There’s something about newspapers that draws characters.
Among the stable of characters currently making up Toronto Free Press staff, the youngest is Simon Genest.
Depending on the need of the moment, Simon is sales manager, French translator, typist, receptionist, photographer, errand person and picture poser. All of the above are accomplished with a dollop of enthusiasm and a dash of humour.
Bright, likeable and so eager to learn, Simon seems much older than his 22 years.
Having been a Toronto resident for the last two years after relocating to T.O. from Montreal with his Mom, very little gets by him. This is one relative newcomer who recognizes local politicians on the street and has the temerity to be insulted when the politicos do not recognize him.
By day he spends his time working the telephones at the TFP office, conducting the most taxing of jobs: soliciting advertising. Simon’s favourite word is ‘woohoo!’ an expression that occasionally pierces the air when he has landed a new advertiser. The blackboard behind him is covered with self-styled inspirational mottoes.
By night, Mr. Simon combs the local bars. An accomplished musician and sometimes band promoter, he’s most at home in smoky cafes and bistros where the twang of guitars strums out the blues.
There is no more ardent TFP ambassador than this dapper dude. From memory, he can rhyme off the dates of various cover stories when they’re needed in a hurry. And he’s rarely if ever wrong.
This is Simon’s second chapter in the life and times of the paper. He returned this April after a year’s absence, having gone his own way to start up his own ill-fated newspaper, Wink.
‘...Just to think when you told me it’s a rough world out there, I thought you were exaggerating,’ he announced on his unexpected but welcome return to the fold.
A hustler charged with energy, Simon moonlights at The Boardwalk, where he sells hotdogs from a cart.
Charm and humour, a-la-Genest keeps the often-hectic production office in perspective. Travelling to and from our Elm Street headquarters via the TTC, he carries enough food to last the longest of days. Neighbouring restaurants somehow can’t refuse his requests to microwave his carry-in lunches.
When staff gathered for a picture to celebrate last May’s 10th anniversary issue, everyone waited while Simon cheerfully ironed his shirt and tie on a makeshift table.
Having recently posed as Superman over the caption, ‘Super Simon fly again!’ he’s still waiting to be discovered by ‘the chicks’.
But the pursuit of female attention pales when it comes to the anticipation of the arrival of the one person he secretly admires the most: his father. Simon’s anecdotes about family camp-outs in African jungles star his Dad as the main hero. ‘My Dad knows everything there is to know about the manufacture of helicopters and world geography,’ he boasts.’
`Super Simon’ is longing for mid-August when his Dad plans a visit to T.O.
These days Simon is playing the role of big brother to visiting younger sibling, Patrick who lives with their father and attends school in faraway Saudi Arabia.
‘Pat is allowed to go anywhere, so long as I’m with him,’ he insists.
A voracious reader of anything he can get his hands on, it is not suprising that Simon has a hunger to learn. More than anything he would like to go to university.
So far, Ideas from the business world have kept his plans at bay. Should he ever make it to academe, his I.Q. would truly distinguish him as a scholar.
But the TFP office would be so empty without the ‘woohoos!’ of Simon Genest.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement