Get to know us: The Darren Taylor story

I am blessed.

I began writing for SooToday in September 2012 as a freelancer, hired full time in January 2013.

Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, I’ve been interested in history and current affairs since childhood.

I always enjoyed being informed as to what was going on in the world through reading the daily newspaper, news magazines and viewing national news broadcasts.

At a young age, I knew the names of many federal and provincial cabinet ministers, which portfolios they held, which ridings they represented and where the various parties stood on the issues.

Sounds ‘deep and serious,’ but read on. Trust me, I do indeed have a sense of humour!

I could also name every Canadian prime minister and every U.S. president throughout history, reading encyclopedias and just about anything political and historical I could get my hands on, building on a solid general knowledge of many topics.

When one of my elementary school teachers would put aside part of each day for a ‘current events’ period, I was in my element.

After graduation from high school, and with an interest in art, I completed a two-year fine arts program at Sault College, art history my favourite subject within that program. Building on that, I went to the University of Toronto to begin a degree program in art history, but soon changed my major to history, with an interest in 20th Century U.S. and European history as well as international relations.

At least three of my university professors were well known for their work, having appeared as commentators on national news programs, so it was very rewarding for me, a ‘small town guy from Sault Ste. Marie,’ to have such big city university professors give me verbal and written ‘good job’ comments on my assignments.

After graduation from university in Toronto, I returned to Sault Ste. Marie.

After a family member saw a television advertisement seeking volunteer camera operators for the local community channel, I volunteered and covered Sault Ste. Marie city council meetings, and later, worked on my own feature stories.

For me, it had the same sense of satisfaction you feel when you’ve been shopping for a long time for a pair of shoes and finally find ‘the right fit.’

I made my way to Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario, that community college small in size but known for its broadcast journalism program.

As a student, I produced a radio documentary in which I spoke with veterans who had escaped capture by the Nazis after their Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) bombers had been shot down over Europe, hiding in the homes of civilians who sheltered and protected them.

A college professor, impressed by the work I’d done on that assignment, told everyone in my class to ‘listen to Darren’s story.’

That was gratifying.  

Graduating from Loyalist College with my name on the Dean’s Honour List, I worked in radio news as an anchor/reporter in Sudbury, Brantford, and finally, back home in the Sault.

It’s good to be home!

Though I enjoyed broadcasting, I realized just how much I enjoy writing news stories when I started working for SooToday, just before the larger Village Media came into being.

The stories I like best?

In keeping with the type of guy I am, I like stories of an historical nature, speaking to people with gripping stories to tell.

For example, as a SooToday reporter, I spoke with Harold Soderlund, a local Second World War pilot whose plane was shot down over the Mediterranean Sea, the man having survived transfers from one grim prisoner of war camp to another before finally being liberated by the Allies.

After that interview, we both rose from our seats, and without uttering a word, walked toward each other and gave each other a big hug. He was grateful I took such an interest in his story. I was grateful he served Canada, lived to tell his harrowing tale and went on to live a long, happy and productive life.

Throughout my years as a reporter, I’ve been able to interview artist Ken Danby, hockey legend Paul Henderson, political leader Jack Layton, and with SooToday, journalist and political leader Peter Kent, medical journalist Dr. Ken Walker (aka Dr. Gifford-Jones) journalist Steve Paikin, stood only a few feet away from provincial premiers and prime ministers, and, well, the list goes on.

With SooToday, I’ve been able to do things many people don’t get to experience, such as observing police on training missions and being a passenger on a Second World War U.S. Air Force bomber.

Often I’ll receive notes of thanks from people and organizations I’ve written stories about.

That feels good.

I look forward to continuing to write for SooToday.

On a personal note, in earlier years, I was fortunate to visit England six times (I stood right on the front doorstep of 10 Downing St. in London as a six-year-old), as well as Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, and, on this side of the Atlantic, many places in southern Ontario, Florida and Chicago (as well as countless shopping and dining trips to Sault, Michigan of course).

Hobbies?

Watching what many would call ‘retro’ movies and TV shows.

It’s been fun.

Do I write all these things to brag?

No.

Throughout my life and work, I’ve been protected, guided and provided for by a faithful Creator, and have a wonderful family.  

Like I stated at the beginning, I’ve been blessed.