromise. Who is understanding, forgiving, and communicates”.

Compromise doesn’t mean deference, but a good husband (or any partner) knows how to meet in the middle and when to

A sense of humour is the second best trait for a good husband, say Faces Magazine readers.

“Someone who makes you laugh and reminds you how to have fun.” Says one respondent.

Laughter is the key to enjoying life, and having fun regularly is so important for relationships, both short term and long term.

Many respondents mentioned that a good husband is one that is helpful: that lends a hand on tasks that aren’t their responsibility.

“A good husband is one who can give 80% when I can only give 20%, so that our household stays at 100%, all the time.”

Pitching in when things get busy, and always looking for ways to help, are some of the most voted traits for a good husband.

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from the world of research.

The Average Person Starts To Embrace Getting Older At This Age A new OnePoll survey commissioned by Foster Grant examines the attitudes of people over 40 to aging and getting older.

The survey, which asked over 2,000 men and women in North America, found that over 77% of people in their 40’s feel younger

This One Daily Activity Will Make You A Better Leader

the most common things that make people above 40 feel ‘old’, which include things like hearing about a new celebrity they don’t know, squinting to see in a dimly lit room, and not having Tik Tok.

A new study published by management professors at the University of Florida has that can boost your ability to lead and manage others, regardless of your title, job position, or industry.

The study, which observed both current and aspiring leaders, their daily habits, and their relative performance, found a link between leadership and a simple psychological technique, done for a few minutes a day. been used by leaders as far back as in Ancient Rome, had to shape their approach to daily life and new challenges. In the study done by management professors at the University of Florida, leaders who took a few type of leader they aspired to be, and how that would look in daily situations they would encounter, saw a marked improvement in their ability to lead and manage others according to the ideals they In order to access this tool, the

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The survey found that on average, most people begin to embrace getting older by the age of 47.

IN ORDER TO ACCESS THIS TOOL, THE STUDY IDENTIFIED SOME PROMPTS FOR REFLECTION, INCLUDING: What are some of your proudest moments as a leader? that make you a good leader, the future that will make you a good leader?

Think about who you aspire to be as a leader, and imagine that you have achieved this in a perfect scenario. What does that look like? have on your employees?

Motivation? Inspiration? To What skills or traits do you have that can help to have that

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91% Of People Wash Their Bedsheets This Often 26 years, on average) of our lives in our beds. A bed is the most used piece of furniture you will own. Therefore, it can easily become a harbor for bacteria, crumbs, and oil buildup. Experts say that you should wash your sheets once a week (and more often than that if you sleep naked, have a pet, eat in bed, or go to bed without showering). Skin experts also encourage people to change their pillow cases even more often as a way to avoid breakouts. Sleeping with unclean pillow cases can trigger bouts of contact dermatitis and eczema in those with sensitive skin.

Here’s What Happens To Your Time Perception When You’re Attracted To Someone When you meet someone you’re attracted to, a lot of wheels are put into motion.

You experience a rush of dopamine and norepinephrine, two hormones that make us feel happy, energetic, and giddy, and can also lead to a decrease in appetite and even keep us wide awake at night, feeling lovesick. Your brain processes attraction in an interesting way, picking up biological signals and responding with hormones.

Women and men process process attraction in a very physical way (they tend to be easily attracted to potential mates on physical aspects alone), but women tend to process a more even amount of physical and non-physical (intelligence, mannerisms, and meeting someone.

Because women and men has been observed by a new study published in Frontiers attractive, their time perception

In the study, researchers with men and women who reported being attracted to each-other afterward. When asked to say how much time had passed during the date, women more often overestimated how long the date was, while men consistently underestimated.

For women, time slowed down when they were on a

So how often do people usually wash their bed sheets?

While cleaning habits can vary (with many extremes on both ends of uncleanliness to obsessiveness), most people (91%) wash their sheets at least twice a week. Alternating week seems to be a common theme across North American households, according to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation.

The study’s researchers in how men and women process attraction can account for this. For women, who processes more characteristics than men, the use of more cognitive resources to process their attraction would make time seem slower. To men, who use less, time would seem to speed up. According to the team: “When a woman perceives a potential partner as physically attractive she pays attention to several other characteristics of that man in order to make a reasoned choice, allocating many mental resources in that assessment. The use of these cognitive resources would make the perceived duration of the date longer.

Males tend to be less selective than women and they may feel attracted to potential partners based mostly on their physical attractiveness.”

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MORNING LIVE‘S

ROSEY EDEH I

t has been almost a year since Rosey Edeh joined the CTV Ottawa Team as a familiar face on CTV Morning Live. The year was one that was characterized by change and challenge, both in the community and in the world of news media.

But Rosey, who is also a three-time Olympic track star and gold medalist, is used to rising to challenges.

Born in London, England, Rosey and her parents of Nigerian descent moved to Canada when she was just up in Montreal, and it was here that she discovered a love, and talent, for Track and Field.

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Rosey attended Rice University in Houston, Texas on an athletic scholarship.

She was inducted into the Hall of Fame for her running performance in the 100 metre hurdles, and was 6th in the world at the time of her induction.

Rosey went on to compete with the Canadian Olympic Relay team for the 1998, 1992, and 1996 Olympics.

She was part of the gold medal-winning 4 x 400 metre relay team, at the 1992 World Cup of Track and Field, which set a new competitive record. At the 1996 Olympics, she set a Canadian record in the 400m hurdles, which was undefeated for 23 years.

Photography by Sean Sisk

After her Olympic career, Rosey dove into the world of sports and entertainment broadcasting in Montreal. To her, the rush of live TV was similar to the adrenaline of being on the track. She began to forge a successful career in broadcasting, one that saw her take on roles with CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and now, CTV Morning Live, Ottawa.

We caught up with Rosey to discuss her early athletic career and Olympic highlights, her role at CTV Ottawa, and her best advice.

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You had a decorated career in track and

with all its elements was a compelling

games not once but three times. What is the biggest lesson that you learned from your time as a runner?

purpose and focus.

My biggest lesson…stand in your truth, stay in your lane.

even the US. Has one particular city or role stuck out for you?

How did it feel to set a competition record and win a gold medal in relay at the 1992 World Cup of Track and Field?

My current position in Ottawa at CTV Morning Live is a brilliant opportunity that has given me non-stop feels since I’ve arrived. It’s a mentally and physically challenging role, which I absolutely love.

Live TV forces one to be mentally nimble and working on TV and radio (News Talk 580 CFRA) weekday mornings, results in 5 hours of non-stop deliciously involved news, weather and lifestyle reporting and interviewing that leaves me a better broadcaster each day.

It was intensely gratifying. Unlike all othteam event. Running with three other the high stress of international competition. That was a nice perk, but what really rocks is that undeniable sense of camaraderie you feel. You get so caught up in wanting to perform well and help the track thinking, “I gotta get this baton to my teammate as fast as humanly possible to put them in the best position to ning on a relay… it’s such a rush (pun intended)!

Your daughter has followed in your Olympian. What has been your approach in helping her to navigate such a highly competitive world?

My message to my daughter has been, be your biggest cheerleader, put your

After retiring from track, you began a

Your career has since taken you to many

What has been one of the most memorable stories you have covered in your career?

Breaking News - the Sandy Hook massacre.

Tell us about your 2017 Documentary, Oliver Jones: Mind, Hands, Heart. What led you to take on this project? Why was it such an important story for you to tell? How did you enjoy working on this project compared to the fast-paced world of the newsroom?

I was compelled to write, produce and direct the documentary about a Montreal hero revered in the Black community.

I wanted to give Mr. Jones his well-de-

I started my broadcasting career in sports and entertainment reporting at then CFCF-12 (CTV) Montreal. Live reports in downtown Montreal can be quite hectic, lots of distractions (honking horns, folks yelling) but I was able to quickly adjust and get on with reporting thanks to my ability to focus on the

I adored allowing the story to organically unfold. My crew and I followed Mr. Jones on his farewell tour and captured some truly poignant, heartfelt, beautiful moments that will resonate for decades to come. I felt extremely privileged and proud to tell the story of a Canadian jazz icon that hails from the Black Community. I am grateful to have created the opportunity to contribute to a growing liant stories about what this land means to them.

during my days as an Olympic athlete.

You joined CTV Ottawa in September of

How did you know you wanted to continue in a career in reporting?

the city?

transition hard? What was something that you found similar between your approach to running, and your new career?

I felt the rush of live TV, the challenge of presenting a well-structured story

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CTV Morning Live, Ottawa is a news, weather and lifestyle juggernaut. Our dedicated team works together to bring

our viewers what they need to start their evant news content and vital interviews we amass every day.

What is it like working with Annette and Leslie on the CTV Morning Live team?

What is a typical day like?

We say a big old “good morning!” to each other every morning, but the chit chat is usually very little before the show. We each have a tremendous amount of work to complete before we hit the air at 6am and we are a dedicated lot, so don’t get in our way, we have news and weather to report!

What’s something many people don’t know about you?

I was born on the same day as Madonna and Angela Bassett (Not the same year!)

You are active on social media, and use your platforms to showcase success stories and highlight causes that are meaningful to you. What are your thoughts on the world of social media, particularly for young women today?

For me, it is about following peeps who inspire you and raise your energy to do good and be better.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career? Something that you’ve never forgotten?

“Don’t major in the minors.”

- Denzel Washington What is your best advice for anyone aspiring to follow in your footsteps?

Dream your boldest dream and aspire to it, stay in your lane along the way. @RoseyEdeh

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Actually Incredibly Entertaining Do you love game night with friends and family? These board games won’t be found in your traditional roster, but are sure to be fun for all.

DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR FAMILY? This family-fun game is starters and challenges that put your family bonds to the test. It’s a fun and thoughtprovoking activity for kids, teens, and adults.

CODENAMES Codenames divides your group into two teams to battle it out over a board of random words.

One person from each team tries to help their teammates guess their secret codewords with a series of riddles.

GUESS IN TEN no questions. That’s all you have to guess which animal appears on the card. Guess in ten is a fun spin on trivia for the entire family.

5 SECOND RULE Can you name three things you do in water, in 5 seconds, (in both censored and uncensored versions) is both hilarious and challenging as teams battle it out for points, in less than 5 seconds.

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Ergonomic Experts SAY THESE ARE THE BEST ANGLES FOR YOUR

Our working lives don’t have to lead to strains on our eyes, backs, and wrists, according to ergonomic experts. But, the trick is in the angles. When working for extended periods of time, it’s key to make sure that your chair, desk, and computer are positioned to support your back and neck.

Otherwise, that’s when you may begin to put a strain on your body long-term.

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Here are the best angles for working at your desk, according to an ergonomics expert from the University of British Columbia.

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KEEP YOUR NECK

STRAIGHT

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE

The human head weighs a from the average 12 lb bowling ball. But, that’s when our backs and necks are straight. When we lean forward or backward, even by 15 degrees, our heads

Don’t Work On The Couch Sorry to say, but working on the couch is one of the worst things for you back. When you’re working and sitting for extended periods of time, it’s best to be sitting on

lbs). When we really slouch, our heads weigh up to 42 lbs. That’s a lot of pressure on our neck and back, and that’s why it’s important to keep our head as straight as possible when working for prolonged periods.

To do this, make sure the top line of your monitor meets your line of vision when your head is straight, and not over or too much under. Experts recommend using a laptop stand (or a stack of books) to raise your monitor from its usual height to achieve this, as typical setups with laptops and monitors will be too low.

KEEP YOUR FEET

ON THE FLOOR

You want to have your knees at a 90 degree angle, bending at the same line as your hip (or slightly lower).

This minimizes any strain on your hips and lower back. It’s important that can grab a stack of books or a footstool to create this angle.

KEEP YOUR WRISTS

OFF THE TABLE

Many people rest their elbows or wrists on their tables and keyboards (they may even have a rest for their wrists). Experts discourage this, however, because it puts too much pressure on your wrists and forearms. Instead, have your keyboard positioned your wrists and forearms come down a bit to type. You want your elbows at a 90 degree angle, at least. At most, you want them at a 110 degree angle.

You can go as far as having your keyboard tilt away from you, experts say. The key is that you don’t want your wrists to have to angle upwards to type, as this is what puts unnecessary strain on them, and will cause pain down the road.

to support your posture and relieve strain on your back muscles. Cushions, beds, and couches aren’t actually meant for you to sit on for long periods of time, and after repeatedly straining those muscles by working from your couch for months at a time, you could do some serious damage to your back and neck.

STRETCH Experts say that stretching and regular exercise of your back and leg muscles will help to ease any pain you feel as a result of sitting to work.

They recommend this, rather than simply taking any ibuprofen or Tylenol for the pain.

GET UP AND MOVE EVERY MINUTES Experts also recommend taking a break from sitbreak up the time you’re at your desk.

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After spending over 66 days in the hospital, TSN 1200 Broadcaster AJ Jakubec remains incredibly grateful for his friends and family, the dedicated support of The Ottawa family.

AJ’s passion has always been calling live sports. On December 1st, 2019, Jakubec was busy calling a 67’s game, unaware that in just 24 hours he would wake up in the ICU. That night, he had woken up in what he says was the worst pain of his life. He instinctively knew to call for help. Doctors found several issues relating to his pancreas, liver and gall bladder, and put him in an induced medical coma to begin stabilizing him.

Over the next month, AJ had over 80 visitors come to see him. The tremendous support of the community, his friends, and his family, was instrumental to his recovery, which was anything but linear.

After 6 months of progress, with game back on June 18th.

We caught up with AJ to hear the biggest takeaways from his 6 month medical journey, and his community that he loves.

Photography by Sean Sisk

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At what age did you realize that you wanted to call live sports?

Probably around 12 years old. I had always wanted to be a professional today. I was a pretty good athlete, but never really grew. So the writing was on the wall around grade eight.

I had this tradition every year of writing down my goals and all of the things I did that year, who my funny to see how those change from kindergarten to grade 12. You go from being 13 years old hoping to play in the NHL, to 16 years old hoping to get a college scholarship. I always knew that if being an athlete didn’t work out, I still wanted to be in sports. I started pursuing my dream right away. I got into NAIT in edmonton and worked by way from Belford Saskatchewan, to Trail BC to Kelowna to Ottawa to Edmonton to Ottawa again. It’s been a pretty awesome journey so far.

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Let’s talk about another journey of yours which starts in late 2019. Simply put, what son I think you were before that happened and the person that you are now?

Great question. It’s hard to answer because of the pandemic. You know, I was in the hospital December, January, and February.

Then I was home still in the early stages of recovery in March. And then all of a sudden everything changed. So once I got back to work, it was June. But I haven’t really been able to begin normal life again, like all of us.

So it is it is tough to gauge.

I’m just very thankful for everything I have, for everything I’ve been through. It brought me even closer to my family and friends. It really made me realise the support I had. I had over 80 people coming to visit me, on top of all the messages that people sent for me. There have been some positives throughout the journey. It’s given me a new appreciation for the great people that work in our healthcare system. They were so important to my recovery.

I have so much to be thankful for, and I’m just excited for the day whenever we all can just living life again.

Knowing how important the support of your family was in your recovery. How talized today?

-

helped to boost my spirits, and how even having them there all the time was so important. But, you know, there were a morning. No one around. And it would just be the longest wait to fall back asleep.

You’re just looking at the clock. Watching as six o’clock comes, seven o’clock comes, and nine o’clock comes. My parents would always come around ten or 11. So I’d just be waiting and hoping for them to come.

To think that so many people have not had that luxury. I cannot even imagine how things would have been if it all would have happened three months later. To all of a sudden be waking up in hospital, you know, in the ICU, as I did in December, not knowing what was going on. And I didn’t have my parents there. I was super fortunate.

After you were initially discharged from the hospital, you eventually had to go back that for you?

a very emotional process. It didn’t really hit me as I was leaving hospital, but it hit me when I got home. I bawled my eyes out as soon as I got to my front door. I knew that I still had a long journey ahead, but I felt like I

procedures and just didn’t feel right afterwards.

I developed a fever, and when it didn’t go away, my dad and I went to the hospital together. I’m thinking I’m going to be there a day, two days, maybe a week. I ended up doing a second endoscopic procedure endoscopy procedure didn’t go very well.

The most pain I’ve ever been in in my life the hospital and had to call 911. I’m glad I did, because I had I waited longer, I may not have been here today. The second most painful moment for me was after that third endoscopy procedure. That’s what was the toughest on me mentally. I was in so much pain. I’m glad my parents weren’t there at the time. Just like agonizing pain in the hospital and, you know, basically my parents weren’t there at that time.

I think my journey was probably tougher on my family than it was on me, they had to watch me struggle. I was in unimaginable pain. The doctors came in and said my kidneys weren’t stabilized. That was a lot better from there. My kidneys started to stabilize. And then the recovery process continued. I was in for about twenty-six days.

During that time, it meant the world to have the support of my work, to know that that I didn’t have to worry anything. There were also services available for me in the hospital to talk to someone if I needed to. lot better, both physically and mentally. It was important for me to be able to talk to a professional about where my mental state time I left.

Tell me about the story behind the name Super A.J., how that came to be. And it was so important to you that you changed your Twitter name to it.

There was a nurse there, Kenzie, that was really supportive and positive. One day she wrote out ‘Super A.J. on the whiteboard.

It was just personally motivating. She was so instrumental, as countless nurses are.

They’re the ones who say ‘hey, you have to get up’. They get you moving when you don’t want to, when you’re not feeling good. They push you and motivate you. At one point it was even a struggle to go to the bathroom. But everyday I tried to do a little more. Walk a bit down the hall, then try and do the short loop, and then I was doing the long loop. Then twice a day... then stairs. And then worked my way outside.

Those little milestones were huge for me,

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like for you?

That was a very emotional day for me.

Anyone that heard the broadcast that day up and I spoke for an hour or so, I do get a little bit wordy (laughs). To be back inside those walls. I was fortunate to be able to go into work, and I would walk to work everyday. It was just so beautiful to be able to do that. To have some normalcy.

My biggest passion is and always will be calling live sports. To be able to continue to do what I love, what I’m so passionate about, I feel pretty fortunate.

What are your thoughts on the current edition of the Ottawa senators?

I’m excited about this group. You look at the wins and losses and you say, they’re still amongst the bottom teams in the league. There have been nights where it hasn’t been pretty to watch, especially some of the games out West. But look at how well they played against the Leafs.

You look at how well they played against the Habs, and you consider the young guys that they got. Tim Stutzle, I just love watching this guy play. It’s a fun team to watch. It feels like they’re on the verge of doing something special here. I don’t know if that starts next year. I don’t know if it starts in two or three years. But when you watch this team play teams like Toronto or Montreal, you can see just what the future could be. OK, not everyone is going to continue to develop at the same pace.

But you know that this is a group that should be able to take some more steps.

It’s exciting for me.

What is the best piece of advice that you could give to anyone who I guess is looking to follow in your footsteps in terms of a career?

Just be passionate, be prepared, and be yourself. And believe in yourself, and bet on yourself. I was in Kelowna four years into my radio career and it wasn’t a great situation. I just said, you know what, I’m going to bet on myself and I’m not staying in this situation. And here we are 20 years later. @ ajonsports

I really appreciated the importance of how I needed to to get moving. And Super AJ was a part of that.

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is using his innate knowledge of street fashion branding to create an outlet for supporting human rights issues through expression.

Photography by Sean Sisk

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fondly on his childhood in Orleans. He enjoyed playing sports, hanging out with friends, and most of the usual facets of childhood in Ottawa. But even back then, he remembers that his teachers could see immense amount of creativity and curiosity that needed an outlet. “Teachers, the backbone of the system, would’ve said I was an obstreperous. However, I think I was just a misconceived socialite trying to acquire my vocation.”

Marcus dove into the world of fashion at an early age, a watched ‘America’s Next Top Model’. He went on to work with fashion brands, creatives, and media in Ottawa. “I met a fashion magazine owner through a friend called ‘Flofferz’, run by Ramata Coulibaly.

The revelation of the ins and outs of fashion/fashion photography, I’d say that’s when my intensity and passion for fashion really started clicking.

Succeeding in my ‘natural next steps’, modeling and brand inbrand being NWKD by Corey Smith. This transition helped me understand the actual mechanics of how street fashion brands ran.”

Taking an entrepreneurial lens to his love of street fashion, Marcus launched Acid Drop in the fall of 2016. The name, inspired by the acid wash and distressed clothing trends he saw from overseas brands, was a double entendre.

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Though Marcus had the creativity and talent for launching his brand, he admits that the more practical skills of business management took some learning. “The immense challenge from the outset of my clothing brand was the team management skills that I was deprived of. The impact was real. Self-education and perseverance prevailed. My tenacity allowed me to learn from my mistakes. Not to mention two unfailing peers that stood by me from day one, Casey E. & Lukas L. Shout out to them.

I am indebted for their combined knowledge base they communally shared with me.”

Acid Drop has gone on to wa, each with a unique creative direction. This year, as we’ve seen massive societal issues coming to the forefront of discussion across North America and the world, Marcus plans to use his platform to drive change and support for these issues with his brand. For his intersection in which fashion and expression can meet real conversation and change to advance the issues of police brutality and genocide on a global scale. Marcus has also joined forces with the internationally known animator Jered Harrison from AMthruPM to help make the vision alive.

“The next Acid Drop dropping is more proactive in supporting the 10’s of millions having their basic human rights taken. foundations we know need our assistance. Each item will represent more than just clothing, it represents a moral compass

and stances on your beliefs.

Our contribution will progress the trend for other brands To do this, Marcus is not only growing the charitable arm of his brand, but also his platform as a media outlet. He’s evolved Acid Drop into a creative agency, one that will help to develop projects dedicated to these issues. “We provide the physical basis for works in the realms of new media art, performing fashion. Basically, anything creative we like to get our hands on and if we can’t do it we outsource collaborations from our network developed over the years.”

Marcus hopes to further expand into creative consulting.

“Ambitiously, Acid Drop would love a collaboration with entities such as Kanye West, Chrome Hearts and others.”

At only 25 years old, Marcus has worked hard to build a brand that is equally as daring as it is successful. While he focuses on his 4th drop, and driving conversations on human rights issues through fashion and expression, he also stays very much connected to his own journey of personal growth. “Next, I will continue to persevere and make headway in this heartfelt, soul-searching frontier that I believe in. The sky is ONLY my front door.” @adropclothing More information on Marcus, his new collection, and resources for learning about his causes can be found at aciddrop.ca

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In 1447, English Parliament

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FACES MAGAZINE 48

F A C E S

M A G A Z I N E

O T T A W A

FFA Founder Matt Kyazze has built a dynamic creative and artist management agency that has worked with artists like Saint Jhn and Murda Beatz.

He’s also worked to create opportunities for BIPOC youth in Ottawa as the creative director of YAACAN.

Photography by Sean Sisk

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F A C E S

M A G A Z I N E

O T T A W A

M

att Kyazze is the founder of Far From Average Management, a digital creative agency in Ottawa that works with entertainers and small businesses to provide marketing and media solutions. Matt and his partners are driven to showcase Ottawa in the same creative, dynamic, and vibrant spotlight that cities like Toronto and New York do so well, something that seems to be lacking in the Capital.

“Me and my best friend at the time, Ryan McDonald, wanted to create a platform where we could positively promote the city of Ottawa. A lot of people call Ottawa boring, but we Matt started Far From Average in 2018, but was inspired by the world of digital media in his early years.

Matt, who moved back to Ottawa when he was 4 years old, attended St. Francis Xavier Highschool, and it passion for digital media and marketing.

“St. FX school was literally the school of the future at the time and really shaped my passions. I thank my tech teacher Mr. Scott for pushing the school to get us the right tools for classes. This had a huge impact on the technology we use in the present time. By giving us access to cameras for photo/video, 3D printers and even a recording studio, back in 2009-2013, we were prepar-

to the industry in high school, his hereditary. His late grandfather, a minister in Uganda, was a social activist who fought for justice in the 60s as a member of the New Ugandan Cabinet. “He inspired me to run for Co-President during High School and who knows what the future holds, maybe I’ll get involved in polture, FFA, an agency that focused on social media, guerrilla marketing, and media production services for Ottawa businesses. He has since grown his team to include producers, marketers, photographers, videographers, and project managers.

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“If you are an artist, entertainer or even a restaurant, we can help you create any content that you would want to see on your social media pages with the bonus of creating a Kyazze, “We provide the best quality to our clients and want them to Not only is FFA a creative agency for media production, but also provides services for artist management and has worked with a long list of clients that includes Saint Jhn, Murda Beatz, Walshy Fire, Mick Jenkins, and Al Harrington. The brand also has a popular clothing line in Ottawa.

Though COVID19 has created many challenges in all three of those industries, Matt has been able to successfully pivot his brand, and is poised to continue bringing the city together as it begins to open up once again. “In the beginning stages of COVID19 it was hard to come out with new content, when no one really knew too much about the virus yet. We had to cancel many events and prior engagements like live shows, pop ups and photoshoots.

We learned during this pandemic that we had to be able to adapt.

Zoom became our go-to platform to to make their visions come true.

The energy FFA gives out is normally something most people would like to see and reciprocate in person. However with online video conferencing tools, we made it work and adjusted Outside of FFA, Matt is the new creative director of Young Africans and Canadians Acting Now, YAACAN, a charity that aims to improve the quality of life of vulnerable people by driving sustainable solutions to long-term global development problems.

“We collaborate with local communities, skilled professionals and youth to create, implement, and monitor sustainable development projects.

Our mission is to build self-reliant and empowered communities by establishing sustainable development projects that address issues related to poverty, education and environmental concerns.

“Currently, my involvement with YAACAN gives me the ability to help children in Congo. Over 40% of the population there are under the age gram to connect our community here in Ottawa with the kids of Congo and other parts of Africa.

My love for charity and philanthropy grew once I started to collaborate with CASCO, a charity run by the Telfer students from the University of Ottawa. After creating our event the FFA team, I wanted to continue to help as many people as possible.

I met Mira, the founder of YAACAN, through a customer who became a good friend of mine. I asked him if he knew any companies that helped young black entrepreneurs and he suggested I meet Mira and see what she had put together. Mira told me what her goals were and the vision they had for the future. From there I was sold, I just had to dive in and be a part of the amazing work we are To learn more about YAACAN and its initiatives, you can visit https://www.yaacan.org/.

“Our brand new website was remade by the Capital 1 team during the Digital For Good program where they help Canadian Charities redesign their websites. You can also follow our Instagram page @y.a.a.c.a.n.” on Instagram and check out their website to see our Spring/Summer 2021 FFA Apparel Line:

“I am proud to call myself a visionary, with the hopes to be remembered for something way bigger than I can currently imagine.”

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