When I asked award-winning international correspondent Michael Dick if he’d like to be featured as our Spring Thunder Bay Gem, he laughed out loud. Then very quickly, he leaned forward with a mischievous grin and said that he would like to be an amethyst. Nothing fancy, just a local chunk of purple rock. It was then that I knew I was in for a lively interview with our local CBC radio station’s Executive Producer.
As we chatted over coffee, I asked the son of renowned comedian/storyteller Leonard Dick (aka Moccasin Joe) what prompted him to go into broadcasting. His face split with his signature smile.
“Honestly, I just couldn’t wait to leave Thunder Bay!” he said. “I couldn’t wait for the day I could say I’m gone! I’m gone and I’m never coming back!”
But life, like his father, is funny that way.
Michael’s parents, Len and Ann, had always encouraged their enthusiastic, energetic son to follow his dreams, but for a free spirit like Michael, those dreams were mainly focused on getting out of what he thought was a dead-end city. After high school, he attended Acadia University in Nova Scotia to pursue a degree in Canadian Studies when the idea of a career in journalism raised its head.
“I was originally thinking I would go into law,” says Michael. “But that was a huge scary deal. I liked the idea of storytelling through journalism and suddenly everything clicked into place.”
As the son of one of the country’s foremost storytellers, it did indeed make sense and after a successful internship at the CBC station here in Thunder Bay, Michael returned to Nova Scotia to pursue a Bachelor’s in Journalism at the University of King’s College. Upon graduation, he was immediately scooped up by the CBC with a posting in Fredericton, New Brunswick. There, he worked as a videojournalist (or VJ) where he was responsible to write, shoot and edit his own material. Michael was never one to shirk a challenge and soon, his skills behind the camera rivaled his enthusiasm in front of it. His career journey led him through the national CBC with posts in Toronto, Edmonton and Halifax.
“It was never ‘heavy stuff’,” he says with a smile. “You know, comic cons, city potholes, local chicken wing shortages. Fun stuff. Human interest stories.”
But he didn’t shrink from the ‘heavy stuff’ either, that included covering the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings on Residential Schools. His ability to tell a powerful story in a personable, positive way attracted the attention of NHK World, the Japanese equivalent of the CBC and he joined their Newsline staff as correspondent and consultant.
“The NHK is an essential service in Japan,” says Michael. “They do tsunami drills and public service announcements as well as news. Every city, every town in Japan has an NHK branch but the headquarters are in Tokyo, so that’s where I went. They have hundreds of employees. They have choppers on the roofs! It was so cool. Working there really opened my eyes.”
During his time in Japan however, Michael found himself transitioning out of the public eye into the managerial side of things and he began to question his future in front of the camera.
“In Tokyo, I was an on-air reporter,” he says. “And one day, I did a report on a bird stuck in a high-rise eavestrough. It sparked something inside me, made me wonder when I would get stuck. It gave me the idea of making a strategic change and I began to look at opportunities to come back to Canada in a managerial position. That’s when the posting in Thunder Bay popped up.”
He knew that the local station was struggling, jobs had been cut and threats of closure loomed, but he fondly remembered his days as an intern and the messy, complex and multifaceted city it served. With the encouragement of his wife and parents, Michael applied for and won the role of Executive Producer. He recalls the moment he stepped off the plane at Thunder Bay International Airport.
“There’s just something in the air,” he says. “Big sky and big water. I was born and raised here and at that moment, it was very good to be home. Funny, eh?”
In the time that he’s been here, Michael has overseen the station’s transition from mainly traditional, audio reporting to primarily digital, and that has resulted in impressive growth for the once struggling station.
“It was a difficult shift to digital first,” says Michael. “I knew we had to reposition ourselves in the market but didn’t want to sever our local audio content like the CBC had recommended. We had a great team of quality people and they worked really hard to build up our profile in both digital and audio news and it’s worked. People are starting to dream again.”
Embracing community has always been at the heart of the local CBC branch, and with Michael at the helm, they’ve expanded their readership to include remote populations such as Webequie, Pikangikum and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug. Last year, Michael spearheaded the I Am Indigenous Project that earned him the 2016 CBC President’s Community Builder Award.
“It was a community event,” says Michael. “CBC President Hubert LeCroix flew in and treated us to lunch. We also had a smudging ceremony with Fort William Chief Peter Collins and Elder Victor Pelletier. “It was great fun for the staff.” Speaking of the staff, Michael positively beams.
“This is one efficient team,” he says proudly. “They work so hard. The Morning Show has moved up to #1 and Pop-Up Mondays get us out into the community in crazy ways. Lisa Laco is our rock star – she’s a great voice for Thunder Bay!”
Never one to rest on his laurels, I asked Michael what was next on his radar.
“Well, I’m on loan to Unreserved Radio in Winnipeg for the next three months,” he says. “It’s a great program and a big challenge. But my wife bugs me to face new challenges, to take chances and live with no regrets.”
From the impressive rungs in his career ladder, no one could ever accuse Michael Dick of taking the easy road. And yes, we’ll let him be amethyst – a big chunk of purple rock that glitters and shines and reflects light in wonderful ways. It’s sharp and different, strong and deep and of all the gems in the world, it is the one that is only made in Thunder Bay. Just like Michael.
Follow Michael Dick on Twitter @CBC_Michael, on Facebook, and on CBC Radio Thunder Bay.