shaheed's blog

Before I decided to make the move to Ontario I was seeking career advice from a friend and former colleague of mine, Nabil Karim. He is from B.C., he has very similar goals as I do and I’m sure that when he was beginning his career – like I am mine – he eventually wanted to end up working in Vancouver, his hometown.

Nabil ended up taking a career path to Toronto and is now working for CBC Sports, in what many people call the Center of the Universe (ironically, many of those people come from the so-called Center of the Universe itself).

Of course, being from Vancouver he and I both have had this notion ingrained in us that Toronto is the enemy, it is the privileged older sibling, it is the neighbour with the greener grass. But it was not until Nabil began to work and live in Toronto that he came to the conclusion that Toronto, well it has a buzz. And that buzz is contagious.

He told me this while I was still at school at BCIT. I took it with a grain of salt because I wanted to experience it on my own and I was inexplicably bitter towards the city (that’s the westcoaster in me speaking). But when I moved to Kitchener to work at CTV, I was looking forward to being only an hour away from Toronto because I wanted to see if the buzz was real.

I’ve been here three months now and it was not until this weekend when I spent some time in downtown Toronto with my girlfriend, when I was convinced.

There is something about the city. The buildings have character, the lights, the people, the action, all of it together creates this buzz. You really are able to feel it. And it is contagious.

I do have a goal to maybe one day end up back in Vancouver working, but if the stars were to align and I were to have a choice between Toronto and Vancouver, that decision just got a lot harder to make.

Subject: Re: a reply to your questions

Hello Shaheed,
Glad to hear you are thinking about pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. There is no better job! Most of the people I work with went to an institution with a specific broadcasting degree. I first attended University in Ottawa (U of O) and completed an arts degree with a concentration in communication.  To be honest I wasn’t even sure what i wanted to do following graduation, so you’re already a step up on me. After university I took a year off and then applied to BCIT Broadcast Journalism. Once I received that diploma (2 years) I hit the streets trying to find a job.  BCIT has a great program and is well respected in the industry (others who attended: John Shorthouse, Blake Price of TSN, Craig MaCewen of Sportsnet, Craig Neilson of BCCTV). I feel the best way to get a job in broadcast is to go to a broadcast school.  I know they have one in Toronto (Ryerson) and in Edmonton (Nate). Check out their websites, talk to as many people as you can and get started! hope this helps. dan

This message was from Dan Murphy of Rogers Sportsnet. It was when I was in grade 11 or 12 — so nearly 8 or 9 years ago. I was thinking about a career in broadcast journalism and had no idea how to get into the industry, or educate myself on the process. I thought I’d contact someone who I saw on TV everyday for advice. And to my delight, he responded.

I ended up taking a Communication degree at SFU, and then going to BCIT for broadcast journalism training (like Dan). And now, I have my start in the industry with a whole wealth of unforgettable experience. Little does he know, but that short e-mail response had a profound impact on the path of my life.

So thanks, Dan.

It has been almost three weeks since I’ve been in KW (Kitchener-Waterloo, or the Waterloo Region) and over that time I have been slowly making a home out of the apartment I am renting. I think it’s finally time to show what I’ve come up with. It’s nothing special but it was done on a budget and it is starting to feel like home.

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