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Whistlerite to vie for ‘Mr. Gay Canada’

Greig’s family, friends set to cheer him on this weekend

If you go to Maxx Fish on Saturday (Sept. 20) for the finals of the Mr. Gay Canada competition, you might be surprised by the variety of people there to cheer for Whistler’s delegate, Stephen Greig.

In addition to his younger sister, Grieg’s cheering section will include friends from Vancouver and beyond, plus his bosses from the Whistler Kids program and some of the mothers of the kids he’s taught in mountain biking and skiing.

“I can only imagine the group of people there to cheer me on,” Greig said. “I’m really involved with families and the community here.”

Greig, 27, said he’s never before done anything like competing in Mr. Gay Canada. But the prospect of being named Mr. Gay Canada, having the chance to be a positive ambassador for the country’s gay community, is something that appeals to Greig so he’s decided not to let a competition and a panel of judges stop him.

“The way I live life is I always look at things that maybe would put me outside my comfort zone,” he said. “You can grow so much by pushing your limits.”

Greig is the Whistler delegate among nine men who are vying for the Mr. Gay Canada title this weekend in Vancouver and Whistler. The competition gets underway tonight (Sept. 18) in Vancouver, with the delegates arriving in Whistler Friday (Sept. 19) for two days of photo shoots, challenges and interviews with the judges.

Representatives from Toronto, Saskatoon, Guelph, Victoria, North Vancouver, Surrey, and Vancouver will join Greig in events that are designed to identify a strong leader and role model. Only 15 per cent of the available judging points are for appearance.

Greig said he likes what the Mr. Gay Canada competition stands for, and that the judges will be looking for someone who’s not doing anything different in life just because he’s gay.

“It’s about finding someone who’s just living their life,” he said. “You wouldn’t really know you were being a leader in your community; maybe it’s already happening.”

Greig said he heard about the competition through Dean Nelson, one of the Mr. Gay Canada organizers and a Whistler resident who also produces WinterPRIDE — Whistler’s gay ski week. Nelson has been a role model, Greig said.

If he wins the Mr. Gay Canada title, Greig said he’d like to pursue the possibility of organizing a SummerPRIDE event. With a personal gift and passion for working with children and families, Greig said he’d also like to set up some kind of support system or family planning for gay families.

The Mr. Gay Canada winner will go on to compete in the 2009 International Mr. Gay competition.

Greig, originally from the Toronto area, has lived in Whistler on and off for five years. He’s getting ready for his third winter as Ski School Supervisor with Whistler Blackcomb, a job he loves. He’s a ski and mountain bike instructor to kids as young as 3, and he’s worked in various childcare capacities in Whistler as well.

“Their energy just pours onto you,” he said of working with kids. “It keeps you young.”

It’s also the people he’s most looking forward to in the Mr. Gay Canada competition — meeting them, sharing ideas and learning from them.

“This is big. I have a chance to do something pretty great,” he said. “I feel so honoured to even be a part of it… I think it’s really cool.”

Mr. Gay Canada 2008 will be crowned on Saturday (Sept. 20) at Maxx Fish and everyone is welcome. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $10.

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