Jelena Vermilion (she/her) is a trans woman who is also a sex worker. She fights stigma and demands respect for her community in news interviews, at protests, at church. In 2020 she talked about the financial hit when in-person work wasn’t possible. Now Jelena’s not just explaining the realities of sex work, she’s preserving them – at the library!
When gathering for powwows wasn’t possible in 2020, many people felt lonely and isolated. To raise their spirits, an Algonquin woman wrote a feature about dancing at powwows. That story resonated with producer Gabrielle McMann, who is Anishinaabe. And when the two women connected for this episode, they discovered just how much their paths are intertwined.
Chantelle Krupka wanted to see her son on Mother’s Day 2020. Instead she was tased and shot by police outside her home. It was two weeks before George Floyd was murdered. Chantelle’s still here, still healing, and wants her voice to be heard.
Season 2 of We Met U When… is the result of a lot of hard work and creative collaboration. In this episode, we take you behind the scenes to see what challenged us and surprised us. Our production teams share struggles, bonding moments, even some interviews that didn’t make it into the first four episodes.
A 2013 article about art therapy helping people living with Alzheimer’s disease caught the eye of We Met U When…host Matisse Chik, an exchange student on our team. Matisse had no idea that tracking down art therapist Kirsten Camartin would lead him closer to his own family back in Europe.
As a teenager raising money for concussion research in 2013, Allison Haggart gave a lot of interviews. Often while still feeling the side effects of her own concussion. Allison will never forget the impact of those news stories – and one interview in particular.
This episode of We Met U When…came as a surprise. When we contacted a researcher about her 2013 quote in Maclean’s, a national Canadian news magazine, it was news to the researcher! She had no idea she’d been quoted in that publication. Now a seasoned interviewee, Jessica Maxwell shares her experiences as a source and we explore informed consent and best practices in journalism.
Coco Ma’s outstanding talent made news headlines in 2013 when she was a young teen. Already an accomplished classical pianist, she was on her way to international performances, alongside legendary musicians. We Met U When… tracks down Coco ten years later and discovers this artist’s passion remains but so much of her life has changed.
“I’m so proud of the students who produced the very first season of We Met U When… It was fascinating to see how much they grew and learned in just 12 weeks so I asked if they would be willing to tell you a bit about that experience. Have a listen to students from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Advanced Podcasting/Radio Documentary class share behind the scenes moments, lessons learned and what will stay with them as they advance their journalism careers.” – Shari Okeke
Michael Hinds is extremely wary of journalists. For years he agreed to do interviews with reporters covering stories in his neighbourhood. Too many of those experiences had a negative impact on him – and his community work. So he’s been refusing most interview requests for nearly a decade. Now he’s talking to We Met U When…about the stories that get lost when interviews cause harm.