Creativity, Curiosity, Community: The Curiosity Club

Today's story belongs to Jackie, of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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.

She and producer Jessica Brown own & operate Peep Media, a female-owned production company based in Halifax. Their films for CBC, the Documentary Channel, and Bravofactual include Edge of East, My Week on Welfare, Small Town Show Biz and their most recent, Bernie Langille Wants to Know Who Killed Bernie Langille, which premiered at Hot Docs in 2022 & won WIFT-AT’s Best Director, Best Documentary at the FIN Atlantic Film Festival and Best Atlantic Filmmaker from the Lunenburg Documentary Festival.

She was nominated for a Gemini for her writing on Trailer Park Boys. For 10 years, she was a regular contributor and guest host for CBC Radio. Torrens’ CBC radio documentaries include The Poet Laureate of Youth Now, which received an Atlantic Journalism Award & also Camp Mini Ha Ha, which received a CBC Award of Excellence. As a playwright, her play Georama premiered at the National Arts Center. As an actor, theatre highlights include playing Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Katurian in Martin MacDonaugh’s Pillowman, and Liz in Daniel MacIvor’s A Beautiful View at Neptune Theatre. Read more about her amazing career here.

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.

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

This love story belongs to Emily Szuch of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, and Jared Szuch of Calgary, Alberta.

February 29th - it's a date so special that it only happens every four years. For many of us, however, it may come and go without much spectacle. But for Emily and Jared, February 29th is the day that the two tied the knot. Four years of marriage later, the couple prepares to celebrate their first official anniversary.

In this episode, Nancy has a conversation with the couple about how the two met, their shared passion for adventure and the outdoors, and their decision to choose such a unique date for their wedding. The couple are also joined by their rambunctious two-month-old, Addison.

So, how does a couple celebrate four years of marriage in one anniversary? You'll have to listen to find out!

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

This love story belongs to Gerald Knowlton of Calgary, Alberta and Spencer Purdy of Vancouver, British Columbia.

These two men share a strange bond that binds them together across three generations: a decommissioned railway station. Gerald is part of a rare breed of Canadians who actually lived in the railway stations that used to dot the prairies. His father was the railway agent and was the one responsible for connecting the small rural town of Standard, Alberta, to the rest of the country and beyond. Memories from Gerald's unique formative years came to shape the man he would become, and form the foundation of the values he would go on to share to his own children and, eventually, grandchildren.

One of those grandchildren is Spencer Purdy, a visual artist, designer, and architect. When Gerald was approached by the town of Standard to erect a monument to the long-since demolished station, he knew that his grandson was the one for the job. And just like that, grandfather and grandson became partners in this project.

The resulting structure is a love letter not only to a way of life that has vanished across the country, but also to a father from a son, and to a grandfather from a grandson.

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

This story belongs to Tess Monias and Payden Partaker, of Kikino, Alberta.

Fathers can play a big role in shaping the people we will become. For Tess and Payden, both of their fathers instilled in them an undying love for two Alberta NHL teams: the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames, respectively. Although the two teams and their fans are fierce rivals, the love between these two young people burned even stronger.

Before he passed, Payden went to Tess' father to ask for his blessing to marry her. The older man was overjoyed, but knew this wasn't a wedding he'd have the privilege of attending in person, and that his time on earth was short. The two men agreed to a simple pact, but with one small caveat: Payden would wait a year to allow Tess to grieve before popping the question, but would push the timeline forward if her father's spirit sent him a clear sign.

A few weeks later, he'd get his sign after winning a raffle for two tickets to an upcoming NHL game: Edmonton vs. Calgary. Now working on a shortened timeline, Payden must scramble to pull together an ambitious proposal that will pay respect to both his and Tess' late fathers. It's a story that united even the fiercest hockey rivals for a brief moment of beauty and love.

For more information and pictures of Tessa's incredible beadwork, visit https://www.facebook.com/tessascreeations/

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

This story belongs to Tyler Smith and Kat Kastner, of Calgary, Alberta. 

You may already know the story of Tyler and Kat - they're the inspirational young couple from Alberta who won the ninth season of The Amazing Race Canada. Throughout the 11-episode run, Ty and Kat (a.k.a. "TyKat") dominated in the competition's many challenges, but stood out to Canadians due to their positive attitude, their love of adventure, and their blooming relationship. Both Ty and Kat have overcome loss and heartbreak in their personal lives, which has catalyzed them to become outspoken voices in the mental health advocacy space. 

This week, and just in time for Valentines day, we are excited to share the story of their next chapter. After the trials that made them closer than ever and that moment of triumph, the amazing story of their engagement. Listen to hear how this beautiful couple met, their decision to compete in the race, and how their picture-perfect proposal narrowly avoided disaster.

For more information on Tylers mental health community. Visit notaloneco.com

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

This story belongs to Rick Glumac and Haven Lurbiecki, of Port Moody, British Columbia. 

In the journey of love, an important benchmark for many couples is a proposal. Often, a lot of time, energy, and creativity goes into planning these intricate expressions of love - but some couples can take their proposal to a whole other level.

When thinking about how and where to pop the question to Haven, Rick realized that there was one place in particular that the two shared a unique connection to, and which would make the perfectly unexpected backdrop to this proposal. It was then that Rick, unbeknownst to him, decided to become the first person in Canada to propose to their beloved... on the floor of provincial legislature.

Listen to hear how this historical proposal very nearly didn't happen, and how a shared passion for public service built the foundation of one of Canada's most unique couples.

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

This love story belongs to Debbie Adams, originally from Upper Island Cove, Newfoundland.

Opportunity is the concept that feeds our thirst to progress in life. Our role models and peers often teach us to take opportunities free of fear and baggage - that the world is our oyster.

But what if you grew up in a small, remote community that lacked role models who matched your expectations in life? From her early childhood, Debbie was the square peg, driven by a dream that one day she'd find her fit.

Life continuously threw Debbie curveballs and she herself found routes that felt like deadends.

But after all that, Debbie built her dream life. Now full of joy, experience and generosity, she has become the role model that little girl from Upper Island Cove needed.

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

If you've owned a dog or cat, you know the kind of love connection that's formed between a pet and their owner. The flipside of this unconditional love is the heartbreak and anxiety that takes place when your furry friends go missing. According to the SPCA, this happens over 1 million times a year in Canada. 

Behind each plea for help is a family worried for the wellbeing of their pet and an animal that is often scared and alone. The resources available to help recover lost pets are limited, so oftentimes the only tools available to owners are free time and goodwill.

But one couple is changing that. For the last 5 years, Mike Chapman and Lisa Johstone have given up countless days and nights, using expert skills to help track and recover lost pets. They do it totally out of pocket and ask for nothing in return. For Mike and Lisa, the real reward of this work comes from returning a beloved pet to the place they belong - with their family. 

https://www.facebook.com/MCMissingAnimalResponse/

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

As a child of the fostercare system, Katelynn grew up in constant search of what she felt she never had: stability, family, and love. A life full of challenges and devastation eventually led her down a path of self-love and self-discovery, something which she now shares with an audience of nearly 300,000 followers on Tik Tok. 

Katelynn's life hasn't been without its dark spots, but she chooses to live in the light. She uses the pain of her past to relate to an ever-growing community of women online, becoming a personification of the unconditional love she once saught so tirelessly. 

Her online presence is proof of the fact that the more love you send out into the world, the more love is reflected back at you. 

Katelynn's Tik Tok: @katelynn0009

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!

This week's story comes from Patrick Gaudet, a Tik Tok creator from Montreal. Patrick's emotional and authentic videos focus on the subjects of love, life, and relationships - and have found him a substantial following on the platform. 

Using social media as an engine for impact, Patrick and the community he formed online helped to crowdsource an act of incredible generosity, introducing the creator to an even wider audience. Today, he continues to help and inspire through his brand of radical vulnerability. 

Patrick has amassed a Tik Tok following of 310, 600, most of whom are women. 

Patrick's Tik Tok: @patrickgotit

Patrick's Instagram: @patrick.gaudet

Presented by Charm Diamond Centres

Hosted by Nancy Regan

Produced by Podstarter

Do you have a great love story? You could be the next guest on the Canadian Love Map! Apply here!