In the coming weeks, we'd like to introduce the members of our editorial team. Today, we feature Tyler Evans.
Evans is a reporter for OrilliaMatters whose work includes human interest stories, business stories, local sports and various other topics of interest. After working as a part-time reporter/videographer, he was hired full-time earlier this year.
1. Where did you attend post-secondary school, and what did you study?
I graduated from Durham College’s Broadcasting for Contemporary Media program with honours.
2. What drew you to journalism?
As a kid I always enjoyed reading sports stories in magazines and newspapers. My favourite show on television was (and still is) Pardon the Interruption which is hosted by two former sports reporters who discuss and debate daily sports stories. When I attended Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School I worked at The Orillia Packet & Times as a co-op student with the dream of becoming a reporter, and ever since I have followed my passion.
3. What have been some of the highlights of your journalism career so far?
Back in December of 2019 I had the privilege of attending the Detroit Red Wings morning skate at the Scotia Bank Arena where I interviewed former Guelph Storm star Tyler Bertuzzi for GuelphToday. That was exceptionally cool for someone who grew up watching Red Wings games with my father who is a diehard fan.
As a sports nut, I really enjoy covering Orillia’s sporting events. The Junior C. Orillia Terriers are always fun to write about. I enjoy covering the iconic Orillia Blackball Tournament, anything sports-related is always a highlight for me.
4. What brought you to the area?
I moved to Orillia when I was about two years old, so I’ve spent the majority of my life here. When I moved to Oshawa for college in 2017 I figured I would move to the big city or close by once I had graduated. However, I started to miss the small community environment, and I missed my family and my friends that I grew up with. I soon realized after moving back home to Orillia that this is the permanent place for me. I truly love this town, and this is where I want to build my life.
5. What are your favourite stories to write?
I love to write about anything sports-related, but I also enjoy writing feature stories on people who keep our city in motion - the people who sometimes don’t get the credit they deserve, but are a big contributor to making Orillia a great place to live.
6. What do you find is the most challenging part of writing a story?
To be honest, the biggest challenge of writing a story for me is making sure everything is grammatically correct. I wasn’t a student who got 80’s and 90’s on his report cards in high school, but I think I make up for that in my ability to be creative. I have a passion for this industry, I’m a hard worker, and I feel like I’m good at telling stories that matter to the people of Orillia. As a young reporter who is still learning every day, I’m thankful that I have the knowledge and support of my team at OrilliaMatters.
7. What is one of your journalism career goals and/or dream story?
My goal for my journalism career is to develop into one of Orillia’s most trusted and premier reporters. I want to grow with OrilliaMatters and make a long and successful career out of providing our community with local news.
I think my dream story would be covering our local junior hockey team during a long playoff run that results in a major championship. I always hear stories about how lively our city was when the Orillia Travelways won the Centennial Cup in 1985; it would be fun to experience something like that and document it.
