A reality show kicked off his career
Six key moments in the life of Pride Toronto executive director Mathieu Chantelois:
Chantelois spent most of his early life in Mascouche, a suburb north of Montreal. He thought he might be gay even before adolescence, but it took time to figure it out. As years passed, when he looked at his parents, he said, “I had the feeling I would never be able to reproduce that love, or get married. It was really hard for me to process.” He would come out at age 19.
Chantelois studied at Pierre Laporte Secondary School, a musical academy in Montreal, focusing on piano performance. Every year, the school would pare down the previous year’s classes mercilessly, to weed out those deemed not good enough.
The process separated Chantelois from one of his best friends, cut after two years: Rufus Wainwright. “Every time I see Rufus we laugh about it, because he’s one of the most talented musicians ever.”
After earning a master’s in journalism at Carleton University, Chantelois moved to Toronto in 2000 to be part of a reality show,
U8TV: The Lofters. The premise: put eight people in a Toronto loft for a year and film them 24-7.
He knew he had to stand out to make it on the show, so during the audition process he conspired with another applicant, Jennifer Hedger (now a TSN broadcaster) and they surprised the judges by making out in front of them.
“She had a boyfriend. I was already with Marcelo (future husband Marcelo GomezWiuckstern). Right after this we both went to the payphone and called our partners to say, ‘Sorry, sorry!’” he recalled. “Both Marcelo and (her boyfriend) said, ‘Yes! I’m so proud of you!’”
After a few years hosting shows for PrideVision and working as a reporter for a francophone public TV channel, Chantelois became editor of the French edition of Cineplex’s monthly publication. (His articles still appear sporadically.)
The job allowed him to interview A-list celebrities, but Chantelois wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to make more of an impact. “Seven minutes with Penelope Cruz, you don’t change the world.”
Chantelois started devoting his time to charities. In 2006, he was named the chair of the board for the 519 Church Street Community Centre. He also became the director of marketing and communications for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The jobs were fulfilling, yet Chantelois said he wanted more. His eyes were on Pride Toronto, though his friends and family didn’t think the hard work and long hours would be worth it. “(But) it was truly a calling for me.”
What gets him through it all, Chantelois said, is his husband. They married in 2003, among the first same-sex couples to have a wedding ceremony in Toronto. (The city didn’t yet have updated marriage certificates, so Chantelois signed as the wife.) Gomez-Wiuckstern works in communications at Scotiabank.
“I don’t think I could do something like this (job) if I didn’t have him.”