After Canterbury I went to University of Ottawa for theatre, but had a very difficult time there. The classes were not of interest to me, very large and impersonal at a time when I needed focus and special attention. As a result my marks suffered to the point where I was failing for the first time in my life. It was time to drop out and re-access my life. My father came in like a St Bernard in the remote Alps, bearing a drink of absolute resolve and taking me on to recovery. He immediately hired me as his apprentice, and so began my life as a carpenter, as the son of Joseph.

To receive a licence in carpentry one must log hours of work placement as well as take classes at the local college. In my case it was off to Algonquin. My woodworking craftsmanship far exceeded my adeptness at institutionalized discipline in those days, and so it went. I was a carpenter for two years until the insulation rashes, drywall dust and bad back pains made me dream of standing on stage, holding nothing but people’s attention.
I firmly believed the best way to part from my father and prove to him I was dedicated to the arts was to complete a university education in the same field that had dropped me into the blue collar work force.

Completely removed from the theatre community I followed the only lead that would suit my needs for further education, Ryerson Theatre School, a.k.a. The Polytechnic University. It was there that I re-immersed myself in the craft of performance and took a new approach to the process.

The programme was three years long , and much appreciated. I learned so much and had a wide range of practical application in song, dance, stage, film, etc.