The Canadian Love Map

This girl is the definition of a powerhouse! This 23-year-old girl rocks the gym and trains like there's no tomorrow. From body-building competitions, coaching, and her crochet side hustle she does it all. But her journey to get here is one of inspiration, motivation and learning how to love herself.

This is a story about powerful young women, finding family in friends and what it means to live your best life.

This couple met during the pandemic on the popular game "Minecraft." What Abbi thought was "just friends" - Phillip always wanted more. Once the restrictions got lifted and life started to look normal again, Phillip and his other online friends met with Abbi in Halifax and thats when they both realized they needed to be together. Fast-forward to now and the big "will you marry me" question popped just last week!

This is a story about young love, long-distance and international relationships.
 

This newly-wed couple met while working at a movie theatre. Their modern love story started with friendship and soon grew into a sitcom-worthy romance. Both movie buffs, Alex and Corina share a love for the cinema, and specifically the show Friends has played a starring role in their lives. They are a real-life Chandler and Monica as their relationship took a while to get off the ground, but is now full of entertaining and sweet memories, including a Friends-inspired candlelit proposal.

For Alex and Corina, shared passions, humour, and appreciation of the simple everyday moments are at the core of this special connection.

When these two left for their trip to Portugal, they were JUST friends... but they came back in love. Meet Colette and Ezra, two adventurous souls who found each other in the classic friends-to-lovers trope. Now, one baby and building Colette's dream Boutique Inn later... these two are living the dream they've always wanted.

This is a story about dreaming big, sharing goals, adventuring together and learning to love later in life.
 

Today's love story comes from BJ & Frank from Toronto, ON.

What began as a photo taken of their child being born - turned into a whirlwind of political hatred and a very long lawsuit. Meet BJ & Frank: teachers, adventurers and fathers. And while their son, Milo, was born, a photo was taken of him in the arms of his fathers. However, this photo was stolen by a right-wing political party in Italy for a campaign AGAINST gay parents. Fast forward 7 years and a very long lawsuit later, BJ and Frank win the case and share their story with us.

Today's love story comes from Randy & Jocelyne Robinson of Vancouver, BC.

This mother-son duo graduated from university one day apart and kept their bond as close as ever. Randy, who graduated in law and Jocelyn with her PhD in education and sciences, these two are an unstoppable pair.

Now, six years after grad, they join us to share what they have been up to since their graduation and teach us a thing or two about how they stayed so close and what family means to them.

Today's love story comes from Mark Brand from Vancouver, BC.

What started as an idea, a thought, a dream - turned into a foundation that impacted millions and continues to grow. Mark is an example that if you want something and have ideas to get there, you can. He took the problem of food insecure individuals in Canada, used his love of cooking, and made a token program that gave people food that needed it.
Now, Mark can be seen spreading his message on TED Talks and around the globe to feed as many people as he can.

With grief and loss, comes hope and new beginnings. Meet Arta, a Kosovo-born woman who had to flee her country during the war and start anew with her family in Canada. She moved 25 years ago, went to college to graduate in journalism and now, Arta has a family and a life in Nova Scotia. She now shares her experience in Kosovo, living in refugee camps, life as a new Canadian and her advice to fellow new Canadians trying to navigate a new life.

This is a story about vulnerability, learning new things and being proud of where you're from, while also embracing where you are.

What started as an innocent meeting at dance class, turned into something magical. Steph and Katie fell head-over-heels for each other and decided that they would travel the world together all while documenting their adventures. With Steph's tech and videography skills paired with Katie's passion for storytelling and creativity - these two were ready to take on the world! Now, you can find the pair on Instagram @Lezseetheworld and join them on their adventures and journey to find queer-accepted spots across the globe.

This is a story about following your heart, vulnerability online and being proud of who you are.

Today's story comes from Greg Scott & Hali ScottSmith from Hornby Island, BC.

Finding common ground with your child can be tough (especially during those pre-teen years), but Greg Scott made it his mission to not only form genuine bonds with both his children - but share it with the rest of the world. From taking his son to bike across Canada together and then taking his daughter, Hali, to ski all 44 slops in BC within 44 days. His bond with his children was a gift he wanted to share with everyone - and that blossomed into the "Tidbits of Change Foundation."

This is a story about strong parental/mentor bonding, finding activities to share with your children and learning to value quality time while your kids grow.

Today's story belongs to Melanie Chambers, of London, Ontario.

High school is tough for most, but harder when you have a bully. Melanie shares how she, years later, reached out to her high school bully for questions and received not only answers - but a new friend. She uncovers how meeting her bully years after high school impacted her, how she moved forward and the life she lives now with a new attitude!

Listen to hear the lessons she learned from high school that carried on into her 40s. This is a story about tackling trauma, starting new adult friendships, and most of all, love.

Today's story belongs to Fran and Matt, of Mississauga, Ontario.

Although every marriage is special, some are just made of tougher stuff. Fran and Matt, for example, are celebrating a big anniversary this year: seventy years. It was 1954 the year Fran and Matt, two young lovers from humble farming backgrounds, decided to tie the knot. Over the past seven decades, the two learned what it meant to keep a marriage together through tick and thin, good times and bad.

Listen to hear the lessons they've learned and the secrets to keeping a marriage alive and thriving. This is a story about patience, dedication, and most of all, love.

Lots of families bond over baking, but very few take that fondness to the next level. If you ask Belinda and Carol, they'd say it was a no-brainer. Carol's fearless nature and impeccable baking talents paired splendidly with her daughter's business acumen and tenacity, resulting in the now-iconic High Tea Bakery.

By using simple, locally-sourced ingredients in classic recipes handed down through generations and by providing warm, personal customer service, High Tea Bakery has become a premiere business in Winnipeg. The mother/daughter duo has served for countless weddings, birthdays, and celebrations in the Winnipeg area and beyond, serving a wide-reaching clientele (including the late Queen Elizabeth II).

The pandemic was a strange and challenging time for everyone, but amidst the darkness there were opportunities for joy. Many rekindled relationships with friends and family, or immersed themselves in the hobbies and pass times working life separated them from years ago.

That was certainly the case for Pierena and Amanda, a mother and daughter duo that took to the impressive task of writing and publishing their first novels over the pandemic. Pierena and her daughter always shared a close relationship with each other as well as the art of prose.

The experience brought these two women even closer together. Through her mother's writing, Amanda got to see a side of Pierena she had never seen before. And through Amanda's writing, Pierena drew her own inspiration, propelling her authorship to new heights.

Today's story comes from Mary Jane Copps of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Natasha Marchewka of Santa Clarita, California. This story started decades ago, when a then 23-year-old MJ got together with 12-year-old Natasha's divorced father. Almost immediately, MJ grew deeply attached to Natasha and her younger sister, and embraced her new title of step-mother. And although the marriage with her father came to an end, MJ's connection with Natasha endured this breakup and evolved into a new kind of relationship: best friends.

For a lot of new mothers, an unexpected part of the journey comes when figuring out your "new normal." After all, having a baby radically changes your day-to-day lifestyle, especially for mothers.

For the free-spirited, hard-rocking Farideh, motherhood meant having to step away from the lifestyle of a touring musician and into a new kind of spotlight. After years touring the country with her band, Rosie and the Riveters, Farideh found herself settling into a new life at home with her daughter. Following her passion to entertain, Farideh threw herself into comedy, eventually finding a new audience on TikTok and Instagram.

Growing up can be tough, especially if you're juggling the responsibilities of childhood with the anxiety of caring for an ailing parent. For Paul, his mother's bipolar disorder was a constant fixation of his young life. It was a weight he carried with him wherever he went... that is until he first stepped foot onto a basketball court.

While pursuing athletics, Paul felt a sense of stability and control he hadn't yet known. He was a gifted basketball player, and his passion for the game would eventually secure him an exciting career in sports broadcasting. But all that time, Paul never forgot how hard it was to care for his mother at such a young age. This would eventually inspire Paul to share his experience vulnerably in a new children's book, The Backpack.

His mission: to let young people struggling with mental illness in their family know that they are never alone.

Today's story belongs to Alicia and Tyson, originally from Newfoundland and Manitoba, respectively.
Adventure, freedom, and excitement. Many of us have daydreamed about shedding our familiar patterns and embracing the unknown, but very few of us bring these fantasies to life. That's not the case for Alicia and Tyson.

Alicia, a busy entrepreneur and self-described hoarder, couldn't possibly have expected that, when a mutual friend introduced her to Tyson online, her whole life would change. Tyson was her opposite in many ways: a quiet, thoughtful minimalist with a restless appetite for adventure.

Together, this unlikely pair would push each other to embrace opportunity, so when the chance to move out of Alicia's Truro, NS home and into a vintage Airstream trailer year-round, they committed 100 percent.
So, how do two opposites attract in such a powerful way? How do you downsize from a 2400 square foot house to a 180 square foot trailer? Listen to find out!

Today's story belongs to Shellie Ann Tobin and Danielle MacDonald, originally from New Waterford, Cape Breton Island.

The East Coast of Canada is steeped in a rich musical tradition that binds families, communities, and generations together. This is the world that Shellie and Danielle were born into. The two sisters grew up singing together and with the people closest to them, but when Danielle married into a military family and moved away, it was the music that kept these siblings connected.

Having always yearned to perform music professionally, Shellie and Danielle's dream was put on pause until one fateful day when Shellie received an unexpected call from her younger sister, who said, "I'm moving back home, let's do this."

Now, the singing sisters form two halves of their band, Hearts of Kin, and the dream they shared together growing up has become a beautiful reality.

Today's story belongs to Awele Oye-Onwuka from Lagos, Nigeria (and from Antigonish, Nova Scotia).

Like many young people in Canada today, Awele is an international student hailing from the lively, busy city of Lagos, Nigeria. Awele loved growing up in Nigeria, having extremely close relationships to family and neighbours alike. That said, even as a young girl Awele planned on travelling abroad for her studies.

Her original plan was to study in France, and if not France, then somewhere else in Europe. It was at her parents' urging that she began to research alternate destinations for study, which eventually led Awele to discover a small university in the quiet town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Taking a huge leap of faith, Awele chose St. Francis Xavier University, and a few short years later, has now found herself loving the school and town that she has come to call her own. Now, she shares her excitement and love for St. FX to prospective students, inspiring them with her story of courage, curiosity, and compassion.

Have you ever wondered what became of your high school sweetheart? For former flames Anita and Kevin, this common curiosity became a window of opportunity two decades after the young couple parted ways. However, a series of coincidental synchronicities kept the two connected.   

Having broken up at the end of high school, Anita and Kevin would both go on to meet new lovers during their college years, eventually getting married and starting families. Neither could shake the deep connection they shared when they were together as kids, and when both marriages ended in separation, the smouldering embers of their former love began to burn brightly again.

Like many children, Julia struggled with reading. This would become a source of strife and insecurity for the young girl, until she found her fit in competitive canoe kayaking. In the world of sports Julia excelled. Her dedication and commitment would lead her to the top of her game, and eventually, the Olympics in 2000.

After the games, it was time for a new challenge, so Julia threw herself into entrepreneurship. At the time, her son Max started to have his own struggles with reading. Not wanting Max to feel the same insecurity she had felt in school, Julia would go to found and launch Squiggle Park, a learning platform that gamifies literacy education. The goal at first was simple: find a better way for her own son to learn how to read. The impact, however, became much larger than that.

Deb's story belongs like many love stories do: girl meets boy at a bar and the two fall for each other. The "boy" in question was Ty, Deb's late husband. Deb and Ty had built the perfect life together with happy, healthy kids, and a gainful career working as a seniors' home executive. This idyllic life would be shaken to it's core when Ty, out of the blue, started to experience the debilitating symptoms of an extremely rare disease. The next few years of their lives were dedicated to the search for answers. As Deb ferociously pursued a diagnosis for her ailing husband, an inevitable conclusion lingered on the couple's horizon: that Ty's needs would eventually bring him to a long-term care home.

Following Ty's passing, Deb would quit her corporate job and start her own consultancy and training business, dedicated to preserving the memory of Ty by helping to foster the kind of human, relational conversations between staff and family that lead to better care for the residents.

How do you communicate with the world? This weeks guest seeks connection through the stories she shares as a filmmaker, actor and journalist. Jackie Torrens is one of Canada’s brightest talents. Winning awards for performances on stage and screen, she has directed multiple critically acclaimed feature documentaries and broken glass ceilings as a writer. There is a good chance you’ve been moved to laughter or tears by her work on screens small and big, over the last 25 years.

Her creative love letters to the world are informed by a childhood filled with tragedy and an adolescence that forced her to firmly stand on her own two feet. But as you’ll hear, Jackie has an inner strength that has propelled her through any obstacle society and fate threw at her. Today, her life is full of love, joy and new opportunities to tell us stories, in ways only she can.