Iggy interviews a Communications Specialist

Today I got to interview Miss Lois.

She and her husband Mark are the owner/operators of Reel Impact Communications. They do video production and they publish a community newspaper called The Madawaska Highlander.

Hi Miss Lois!

Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed today!

It’s my pleasure and an honour for me to be interviewed by you Iggy.

Gee thanks Miss Lois! 

Where were you born?

I was born in Winnipeg Manitoba late in the 1950s. (That’s a long time ago, but for me doesn’t seem so long.) Winnipeg is the Capital city of Manitoba, which is part of Canada. Being a capital city means that’s where the government is. They are the ones who make rules about things so everyone knows what to do. The government building has a dome on top of it with the Golden Boy statue way up top. The Golden Boy looks more like a young man. He is running forward carrying a torch in one hand and a bundle of wheat in the other. I always wondered how they got him up there. He’s so big!

What’s a special memory you have as a kid growing up?

Oh my, it’s hard to choose. I have so many special memories. My two brothers and two sisters and I had a very happy childhood. I remember Mum and Dad taking us for a drive to see the farms and the “ghost houses” that had been abandoned on the prairie in the 1930s during the dustbowl drought there in the Great Depression. It was strange to walk around places where kids used to play and do chores and peek inside. Some of the houses still had dishes or furniture in them. It made me interested in history, which is stories about things that happened to people a long time ago, or not so long ago. 

What was your favorite subject at school?

I liked every subject, but my favourites were Art class and English class. I like reading and writing and doing art and crafts. 

Did you play any sports growing up?

I played lots of sports. I loved playing badminton in college. My doubles team won second place in the All Ontario tournament, which was pretty amazing. Badminton is like tennis where you hit what is called a birdie over a net to see whose side it hits the floor on. If it hits the floor on the other person’s side of the net, then you make points. It’s fun.   

Do you play any musical instruments?

I play a few, but not well enough to call myself a musician. I played the clarinette, piano, and now I like to play my big Irish drum. 

Do you prefer sweet or salty food?

Neither and both. I’m very careful about how much salt and sugar I eat. Too much of either of them isn’t good for your health, but I like sweet fruit like plums and cherries and my one salty treat is potato chips – but not too much. 

What is your favorite season? Why?

Oh boy. Choosing my favorite season is as hard as choosing my favorite color. I like them all except late fall when the daylight time is shorter and there isn't any snow on the ground to brighten things up yet. But thankfully it doesn’t last long and there are always winter lights and celebrations to brighten things up. 

Have you ever met a famous person? If yes, who was it? If not, who would you like to meet?

You! You’re getting famous because of your books and doing things like interviews and sharing your days with children. Other than you, I would say the hockey player Gordie Howe was a nice man to meet. I think he’s just like you in the way he’s famous, but doesn’t think that’s a very important thing on its own. It’s being a good person that’s important. 

Do you have any stuffies?

Not any more, but I have lots of toys. I love it when children come to visit and I can get down on the floor with them and play with LEGO or cuddle up on the couch and read them stories – things like that.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to read books, write for our newspaper and watch movies, but most of all, every evening Mark and I like to step out onto our deck and watch the deer, wild turkeys, crows and other birds, and watch the sun set in the Madawaska Highlands where we live now.  

Did you always work in the newspaper business?

No, but everything I did before gave me the skills to be able to do it. 

When and why did you start The Highlander newspaper?

We didn’t start it. My husband Mark’s mother started a weekly paper in the 1980s. It was taken over by a couple of other people and when we moved to the Madawaska Highlands in 2013, we took it over. We were lucky to be the right people with the right skills at the right time to keep it going. 

What do you like best about your job?

Well, I have a couple of jobs. One is video production and what I love about that is interviewing people, just the way you are doing now. I like to learn about what people are doing to make the world a better place. For the newspaper, I like how it connects people from all over the area. It has stories about history (which I already mentioned that I like) as well as how to be healthy and safe. I like that it’s all done by volunteers. Volunteers do things without being paid because they want to help. When you help your Mom without being asked, you are volunteering. It allows people to connect and make things nice. I love that.  

What do you find challenging about your jobs? 

I like that both jobs are challenging. If it wasn’t challenging, then it would be boring. Can you imagine staying in Kindergarten all of your life? Every grade and every bit of life should be about challenging yourself. I think that’s what I love about it. It’s always challenging without being so hard that I get discouraged. 

What skills do you think someone needs to start their own newspaper? 

My daughter and her friends started an environmental newspaper when they were in Grade 5. The skills they had were mostly about caring about what they had to say and finding a way to tell other people about it. They were encouraged by their teachers, which shows you should never be shy to ask for help. It works the same way for grownups. You don’t have to know everything when you start. Just see what works and don’t be afraid to take a chance on your dreams. If that dream doesn’t work out the way you hoped, then you have learned something that will help you with your next dream. 

If a kid wanted to be a newspaper publisher someday, what advice would you give them?

As you say, Iggy, if you want to do something then blow up that balloon! If it pops or floats away, blow up another one. Just keep trying and keep dreaming, because if you don’t dream, then how are you ever going to make a dream come true? (Of course, when I say to blow up a balloon, I don’t mean to keep blowing up actual balloons. I mean keep trying and keep learning.)

Thanks so much for spending this time with me Miss Lois.

I really appreciate it!

As I said when I started, the pleasure is mine. I am happy that you interviewed me. That’s how we learn from one another. Take care and keep being you!