Featured Canadians

Hi, my name is Lauren Spitznagel and this is #MyCanada story. When I was younger, I travelled around Canada a lot for basketball tournaments and family vacations. My parents believed that it was important for my siblings and I to learn about our country before we started exploring other countries, so we went on numerous road trips. Throughout these trips, I developed a passion for photography and exploring the outdoors. Just over a year ago I decided to take this passion to a new level; I booked a solo one-way ticket to Australia, with only my camera and a (very large) suitcase. It was scary, but also exciting to finally be chasing my dreams.> Over the past year I have lived in Australia, travelled to Indonesia, and now live in New Zealand. The experiences have been unforgettable, and I have made many friends along the way. However, one of the greatest things of all is that I have begun to appreciate #MyCanada on whole new level. In #MyCanada, you can travel from the east coast to the west coast and see some of the most breathtaking landscapes. In #MyCanada, you can stand on top of the Rocky Mountains and breathe in fresh air, or go to Montreal and see some incredible street art. In #MyCanada, you can go to a Raptors game and be seated beside strangers, yet feel like you're surrounded by family. But most importantly, #MyCanada has given me the inspiration to follow my passion. I am still in New Zealand, taking photos and exploring the islands. In the same way that our country has inspired me, I believe that I can use my photography to capture beautiful images and inspire others.

Hi my name is Jade Jager Clark and this is #MyCanada story. 27. Born in Toronto. Raised in The Netherlands. Moved back to Canada when I was 8. Started a business at 18 in Brampton, Ontario. I appreciate the opportunities that Canada offers to pursue passion because it's not that easy to just open a business at any age in Holland. I appreciate the multiculturalism and acceptance of diversity and how we get along. Very different from the National European mindsets I grew up with. I fought hard to make the business a success while overcoming adversity of being a young female entrepreneur offering a dance school with programs in hip hop dance for youth. Which 10 years ago was still very much looked down upon and met with many prejudices and stereotypes regarding the genre/style of dance and abilities of young people. I persisted, grew my business, raised the profile of authentic hip hop dance and gave my youth an opportunity to perform all over southern Ontario, showing what they can do and give back to the community through charitable performances for organizations like Scarborough hospital foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, WE Day, Unity Charity and many more to Political Conventions, to Corporate events product launches for 5 Gum, Bombardier and Canada Goose. In December we Made it to the Ellen DeGeneres Show and in June we Celebrate our 10th Anniversary. You can find out more on our website www.jadeshiphopacademy.com follow instagram @jadejagerclark @jadeshiphopacad The diversity in my dance studio spans 5 continents so #mycanada is about diversity, family, respect, acceptance, love, generosity, helping those less fortunate, investing in our youth and giving back to the community as much as you can and appreciating what we have. Canada is not like any other place in the world. Never giving up. Maintaining your integrity. Standing your ground. Pushing through hurt, pain, betrayal, haters and naysayers. If you really want it you will get there and overcome any hurdles and adversity in your way. Maintaining belief in yourself is key.

Hi my name is Nohémie Mawaka and this is #MyCanada story. I am a 24 year old and very recent masters of public health graduate (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver), but a proud Torontonian/Ontario citizen. Long story short, I have been in Canada for fourteen years now, and continue to work in the field of HIV/infectious disease research by working with underserved populations (mostly youth) in Canada and sub-saharan Africa. My passion is broad and all over the place (LOL). In the field of health, my professors have tried to put into a box, but I continue to redefine the norm and challenge the system by being an advocate for more creativity to be used in academia and in global health work. That being said, I am passionate about travelling (see my personal IG: @nohemie_m), I love photography and helping people discover their inner beauty (IG: @wakashots) and more recently, digital marketing promoting the beauty of my African origins as a way to go against prejudice and stereotypes that the world holds against the african continents (IG: @envisioncongo). I am also CEO of a start-up called crtvimpact which aims to restrategize the field of health through a modern lens that aims to do good for the world. Like I said earlier, my passion is all over the place. As stated in my blog (www.global-scie.net), 'I am the jack of all trades, and the master of none'. My journey from Congo, DRC, to Canada, has given me the privilege to have a personal story that stands out and is different than everyone else's. That is why, with my passion for digital visualization and creativity, I continue to use my platform to create a dialogue about issues that matters to me and impact so many. None of my efforts would have been possible if it was not for being fortunate enough to immigrate Canada fourteen years ago. I truly started from the bottom, and now I am here (Drizzy's voice LOL!).

Hi my name is Maliha Gangat and this is #MyCanada story. I was born in a third world country and I cannot begin to tell you the appreciation I had for Canada until I stepped foot here. Something as simple as having electricity 24 hours a day is a privilege many do not have. The fact that as a female, I do not need to be scared to take the public transportation is something that I treasure so much. So many females around the word do not have that privilege. In fact, fear is an emotion I no longer have living in a city like Toronto. The list goes on and on about all the things I am thankful for but to put it simply, one does not fully appreciate what they have until they leave it :) #MyCanada is my acceptance and tolerance of others regardless of race, nationality, religion or sex. My ability to look at the multi-cultured population which comprises Canada today and to look at the differences and not fear them as an outsiders but to live beside them as Canadians. The old saying; do what you love and you will never work a day in your life still holds true to me! Passion is something that allows me to remove the title of work from your actions. It is something that no one will ever need to tell you to get to work on. You enjoy doing it and can do it to the exclusion of everything else. There is no feeling quite like waking up to live a life that you designed from the ground up kind of like the STORY OF PEACE COLLECTIVE! <3 Truly Inspiring.

Hi, my name is Nick Peciak and this is #MyCanada story.  I'm Nick, I reside in Kitchener-Waterloo, born in 94' and currently one month away from my 22nd birthday - time flies. Music has always played a big part in my family and as I write this, I'm super glad that it was and still is. I got introduced to Eminem and Limp Bizkit at an early age, which may seem like a negative thing because of the lyrics that the artists are known for, but to be honest that's what turned the switch on for me. I started writing music in 10th grade, it developed out of poetry, which was something I got into because of the girls I developed crushes for.  Music is life, music is everything. Like many people across this fabulous country of ours music is something that we need on a daily basis to feel alive; to feel energy; and most importantly, to keep us going in all depths of life. Finding music was a revelation for me because sports were never an option. I was born with a physical disability and therefore, I was limited in numerous physical motions. Music was something that I knew I wanted to keep working on right out of the gate. It is hard to explain how important something can be if the reader is not living in my body and experiencing what I am experiencing. My confidence has shot out of the roof and I can finally say after so many years of dealing with self-doubt, that I'm comfortable in my own skin and appreciate life to the fullest. I was never the one who wanted to be like someone else, I knew that I was different enough to write my own story; to mark my own path; and to do it not only for myself, but for those who want to be inspired. This story isn't about me boasting about all of my accomplishments, but rather, a story that exemplifies perseverance, guts, a vision, goals, values, and most importantly, change. We all change throughout life, whether its your clothing style, personality, music choice, or who you hang around with on the weekends. My circle of friends have been the same since early high school, and I'm one week away from graduating at the University of Wilfrid Laurier (no, I'm not a business student). I have to give my support system most of the credit because they are the ones who reinforced the hope and passion within myself. They were the ones who told me my music was good when it was actually trash. That pushed me more than anything because at the end of the day, I was making music for not only myself, but for my peers to enjoy as well. By telling me I was doing well, it made me feel content with my content. In the year of 2011, I released my first mixtape titled No Telescope, the title may seem a little odd and confusing, but it was an inside joke at the time. I recorded this collection of music at a friends house who had a mini studio in his basement. From the moment after I recorded the first track I fell in love with the process. It's one thing to perform a song to yourself in your bedroom, but it's another thing to hear your voice recorded and mixed. I remember recording four tracks during the first session and being so, so, so anxious to get the songs emailed to me after the mixing was done. The moment I got the songs back and played them through, I fell in love with my music, which was a great sign that I will never forget about. Feeling the love for something I had created at the beginning of my musical journey was so vital for my future success that I didn't recognize it until I got three mixtapes deep. After releasing the initial mixtape on the Internet and to schoolmates via hard CD copies, I knew I wanted to pursue this dream with everything I had in myself. I wasn't going to take a "no" for an answer. The vast amount of love I experienced from my entire high school was phenomenal. I performed at numerous coffee houses throughout the years and every time I performed, I brought with me a massive amount of people who were ecstatic to see me do my thing, with confidence. Music changed my life so much during high school that I literally had the confidence to wear my mothers fur coat to school, on multiple occasions. I honestly did not have a single fear of anything. Skipping forward to 2014, I was working on my third mixtape, while enrolled in my first year of University. I had bought all of my own recording equipment and setup a studio in my basement cellar. The acoustics were terrible but that was the only place where I could record during the summer nights without waking my parents up. I would stay up until 4 in the morning, constantly writing new songs and recording them. My third mixtape was entitled The Blurry Image and it was the first mixtape I had released in University. I posted it in many Facebook groups hoping that people would click on the Datpiff link and give it a listen. Many did, but many also didn't. I received a handful of DMs from students who enjoyed it and thought it was neat I was partaking in such creativity. This was another example of the power of love and the power of people. Messages that arrived in my inbox were a constant reminder that I was doing something well and clearly on the right path. Performances decreased at this time, but that was okay with me because education at that time was something that I had to put more focus into. Nonetheless, I was catching myself writing songs when I actually should have been studying or working on assignments. One very important distinction that came to me during a not so pleasant time in my life was the fact that I wasn't valuing my talent as much as I should have been, during times of hardship. Nowadays, reminding myself that I make dope music that people can vibe to is something I do every single day. When times are tough and I'm feeling down on myself, a reminder of my skill-set is something that pushes me in validating my personal worth. In 2015, I went through a mini identity crisis that ended up altering a big part of the music I was creating. I knew who I was outside of music, but when it came to my identity as a musician, I didn't know if my image was the correct one. After talking to numerous people about possibly quitting music and moving onto something in life, I came to a realization that back when I started doing this music thing, I started it in hopes of reaching my goal, which was to make it big, and not just quit out of no where years down the line. I had put too much work and effort into creating my brand and fan base to just abandon everyone and leave without a legitimate reason. I went through a month-long hiatus and realized that music was always going to be a part of me no matter what. This mini identity crisis lead to a change in my stage name, from Kryptonick to Nicky Columbus. I felt that this was necessary because with a name like Nicky Columbus, it allowed for me to branch off into new musical genres without feeling like I was tied down to just rap and hip-hop. Nicky Columbus was a more broadened name that could fit and work with any genre of music, whereas Kryptonick sounded like a rap name. This past New Years Eve was a very low-key night for me; all of my friends were out of town and I was left at home, chilling out with my parents. I decided not to force any plans with people who were asking around, and decided to work on the studio I was developing in my basement underneath the staircase. I was sipping on some Sleeman, jamming out to some instrumentals and enjoying the personal time with myself, working on something that could have the potential to make my musical sound even better than what it was at the time. After experiencing that night and reflecting back on the countless of years that I had been making music, I saw a progression in my drive, and that was also something I valued because if I were stay in the basement cellar, recording music in a space where the acoustics were awful, I would have not retuned my sound to make it sound better; I would have kept on pumping out "okay" sounding quality music. I finally wanted to experience that next level quality that I knew I had to achieve in order to make a name for myself. It is now April 2016, and I'm currently in the works of making my 5th mixtape, which should be coming out in this upcoming summer, and hoping this one makes some noise beyond my city boarders. For the first time ever, I'm planning on diversifying my sound that will incorporate Hip-Hop/Pop/RNB. Ever since the studio under the basement staircase has been finished, I've been constantly grinding away and perfecting my talent. I've noticed numerous changes, for the better, in both my writing skills and how the music quality sounds. I am forever grateful that I found music, because it honestly changed my life so much, and it has me loving life for the first time ever. I have a passion for music, and boy, is it ever strong.

Hi my name is Jordan Bishop and this is #MyCanada story. I was born in a tiny farm town in Ontario. When I was six years old, I got a paper route so that I could pay my way through university. Like all Canadians, I've known my entire life that I would never allow my humble roots to keep me from doing great things. I dreamed of the big city and its endless possibilities, but everyday - even as a young boy - I put in the work to one day make that dream a reality. Fast forward to today. I'm 24, and I've lived all over the world, yet wherever I go, I'm still 100% Canadian. Your roots go with you no matter what happens, and thankfully for me, my roots make me the best I can be. This is my life, and this is #myCanada. It goes further and takes from my core values; integrity, generosity, empathy and diversity. With my foundational values it creates an avenue for my passions to come to fruition.  My passion is to see and experience the whole world, and I won't stop until I do. I have a singular focus on creating deep connections with people from all walks of life, and it's my drive that has enabled me to share such raw experiences with families in Argentina, farmers in China, cyclists in South Africa, and a lot more. The stories (@jrdnbshp) are just getting started.

 Hi my name is Maryam Jafari and this is my #MyCanada story. I am Persian, born in Spain, yet I call Canada my home. Growing up, I struggled with the question of where I am from every time I was asked. I knew that being Canadian meant that I had to have been born elsewhere because of my middle eastern features. Yet, there I was, not being able to call Iran or Spain home, because I never held any roots there. I usually would just say I am Iranian because of my parents. However, these days, I call myself a proud Iranian- Canadian, all because of my mother. It was June 18, 1989, my mother was twenty-seven years old with two boys, ages nine and seven, and one tiny one and a half year old girl, came to Canada from Spain all on her own, all because someone told her that across the Atlantic Ocean there lies a land of opportunities. My mother was led into a shelter with three kids when she claimed refugee, knowing that there was no turning back to Iran, especially at a time of war (Iran and Iraq). My mother began working as a translator, in the shelter, because she learned to speak Spanish while in Spain. Gradually, my mother started getting small jobs here and there, and the local government services helped her settle in Scarborough. My mother went to school, learned English, provided for my brothers and I, and made sure we received the education we deserved, all on her own. Twenty- nine years later, tears come to my eyes each time I reminisce about my past. I’m not going to lie, there were some hardships in our lives, my mother, brothers and I, yet my mom never let us feel the lack of belonging in this county. Because of Canada, and its opportunities, my mom raised three children all on her own. #mycanada is the land of opportunities across the Atlantic Ocean. #mycanada is the land that helped my mom shows her children that anything is possible and that every one has a right to education and the right to stay away from war. #mycanada showed my mother that her children are lucky. She now works for a huge organization, Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre, in which she helps new mothers, that are a majority of newcomers, build a healthy family lifestyle and raising their children without missing any opportunities that Canada has for them. Living in Toronto, I have learned that I belong, that my uniqueness is appreciated, that my past is accepted, that I can always try, try again. Canada is truly a land of opportunities and acceptance that allowed my mother, my brothers and I live healthy lifestyles. #mycanada is my proud Iranian - Canadian mother, for she would not be that strong mother she is if it wasn’t for her acceptance as a single Iranian mother of three in Canada. So ask me now where I am from, and I’ll proudly say, I am from Canada, that I am Canadian.

Hi my name is Lacey Koughan and this is my #MyCanada story. I'm a 17 dancer and I'm from Charlottetown, PE. For my first semester of the 11th grade I decided to do something different with my education. I took a course called the "Independent Study" that my high school offers. Instead of taking 3 other courses, like most students do each semester, I took just one. I made the independent study my goal. I wanted to see how much I could learn outside of the classroom. So, from September - February out of school and into the world! It was incredible. I spent a month travelling through Europe with my mom. We explored throughIceland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. During this month I learned an unbelievable amount about myself and I was inspired in every place we visited. We were travelling throughout Europe during the heat of the refugee arrivals which gave my experience such a unique perspective. We saw the boarders closing, trains shutting down, and we were immersed in literally thousands and thousands of refugees. Experiencing this In person is a totally different thing than just watching a video or hearing about it on the radio. I had young refugee girls coming up to me pulling on my clothes with such strong eye contact. This made me feel incredibly sad. I couldn't eat, I didn't want to do anything and I was so shocked by the situation. I lost sleep, couldn't focus during the day and all I could think about is how can I help. After Europe, I spent time travelling through Ottawa, Toronto, and Oakville by myself. I LOVE TORONTO! I had an awesome time being independent and learning as I went along. But anytime I saw a homeless person, or heard anything about the refugees, I was back to that feeling I've never had before. I wanted to help. I didn't know how, but I knew that I had to do something about it because it was truly making me lose sleep. When I got back to PEI around Christmas, my family and I helped out with an organization on Christmas morning that delivers gifts and food to families in need (not necessarily refugee families). I felt so incredibly amazing while I was doing this and I knew I wanted to continue helping people! I began making up Christmas gift bags and cards that I gave to the homeless people in my town which included food, hats, mitts, etc. I also volunteered to perform and dance at a benefit for Syrian children, which made me so so so so so happy- it was an amazing night. My semester came to an end, and I had to do a final presentation to prove that I learned things outside of school. I decided to do my presentation at a brand new theatre in town which was pretty expensive..lnstead of charging people an entrance fee, I decided to take donations for refugee families coming to PEI! So everybody that came to my presentation made a donation! I'm currently in the process of seeing how the money would be most beneficial to newcomers in PEI. When I heard about your line with Norm Kelly supporting refugee youth in Toronto I was PUMPED. Literally screamed and told my mom I wanted to order stuff for my birthday to support the cause as much as I can! I am so proud to be Canadian- having companies like you, doing amazing things, supporting others - while In style! I just signed the registration to open my own business in Charlottetown at age 16! I'm opening a dance school called 24dancePEI. I am hoping to have 3 classes a week, hip-hop and musicals theatre. I decided to open the classes up to refugee children for free if they wish to join. Dance is a universal language that everyone can come together and have fun with. I am more than excited to get going with my new business and continuing to help out fellow brothers and sisters around world ! Your company is amazing, I can't wait to sport some new PC gear and know that I'm helping others at the same time! I am chasing my passions of working with kids, helping others, being active and combining them into one awesome job. To me, a passion is something you really can totally immerse yourself in and love every second of it. Something you love so much you want to share with others. Not caring what other people's opinions are, sticking to your heart and following through because you love it that much. Taking risks, making sacrifices so that you can be as happy as possible.

Hi my name is Amanda Yeung and this is #MyCanada story. I was born and raised in Mississauga but when I was younger my family and I would drive downtown to go to Chinatown to see a Chinese herbal doctor. We would always exit the QEW at Spadina and at the stop light there would always be homeless people asking for money or food. I was 8 years old when I first packed a juice box and a granola bar in my bag and when we arrived to that exit one day I asked my parents if I could give my juice box and granola to the man by rolling my window down. But my parents being parents said no - scared of what could happen, that was a tug in my heart for quite a few years.  Fast forward to high school I had the opportunity to do sandwich runs and fulfilling a dream of mine - to interact and talk to the homeless as another human being as you and I. No one wants to be homeless and society has that stigma that they want to be on the streets or hopeless. Life sometimes just goes wrong and we have absolutely no control over it. I also went on a volunteer trip three years ago to Peru and honestly - I learned a lot. We were helping build orphanages, working with and playing with children and meeting their parents - this was in a garbage dump community. Meaning their parents worked in the garbage dump while they stayed outside - a more recent regulation that had occurred. We went in the garbage dump and met the parents, it was really eye opening because being born in Canada we don't know where our garbage goes to. One little girl that I played with named Angie stuck with me throughout the day. She reminded and taught me to cherish the simple things in life, I don't need the most glamorous apparel or gadgets to be happy. To cherish friends and family. I've always loved working with children and it broke my heart when we were leaving when she asked me if I was coming back to visit on Saturday. With the help of my translator I told her I wasn't - it tore my heart to pieces. I still remember the emotions I felt on that day three years ago. For the first few months and the next year after I left I really wished I moved down to Trujillo, Peru to help - abandoning my safe bubble environment in Toronto. But, realistically in grade 11/12 I had to finish school. I hope to visit and support the organization I was working with once again. As another human being, I would like to be able to change - whether create little or big changes in the future - through the arts and design and collaborate with other creatives through fashion, graphic design, photography and other talents others may have to create a community - just like you do at Peace Collective.  Passion to me is chasing the ambitions whatever it may be that makes you breathe, what inspires you to wake up in the morning - with the mindset to achieve greater, for you to continuously strive to be better. It makes you - you. It may or may not be one passion it can be several depending on the individual, it can change over time as we are humans continuously evolving.  Doing things that I am enduringly in love with, even if it means to step out of my comfort zone - to be different. It may not be a straight forward, smooth like butter path but if I put my heart, soul and mind into it I would be one step closer to chasing my passion and letting go of self-doubt of not being good enough and taking a step and just give it a try. There is a possibility of achieving greater, and having a meaningful life.