“Atlantic Canada is often criticized for the size of its population, its isolation, its resource-based economy, its lack of diversity, its perpetual quest for prosperity. That was all I saw too—once upon a time.”

Home Sweet Home

When I was in seventh grade, I wanted to be an international news correspondent. This wasn’t just your typical transitory teenage here-today-gone-tomorrow “I want to be a… ” type of thought. It was a definitive goal. And I was determined.

Around the time I turned 13, it seemed like every adult I knew was asking what I planned to do when I grew up. I felt like I needed to have an answer—right. now. So I thought about what I enjoyed, what I thought I was good at and what was important to me. It came down to reading, writing and following political leadership campaigns (1983’s three-way throwdown between John Crosbie, Brian Mulroney and Joe Clarke was a particular favorite). I added my so-called talents together and came up with “journalist”.

At the time, I imagined my future self travelling to war zones, covering international politics, winning Pulitzers. Atlantic Canada, I thought, was too small for my dreams. Such was the arrogance of my youth.

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