I want to tell your story

The residents which I have met so far in the Lakeland Region are exceptionally diverse. I am fascinated with meeting new people and have become an observer of people over the course of my career.

First of all, everyone has a story and during my travels, throughout Canada, I have been able to get people to talk and share moments of their lives. The truth is I have always been able to do this. It wasn’t something I learned in college or university. I developed this gift at a young age, I will simply talk to anyone and everyone. Anyone who has met me in the Lakeland or Canada can vouch for this. My mom would regularly have to drag me away from people when I was younger because I was full of questions. Well, the truth is I am still like that, creating a good story means finding and verifying important or interesting information and then presenting it in a way that engages the audience. Not everything is newsworthy, however, if you have a special gift, piece of history, or hobby that you would like to tell me about I am all ears.

I believe there are lots of residents in the Lakeland Region who have an untold variety of concerns and interests. A good story is about something the audience decides is interesting or important. Things are happening all the time in this community and I can’t cover everything. It’s simply impossible, but I will try my hardest to make it happen.

There are often unusual and interesting aspects of other people’s lives that are not particularly significant to society as a whole, however, I have a vast interest in humans. I would like to tell your story, maybe you have a struggle you would like me to help you with.

I recently was able to bring the community together to help a lady in Cold Lake who had her bike stolen. The business community stepped up and purchased the new bike. This is not my first time bringing people together with my special gift to help someone. I did some pretty amazing things and wrote some great stories while working in Fort Saskatchewan and North of 60 in the NWT. From helping a Newfoundland woman fight and win her long-term disability after being cut off by the company, to being on stage taking photos with Canadian rock legend Tom Cochrane, my days were packed full of helping bring the community together while reporting the news. I helped raise money for sick dogs many times when the families had nowhere else to turn and clothed the homeless in Yellowknife with winter jackets from the generosity of Canadian Tire when I thought they would freeze to death and become my next story.

I don’t have an ego and I am not tooting my own horn here, I just want the Lakeland Region to know that I am here to help. I never judge people. When you’re down and out, you never think you’re going to be up again. Trust me I have been there. Sometimes everyone needs a helping hand. But I can’t help you if we don’t meet and you don’t ask. That’s why I am writing this, I look forward to providing the same quality of work to the residents of the Lakeland Region with a news company that cares.

A tough gig 

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has helped me to get to this point in my career. Without your kindness and support, I really think things would be different now.

Going where the story takes me and being on the frontline as news happens is pretty exciting I admit, but I have also faced some tough days throughout the last four years. Not every day is roses in this profession and lots of times I see things nobody should ever have to witness.

My job enables me to hear and see some of the harsher stories in life and then I must report them to the world.

Being a very compassionate person makes this part of my job the toughest. I have witnessed a lot of death during my career. But being strong is something I am capable of. My heart breaks for the families involved when I have to announce that their loved one has been killed in a terrible accident or missing and I often have secret cries at my desk with the door locked or in my car. I have hugged many people at terrible scenes, mostly strangers who I have never met, but who instantly feel my compassion and love. I have cried a lot of tears in the last four years during my career, mostly alone, or with a stranger in my arms.

When I decided on this career, I always said, I would go where my camera takes me. It has taken me to some pretty good places and some very horrific ones. But I’m still standing and I would like to thank the people I have met and helped in my career for always being kind to me and never forgetting my love for humans. Yes, I get a lot of messages at Christmas time from people who say I am their angel. I’m just me, doing a job that I truly love.

This journey of Journalism Life is far from over and it now has landed me in Bonnyville with Lakeland Connect.

There are often unusual and interesting aspects of other people’s lives that are not particularly significant to society as a whole, however, I have a vast interest in humans. I would like to tell your story, let’s chat, please invite me to everything and I will record those special moments in history. Or maybe I could help your family. Why?

Because I care and so does Lakeland Connect.

“Let your life reflect the faith you have in God. Fear nothing and pray about everything. Be strong, trust God’s word, and trust the process.”

Arthur@lakelandconnect.thedev.ca