Story
I first became involved in presenting news and working in the media while studying commerce at Mount Allison University. In addition to my studies, I volunteered at the campus radio station where I hosted music shows. I aspired to work in television, so after I graduated from Mount Allison, I attended Loyalist College where I received my broadcast journalism diploma. Upon graduating, I worked briefly at a Newfoundland and Labrador radio station and in 1993, I accepted a job as an on-air reporter for The Weather Network in Montreal. I had originally applied to become a reporter doing weather news, but they felt I had great communication skills and could explain weather and climate both on television and radio. The Weather Network transferred my job to Toronto in 2000, where I remained until 2004 when I moved back to Newfoundland and Labrador to pursue a career in politics.
My greatest moments involved on-scene reporting at major storm events – particularly the Ice Storm of Montreal in 1997, and the major snowstorm in Toronto in 1999. These were emergency situations that required intense communicating and news gathering skills amid emergency situations like no other in these cities’ histories. Viewers depended on me to deliver accurate information, and there was no room for error.
It was always my top priority to bring viewers the latest and most accurate information about inclement weather so they could prepare. In 2002, I became the manager of marketing and public relations for the owners of The Weather Network, Pelmorex Inc. I was driven to improve information delivery between our network and the public, and I worked closely with management to create an All-Channel Alert to provide viewers with much-needed vital information when a natural disaster occurred in their area. The alert would also extend beyond weather events to include large-scale disasters involving transportation infrastructure or industry.
At this point in my career, I had gained a lot of experience covering major weather events – as well as its potential destruction and risk to human life. I realized that information is just as vital as food, shelter, water and medical supplies, and the All-Channel Alert provided a profound essential service that brought together citizens and government.
Impact
As I worked to get the All-Channel Alert off the ground, I assisted in getting government officials to support this innovative initiative. It was easy to get governments on board because they could have an efficient, inexpensive and effective way to communicate to the public as part of their overall emergency strategy. In effect, we took a large part of their strategy off their hands so they could concentrate on other matters.
During my time as a weather presenter, and when helping build the case for the All-Channel Alert, I learned that communicating to the public is a key factor for any organization or company to succeed and be effective. I enjoyed many aspects of the job, including fulfilling The Weather Network’s goals through effective teamwork and successful external stakeholder initiatives. I took many lessons from my job as a weather presenter and media executive into the world of politics – including convincing others to accomplish their goals through effective organization, as well as formulating goals and effectively communicating them to others.