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  • $51,000 on Foot: How a Student Parade Became a North Bay Cancer-Fighting Tradition

    $51,000 on Foot: How a Student Parade Became a North Bay Cancer-Fighting Tradition
    2025/06/17
    What started as a single student’s idea over 30 years ago has become one of North Bay’s most powerful grassroots traditions.

    Every year, students at West Ferris Secondary School put on their running shoes and take to the streets for the Trojan Parade for Cancer — a 7-kilometre walk through the city that has raised over $600,000 for cancer research and care locally.

    In this episode, Lisa sits down with West Ferris teacher Mark Robertson, grade 9 student Mallory and North Bay Regional Health Center Foundation CEO Tammy Morison to talk about how the parade started, what it funds and why it brings out the best in the community.

    00:00 – How the Trojan Parade Became a 32-Year Tradition
    05:00 – From $50 to $51,000: This Year's Fundraising Total
    10:00 – The Student Who Started It All & The Legacy She Left
    15:00 – Where the Money Goes: CT Scanners, Mammography & More
    20:00 – Why It Matters to Keep Cancer Care Local
    25:00 – Door-to-Door Fundraising, Family Support & Community Generosity
    29:00 – Final Thoughts
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    30 分
  • What a 10-Year-Old Can Teach Us About Being Good Humans

    What a 10-Year-Old Can Teach Us About Being Good Humans
    2025/06/10
    Graham Shaver may only be 10 years old, but he’s already mastered something many adults still struggle with: kindness.

    As North Bay’s Kindness Ambassador, Graham has made it his mission to turn Kindness Week into Kindness Infinity.

    In this joyful, hilarious, and surprisingly wise episode, he shares what it really means to be a good person — from giving compliments to strangers, to the power of positivity at school, and how a single cookie can make someone’s day.


    00:00 – Intro
    03:00 – Meet Graham: North Bay’s Kindness Ambassador
    07:00 – What Kindness Really Means (and How It Feels)
    12:00 – Minecraft, Piano, and Growing Up with Kindness
    16:00 – Kindness Week, BBQs & Making a Whole City Smile
    21:00 – The Kindness Cast & Final Thoughts: “Be Kind. Always.”
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    24 分
  • More Than a Church: The Pro-Cathedral’s Place in North Bay’s Story

    More Than a Church: The Pro-Cathedral’s Place in North Bay’s Story
    2025/06/03
    It’s one of North Bay’s biggest landmarks and a place most people pass by everyday on their way to work or school. To Father Larry Rymes and many others, the Pro-Cathedral of the Assumption is more than just bricks and stained glass — it’s a living piece of North Bay’s soul.

    In this episode Father Larry sits down with Lisa to share stories from inside the church — from its 120+ year history and community impact, to the challenges of repairing a century-old roof, and the beautiful tension between faith and science.

    00:00 – Intro
    01:40 – Meet Father Larry Rymes
    04:20 – A Priest Who Believes in Both Science and God
    08:10 – The Role of the Pro-Cathedral in North Bay’s Origin
    14:25 – What “Pro-Cathedral” Actually Means
    17:10 – The $1.2 Million Roof Project: Why It’s Urgent
    21:00 – Faith, Decline, and Keeping Churches Relevant
    25:30 – Do People Still Believe?
    29:15 – Father Larry on Mental Health, Prayer & Inner Peace
    33:40 – The Balance Between Tradition and Change in the Church
    38:00 – What Keeps Father Larry Going After 30+ Years in Ministry
    41:45 – Final Thoughts
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    48 分
  • Meet the Heart of the Hospital: The Volunteers Who Never Quit

    Meet the Heart of the Hospital: The Volunteers Who Never Quit
    2025/05/27
    What makes a hospital feel like a community? People like Anne and Rona — two incredible women who volunteer their time, energy, and kindness at the North Bay Regional Health Centre.

    On this episode we dive into what it really means to volunteer. Anne and Rona share stories from their 20+ years of service, reflect on how volunteering has changed, and explain why showing up still matters — maybe now more than ever.

    00:00 – Intro
    01:30 – Meet Anne & Rona
    04:00 – How to Become a Hospital Volunteer
    06:30 – Fish Hatcheries, Tuck Shops, and the Potato Letter of Canada
    09:00 – Growing Up in a Volunteering Family
    12:00 – The True Reward of Giving Back
    15:00 – From Candy Stripers to Coordinators: How Volunteering Has Evolved
    18:30 – Did You Know There Are Over 300 Volunteers at the Hospital?
    22:00 – Beyond the Hospital: Volunteering at The Village
    25:00 – Final Thoughts: Staying Active, Staying Connected, and Showing Up
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    32 分
  • Inside the Garden Centre That’s Been Growing with North Bay for 75 Years

    Inside the Garden Centre That’s Been Growing with North Bay for 75 Years
    2025/05/20
    For over 75 years, Laporte’s Nursery & Greenhouses has helped North Bay grow — quite literally. In this episode, we sit down with Lori Laporte, third-generation owner, to talk about how her grandmother’s backyard garden turned into a local institution.

    Lori shares the joys and challenges of running a seasonal business, why Ontario-grown plants matter, the truth about "low-maintenance gardening," and what it’s like working with her daughters, seven days a week, every spring.

    Check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laportesnursery

    00:00 – Intro
    01:30 – Meet Lori Laporte: Third-Generation Garden Boss
    04:00 – How Laporte’s Began in a Backyard in Nipissing Junction
    07:30 – From Veggies in Newspaper to 15ft Shade Trees
    10:45 – Why Lori Doesn’t Call Herself a Green Thumb
    13:00 – What Outdoor Plants Work Best in North Bay
    15:30 – The Instant Gratification Generation & Gardening
    18:00 – Lori’s Shift Toward Décor, Big Trees & Canadian-Made Furniture
    22:00 – Indoor Plants at Laporte’s?
    25:00 – The Laporte’s Cat, Seasonal Hustle & What’s in Bloom Right Now
    28:30 – Proven Winners: What That Means & Why It Matters
    32:00 – Outro
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    37 分
  • Northland Wrestling: How Dann Pigozzo Revived the Industry in North Bay

    Northland Wrestling: How Dann Pigozzo Revived the Industry in North Bay
    2025/05/13
    What do you get when a guy from Guelph with a dream moves to North Bay and refuses to let wrestling die? You get the revitilization of Northland Wrestling — and the relentless passion of Dann Pigozzo.

    In this episode, Dann shares the wild history of pro wrestling in Northern Ontario (including a performance from a young Andre the Giant), how he brought it back from the brink, and why hundreds of fans are now showing up to watch slams, stories, and local heroes every month.


    00:00 – Intro
    01:30 – Meet Dann Pigozzo & the Origins of Northland Wrestling
    05:00 – North Bay’s Wrestling History
    08:30 – Buying a Ring Changed Everything
    12:00 – Why Wrestling Is Emotional, Not Just Physical
    16:30 – Is Wrestling Real? And Why It Still Works in 2024
    21:00 – What Dann Looks for in a Wrestler
    26:00 – Training People From All Walks of Life
    30:00 – NRGY Pro Wrestling Academy & Building Local Talent
    35:00 – From Monthly Shows to 600+ People at The Granite Club
    40:00 – Wrestling as Theatre, Storytelling, and a Family Event
    44:00 – What Keeps Dann Going
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    46 分
  • She Was 77 Pounds and Lost Herself — Then She Became a 4-Time World Champion Powerlifter

    She Was 77 Pounds and Lost Herself — Then She Became a 4-Time World Champion Powerlifter
    2025/05/06
    Meet Fatema Dhoondia — a four-time world amateur powerlifting champion, single mom, and absolute force of nature. Originally from Mumbai, Fatema moved to North Bay in 2022 and brought with her something fierce: unmatched resilience.

    In this episode, we talk about how she went from 77lbs and struggling to find herself, to squatting over 313 lbs, coaching clients around the world, and raising a son who's her biggest fan. It’s about more than fitness — it’s mindset, motherhood, migration, and muscle.

    This one will leave you inspired, fired up, and maybe ready to hit the gym.

    00:00 – Cold open: Meet the “Mini Beast” from Mumbai
    01:30 – Moving to Canada & Culture Shock in North Bay
    05:00 – What It’s Like Starting Over in a Silent Winter
    08:00 – Fatema’s Favorite Indian Dishes (and the local food hacks)
    10:00 – How Her Fitness Journey Began at Rock Bottom
    13:00 – From First Deadlift to World Championship
    17:00 – The Real Power of Consistency (and Finding Your Why)
    21:30 – Training Cycles, Nutrition & Coaching Clients Globally
    27:00 – Stories That Stick: Coaching a 65-Year-Old Gym Newbie
    30:00 – Balancing Work, Motherhood, and World-Class Lifts
    35:00 – The First 100 Days in Canada: Advice for Newcomers
    39:00 – Final Thoughts: Fill Your Cup, Then Overflow
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    42 分
  • Writing for a New Generation: Turning Seeds, Soil, and Stories into Magic for Kids

    Writing for a New Generation: Turning Seeds, Soil, and Stories into Magic for Kids
    2025/04/29
    Author, editor, gardener, and all-around creative force — Erin Alladin joins us to talk about her newest book "Wait Like a Seed", the beauty of permaculture, how children's literature can shape a better future, and why giving kids a connection to nature is more important than ever.

    From food forests and butterflies to book publishing and the magic of slowing down, Erin shares how she plants seeds — literally and metaphorically — in young readers’ minds.

    You can find "Wait Like a Seed" here: https://pajamapress.ca/book/wait-like-a-seed/


    00:00 – Meet Erin Alladin: Author, Editor, Gardener, Dreamer
    03:00 – What Is Permaculture and How Gardens Inspire Stories
    09:00 – Writing Wait Like a Seed During Covid
    15:00 – How Erin Got Into Children's Publishing and Editing
    21:00 – What Makes a Great Kid’s Book (And What Kids Really Need)
    30:00 – Darkness in Children's Stories: Why It Matters
    36:00 – Growing Up Wild: Nature, Childhood, and Resilience
    42:00 – Behind the Scenes of Creating Picture Books
    48:00 – Erin’s Next Book + Final Thoughts on Seeds, Stories, and Hope
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    41 分