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Oakville thrill-seeker takes on Big Brother Canada by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Artscene 21 | Friday, March 20, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" Local viewers will soon get the chance to see what stunts Oakville thrill-seeker Bobby Hlad will create in his bid to outlast 15 other contestants on the third season of Big Brother Canada. "Throwing 15 crazy personalities at me, I'm just going to be... like a kid in a candy shop; dog barking at cars -- I'm gonna love it," the rock-climbing instructor said in a pre-recorded video interview on Big Brother Canada's website. Hlad and the other contestants are under lockdown until the reality show's premiere Monday (March 23) at 8 p.m. on Global. The Canadian version of the original Dutch television series sees "houseguests" locked in a sound studio home -- tracked by cameras and microphones -- for approximately three months, competing against each other and voting contestants out each week for the chance to win a grand prize of $100,000, as well as secondary prizes involving furniture and a trip. This season's cast has houseguests from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia. The 27-year-old, who also works for the family business, said he auditioned for Big Brother Canada after his friends told him "he'd be perfect for it. "I have the personality for it," said Hlad, in the video interview. "I'm crazy, spontaneous and fun... I'm always looking for new hobbies to get the blood boiling a little bit, test my limits, my comfort zone. That's why I love rock-climbing. If there's something to climb, I probably will." Having taken up rock-climbing three years ago, Hlad said it's a great mental and physical challenge, according to his contestant bio. "It teaches you to be thoughtful and disciplined," he wrote. "Each climb is a puzzle and I get a big thrill out of that." The Oakvillian also does yoga and said in the video he has many hidden talents, including solving a Rubik's cube "pretty quickly." As for his strategy to win this season of Big Brother, Hlad said he has a few "swirling around his head," but those may change once he enters the house. "I'm going to go 110 per cent in every physical competition I'm in," he said in his video. "It's not in me to throw a competition, but since I don't want to be seen as threat, I'll ght a little less to win the mental challenges. "My social game will be strong. I'm going to be overly friendly and polite to everyone. I'm going to try to be the guy everyone wants to keep around... And if I need to use a showmance to get ahead, I will." When asked how he would spend the $100,000 grand prize, if he won, Hlad writes in his bio he would rstly put some of it into his family's garage door business. "I want to make sure that business works out -- my grandfather started it years ago," he wrote. "I would also take a sur ng vacation to California... and I may never come back." After the premiere, Big Brother Canada airs Mondays at 8 p.m., Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Viewers can stay up to date with the show through social media, but following @ BigBrotherCA and the hashtag #BBCAN3 on Twitter and Instagram and by visiting www. facebook.com/BigBrotherCA. Oakville's Bobby Hlad, 27, will be on the third season of Big Brother Canada, premiering Monday (March 23) night. | photo courtesy of Global/Big Brother Canada One-man play depicts generosity of Newfoundlanders after 9/11 by Ian Holroyd Special to Oakville Beaver It was dark day for humanity. But shining through the darkness of September 11, 2001 was a light that came from the kindness and hospitality of the people of Gander, N.L. It was this story that inspired Trevor Mckinven to write his one-man play, They Came From Away. South of the border, 19 hijackers took over four passenger jets, turning them into ying missiles. Two ew into the World Trade Centre, one ew into the Pentagon and another crash-landed in a Pennsylvania eld. For the rst time ever, American airspace was closed and 38 commercial ights were diverted to Gander -- the small town with the unusually large airport. The more that 6,500 people aboard those planes were welcomed with open arms and open hearts. They were given a warm bed, hot meals and friendly smiles. The horror unfolding in New York City was in stark contrast to the love and acceptance displayed in Newfoundland that day. "To be a y on the wall would have been just incredible," said Mckinven, from his Montreal home. "To hear all the stories and see all the reactions from this international cast of people who were from the planes." They Came From Away takes place in Gander at a 9/11 reunion organized by Johnny "Fever" McDermott, an old school Newfoundlander who claims he's 82 years young. McDermott and several of the out-oftowners formed a bond during the ordeal in To be a y on the wall would have been just incredible. To hear all the stories and see all the reactions from this international cast of people who were from the planes. Writer of They Came from Away Trevor Mckinven 2001 and he's invited them back to the Rock to tell their stories and reminisce. The characters include an Italian gentleman, a southern belle and a re ghter from New York. They Came From Away examines how these relative strangers were able to come together at such a dark time in human history and the lasting relationships they forged that remain to this day. Mckinven also imagines the humourous side of an otherwise harrowing experience, when characters are faced with the more unusual aspects of Newfoundland culture. This includes the eclectic cuisine and the traditional cod kissing rite of passage. Throughout the one-man play, Mckinven transforms into each role with minimal costume change, relying on his accents to differentiate the characters. During transitions, the script even calls for off-stage conversations between his characters. "I don't want people to even be reminded of the person I had just done," he explained. "I want the characters to be so drastically different that the audience doesn't notice that see They on p.22