My former “parking space” at the control centre of Ottawasun.com.
Long-time journalist, editor, digital content and social media manager.
Blessed to have spent so long doing something I absolutely love as a newspaper, then online news guy. Equally happy to have moved on to a great new career — Managing Editor of the Real Estate News Exchange, RENX.ca — after getting kicked to the curb in 2016 during one of the major media “downsizing events”.
It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you respond. I firmly believe that.
Part of my response was to build this personal website to show recruiters and HR managers why they should consider hiring me. And I can happily update that, apparently, it worked.
The details of my skills and experience are over on the old Hire Me page. If you have five minutes and want to know, read on to learn about what makes me tick. Some context for that homepage photo collage and the “many things” that make us all who we are.
———-
Most of my profiles say I’m originally from Mississauga.
I’m actually a Malton boy. Malton got gobbled up by the “big city”, but if you grew up there you don’t call it Mississauga either. And I love you for it.
Started working as a journalist at 17, right after graduating high school. My uncle, also named Don, helped me score a summer job stuffing flyers into the Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin and delivering the Blue Mountain Buyer’s Guide to every hitching post within 100 kilometres. The other 5 days of the week I covered small-town news and sports.
Even saw a ghost in the old E-B building. No kidding. (Rest in peace, Dave)
Got hired on full-time that fall, thus saving the publisher at least $25 a week in salary. Two years later I became a Sports Writer at the Barrie Examiner, then worked my way up to City Editor.
Moved to Ottawa in ’96 to work at the Sun and loved every minute at the “Little Paper That Grew.” Sadly, the media biz has taken some very hard kicks in sensitive places (i.e. the bottom line), so that had to end.
It stays with you, though. Journalists never stop learning, and never stop pushing forward. You start from scratch every single day but lo and behold, a brand new paper / homepage soon awaits your readers.
Then you do it all again.
In and around that you find time to pursue other passions, new and old. Fishing, canoeing and kayaking, hiking and camping are all holdovers from childhood days in 2nd Malton Cubs and Scouts, bike trips to Claireville Conservation Area and vacations at Burks Falls. Did you know that in Scouts there is actually “competitive camping”? We were good at it. Really good. Still have the ribbons to prove it.
In high school, photography and running were added to the list of personal passions. Both led to bigger things.
While in Barrie, my first football referee’s jersey found it’s way into my closet. That running background stands me in good stead even today, more than two decades later. Guess only a journalist could actually consider being yelled at by coaches, players and fans a “relief” from their job stress!
The photography, well, we all know where that led.
My social media profiles all read “proud dad” – married almost 30 years, with three great kids all in their 20s. We traipsed around Ontario and the Eastern U.S. following the boys’ sports, and spent hours cooped up in little viewing areas watching our daughter at dance and gymnastics.
Wouldn’t trade a minute of any of it. Best job you could ever have.
Which brings me full circle — to the reason this was originally written (and updated now to reflect the new career move).
I don’t need a job these days. Very happily employed once again (celebrating one year at the end of March 2018) — heck, I even work from home.
But I’m always interested in talking about the biz, or the personal interests. If you are too, feel free to click the nav bar link that says “Get in Touch.”