Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Chris Potter: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1966

Episode Date: September 4, 2026

In this 19xxth episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with meteorologist Chris Potter about his years on CP24, CityNews, and The Weather Network, where it all began.A version of this podcast without programmatic ads is available to all Toronto Mike'd Patrons at patreon.com/torontomike.Toronto Mike'd, an award-winning podcast, is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, and RecycleMyElectronics.ca.If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Chris Potter. Many of you will maybe recognize me as meteorologist, Chris Potter. I guess now you could say I'm your friendly neighborhood meteorologists. And I might look different as I have over the past year, maybe two years ago, maybe three years ago. I have lost 70 pounds. Wow. And I'm here with Toronto Mike, not only for my debut with Toronto Mike, but this is the first podcast I've ever done. I've ingested so many one side of conversations on the listening side. Now it's time to drop in and do a podcast with Toronto Mike. You do you look chiseled. Chiseled. That's a good word to say. Some of my neighbors who knew me before the pandemic. Think you're sick, right? They think you're sick. Well, here's the thing. Those who knew me before the pandemic, they're like, oh, there's Potter. For those who met me after the pandemic and when I went back to work, they're like, okay. They're like, you're like, You're sick. Should we be shouting out Ridley Funeral Home?

I'm not on Ozempic, folks. I'm not on O'Semping. Welcome to episode 1,06. So, 1,96. That's 1966 of Toronto Mike. An award-winning podcast, proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. Order online at greatlakesbier.com for free, local home delivery in the GTA.

Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Visit palmapasta.com for more. Fusion Corpso, Nick Aienies. He's the host of Building Toronto Skyline and Mike and Nick, two podcasts that you ought to listen to. Recycle MyElectronics.c.c.A., committing to our planet's future, means properly recycling our electronics of the past. and Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921.

And yes, today, not just making his Toronto mic to debut, but it sounds like he's making his podcast debut. Harold Hussain also has only ever appeared on one podcast. Legend. Legend. Well, we got to get to here. Okay, so it's Chris Potter, everybody.

So I've, you know, just that little cold open there, I have questions. One is this weight loss, like, what happened? Did you wake up one day? Because this happened to me in 2012, where I looked in the mirror. after a trip to Berlin, Germany, where all I did was eat meat and drink beer for a week.

And I felt bloated and I felt slow. And I said, I got to change things up. What happened with you? Just a huge lifestyle change. I mean, we all went through it together, the pandemic. And, you know, I had just became a father. Oh, congrats. Well, not now.

In the pandemic. Just before the pandemic. Well, congrats anyway. It's evergreen. It's evergreen. Yeah. And so had my son, I went off on Pat leave. And it was an amazing part of my life.

You know, we were building memories. Everything was happy. And then all of a sudden, the world just changed. And I mean, no one really knew what to do. I was very fearful because, you know, my son, he's a newborn and he got sick. And I didn't know what to do. And the problem is, now that I know what I know now, looking back, I simply didn't have my mom to talk to and say, what do I do? I didn't have my father to call and say,

what do I do? Because both of them had passed away. I'm sorry, man. Yeah, it's almost 20 years, believe it or not. And it was back when I was at City TV that I lost my mother. She had, you know, fought the good fight from cancer. And she, and here's the thing about cancer. You know the, am I allowed to curse on this? Yeah, you can swear on, right. You know the whole campaign, Fuck cancer. Of course. I came up with that back in... Wait, wait, wait, slow down.

I didn't come up with that, but I said it so many times that I said someone should start this thing. Because we're all thinking it. We all want to say it. Yeah, fuck cancer. Fuck cancer. And that has been a big mantra for me

because, I mean, you know, so many people hear those words and it's becoming increasingly more frequent. But the same time, you take that negativity that you have cancer. Look at the survival rates now. Look what's happening. with research, determination, and, you know, positive thinking.

Because that was the thing about my mom in her battle with cancer. She just, she battled severe depression her entire life. And I had to be there to be the one to lift her up. And whether that be, tell a joke, whether it be just do everything, I would make her give me a list, the to-do list, because I was the dad and the son. I was a parent at the same time. My father left when I was 12. and my sister was 15.

And it wasn't my mom who basically said, you know, enough is enough. It was actually my sister and I that said, go. So there was that. Yeah, well, no, I'm hearing that it doesn't matter how old you are. And it doesn't matter how long your mom's been gone. You have these moments in your life where you need that, what's that, that's the well, direction. That love, though, that unconditional love that you, I won't say.

only get from your mother because ideally you get it from your father too, but you do get from your mother and you miss that. I feel that. And I should kind of rewind because once again, I'm mean now. Right. And you know, whatever has happened in my life, I'm here with you sitting down and I think that this is where I'm supposed to be. And that's how I get through my depression because that's what's settled in during the pandemic for the first time in my life. I've been a part of dealing with depression from the outside and then during the pandemic something changed and I think it was because I was a new father and I didn't have my parents and once again my dad was a good person right when he wasn't drinking okay there's a lot there's a lot here Chris this is your first ever podcast so I think

it's all coming out I'm just processing in real time so I'll let you steer the ship what you want to ask and I'll be as honest as I possibly can when you said lifestyle change is that simply because for me it was just exercise and diet it all started with, I'll call it my, my darkest day. And it certainly was, we all say, oh, we had the worst day. We had the worst day. Well, my good days started to disappear and then the bad days started to become more frequent. And that happens. It's called depression. Depression is a normal response that everyone gets, but sometimes it starts to win. And that's when there has to be an intervention. Well, for me, dealing with depression for the first time, anxiety for the first time,

panic attacks, everything started settling in. So sort of we're diving right in there. Yeah. But I mean, the biggest thing that people ask me is the weight loss. They say, oh my God, he's sick. Do you have cancer? Well, I hope not. But I mean, I have smoked since I was 14, you know, but I am vaping. I quit smoking. I quit smoking first before my son was born. I switched to vaping. Convenient, yes, but it's more convenient. So I'm still in the process of trying to give that up. And I will bring out this just in case. Okay. Because I am still,

so what is this? Is there, is there nicotine in there? Well, this is Betty White. Oh, wow. I actually found this. Golden Girls and a saint.

I've been watching bloopers from her. I didn't know how funny Betty White was until I started seeing these bloopers. Every single, and this is why I got this, these St. Olaf stories. If you're familiar with Golden Girls, I watched Golden Girls.

I watched it on the reg. Thank goodness. This is my favorite show growing up. We had two channels in Nova Scotia. I grew up outside of Halifax and Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia. Beaver Bank. Insert Joe Kier, okay. Beaver Bank, I know, right?

But St. Olaf, she made up almost all of these stories. So if you rewatch Golden Girls, and I highly suggest you do, if you loved it back then, no matter how old you are, watch it. And these are just simply the nicotine pouches. Okay, so there's less nicotine flowing through your bloodstream today than there would have been when you were smoking, obviously, right? Oh, yeah, and this is like seven years ago. yourself, I guess you're slowly weaning yourself off this addiction, this highly addictive

chemical called nicotine. Yeah. And nicotine itself is, you know, some claim there's some benefits. And there are, like, many drugs. But, I mean, it becomes a few use it. I have no idea. They don't teach you that in school. No, it's really the tobacco that's bad for you associated with cancer and many other

things. Is that right? Like, I always, okay, the tobacco is what's killing you, but the nicotine is what's getting you addicted, right? Yes. Yeah, I mean, there's got to be an addictive substance that makes it so you, you know, it's so difficult for, it. It's harder to quit smoking cigarettes than it is to quit heroin. 100%. Because there's two forms of addiction there. Not that I know. I don't either. No, I actually don't. But with nicotine, obviously, you get it from tobacco. You get it through the cigarettes. But there's many chemicals in cigarettes that when you're smoking it, they're all meant to burn it slowly, do this, do that, to make it more addictive. And it's the hand to mouth that is very addictive.

to overeating or that because that's an addictive quality. Well, let's talk about the weight for a moment here. We're bringing it back. Well, so I'm going to guess, and then you'll tell me, Mike, you're out to lunch. You don't know me. Who are you? Okay. Were you feeding your feelings during this depressive, during this state of depression during COVID?

Like, were you basically like medicating yourself with, I don't know, high carb foods, you know, comfort foods, you know, that grilled cheese, the hot dog, whatever? Yes and no. I mean, it was before I went off on Pat leave. I probably weighed about 165, 170, relatively muscular, good build. And then, you know, when I went off on Pat will leave, I stopped going on the gym, got the dad bod, and I earned that dad bought. I earned it well. Nothing wrong of a good dad, but.

Nothing wrong with that. The ladies love it, fellas. So I was fine. And then the pandemic hit. And, you know, I worked for a company that was great enough to allow me to work from home because part of my panic was my son. And I have a stepdaughter as well who was three years older than my son. Okay. And I was fearful for them, not really for me because, you know, I'm older. My immune system could take it, but I was so fearful of my son, a newborn, because they

said, you know, my God, this could affect them so bad. Well, they're so fragile. Yeah, but I got to work from home. We made it work. There was a technological problem. I remember you're in your like Barry backyard. backyard, yeah. I remember this. Yeah, we did everything. And life was okay for the lockdown. Yeah. I started to get better.

But then, you know, the next lockdown, the next lockdown. And I continue to really just focus on working from home because I started to become increasingly more antisocial, I guess, is the best way to put it, because I was so comfortable now in that setting. Right. And I've always, even in my childhood and adolescence and growing up, I've always had a sense like anxiety on like social events, which sounds weird, given I talk to a camera. Yeah, you're a media personality that, you know, is famous in the GTA and beyond now, but we'll talk about that.

Yeah. And so you'd think that I'd be completely comfortable, but so many of us in, in this industry and any industry, mind you, you know, you put up a mask because you have to just to deal with certain situations. I think we all do it to a certain degree. And, you know, my masks were pretty good, but the sheer uncomfortable feelings that would just overtake me at any of those social events that I would be required to go to, it would just ruin me. And so much so that I said, please stop asking me to go.

But now, who I am now is who I was way before. And I think back at when I started in the media, and I'm sure you'll get to it and we'll talk about what's kind of currently, After graduating from Dalhousie, and this is kind of, I mean, it's in my bio, whatever, however you might be able to find it. So it was no Ziger, but, you know, a couple days after I was at the Weather Network, 2004. And, you know, it was amazing. But at the same time, that's kind of the best memories I have because my mother was still alive. And I started a new job.

She was so proud of me. It was amazing to have everything. And then when my mother passed, you know, obviously a huge part of them. my life, my best friend, my mentor, my everything was gone. And grief is a bitch. Yeah. You know, if you don't deal with grief like you're supposed to, it might not affect you a day down the road. It might not affect you a year down the road. But trust me, from my personal experience, if you don't deal with that grief process properly, Mike, it will come get you. And it did for me. And it's different for everybody, like how you deal with loss.

and how you grieve the loss. It's different for everybody. It's not a one size fits all. No, because we're all different. Yes. And that's it, man. We're all different. We're all just trying to make it.

And I think me now, looking back at just how deep I went and how low it got, that's why I was, I mean, I'm, well, I'll say it right now to people, just so you're clear. My name is Chris and I'm an alcoholic. Okay. Well, you know what? This is the awkward moment where I don't give you the great legs beer. No, here's the thing, though. I haven't appreciated.

This doesn't bother me at all. I've gone through recovery money. Like you'll give that to like a neighbor. No, I actually have a neighbor that will take this. I still enjoy beer though. I do enjoy Great Lakes. My neighbor, Al, Big Al drinks beer, not to plug him, but he does have... No, shout out Big Al.

Big Al, I'm going to bring this to him. He's my neighbor. He was my beer drinking buddy. He doesn't drink as much either because we're older. Let's face it, if you drink like you did in your 20s and you're in your mid-four, 40s now. It catches up quicker. Gout, we'll talk about that later in five. Okay.

This is good, though. It's a great beer. Great, like, we went on tours there. We would go up to Muscoqa Brewery, which is another fine establishment. They do it right. There's a reason why some of these beers cost more, because it's a local business. Support local, and I'm so glad that you have these Great Lakes breweries. Okay, so, Big Al is going to get some fresh

craft beer from Great Lakes Brewery. kudos to you for realizing you had a problem of alcohol and then but it does it is interesting to me that you're you you identify as an alcoholic but you still will drink beer so you've just got it no not beer oh zero point zero oh okay and it has to be zero all right got you sorry for a moment there i thought you were like maybe a low alcohol beer one no no no no i think that's dangerous no and the thing is whether it's dangerous or not i i don't really like label so this is really the only time that i would have said that because because I won't repeat it. Right. Because it's irrelevant. I've just chosen that I am a non-drinker. I don't bring it up, that I don't drink. If someone asks me to go for drinks, I'll go for drinks.

It's just instead of a beer or a whiskey or something like that, I'll just get something fun. I don't know. Get a Diet Coke or something like that. But that's where some of the weights started to come off. Okay, yeah, because there's calories and alcohol. Empty calories, my God. So you just switch to water and right there, you're going to save yourself some calories right there. Yeah, and I wasn't a big sweet.

guy ever. I wasn't a huge overreater. It's just what I ate as I was a drinker was horrible. And so I ballooned up. Guess how much I weighed at my highest? Uh, 185. Keep going. 200. Keep going. Okay, because you're about my height. So I've actually, I can identify this. 210. Keep going. 220. A little bit more. Okay, so you were like 225. 227, yeah. And now what are you at? 160. You know what? That's, you know, you and I are very similar, because. Because although I never got as high a number as you got there, but I remember weighing in after Berlin. And it was like 185 and I felt, I felt slow.

Did you? Yeah, you felt slow. And then I literally started swimming and biking and just snacking less. And I dropped 40. And that brought me down to 145. And I did look a little gaunt. People thought I was sick. I got down to 150 just because I'm always moving.

That was me when I was a kid. and if you want to act like a kid, and I'm talking about behavior because I got kids and let's say they don't always behave. I'm talking about the spirit of a child. What do they want to do? They want to explore.

They want to run. They want to play. They want to learn. And that's the important thing. A good friend of mine told me once, you know, we as human beings are like sharks. We have to keep moving. Setting goals is an important task

because you need to see something, something to grab for. You keep moving or you're basically dead. And a huge part of my whole recovery from alcohol has been a gradual one, but it was weirdly watching a movie and thinking about my mom for the first time in a while and actually talking to her. Not that I believe in that kind of thing, but I was just at kind of a low point.

I think I was three months sober of alcohol and still not really feeling that, you know, okay, now what? So I watched a movie and I kid you not What movie was it? Shawshank Redemption Oh, what a great movie. One of my favorites. Written by Stephen King, which is weird

when you think about his horror classics like Ed. But it was on the money and there was one line and I do believe it's only in the movie. I don't remember reading it. Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying. I quote that all the time. And I quote that in my head. Get Busy Living, man.

And that's what it is for me. I just chose a different person. path. I did quit alcohol first. Sure. That was, I think, what was holding me back for the potential of happiness. Right. But then I had to start exercising. Right. Get fit. I haven't been to the gym. Me is just playing with my kids, going for bike rides, runs, and more importantly, doing stuff around the house, because I bring it back to what I said about my mother to do list. Right. I give myself to do lists. Chat GPT, I write it down. I called it Betty White, bring you full circle. I told you out TBT to tell me a Betty white quote or something

and just basically outline my to-do list for the day. That just keeps me focused. It keeps me on point. And I love to-do list. It reminds me of my mother. And I have called it therapy and getting her done. Okay.

We're learning right off the top here. Like, I feel like, oh my goodness. We hit the ground running and we got a lot there. Well, we have limited time, Mike. I do have to work with. Okay. So what is your hard out? So it's 1123 as I'm speaking,

but I need to know what moment do you. You need to turn the ignition there and get to the weather now. I don't work in until 2, but I'd like to get there earlier. Well, yeah, you just tell me, like, you know, 12. Tell me at 12 and we'll see where the conversation is going. Okay, so let's see we're at 12. So let me cook with gas here. So, because you're in Beaver Bank, took a note on that.

I know, this is like Tarantino. If you had to edit this and do this chronologically, it would be a disaster. You a big Tarantino fan? Huge. Me too. I think we have a lot in common, actually. Well, looking around here, it's amazing. And are you a craft beer drinker?

All I drink is Great Lakes Brewery. My summer beer is the Sunnyside Session IPA, that yellow one. I will tell you, my favorite out of these four, just because. Weirdly, I didn't try the premium light logger would have helped. The Canuck Pale Ale is really good. Yeah. I'm sure the light logger is similar, a very, as Big Al. It's their logger of GLB is delicious, not that you have.

Oh, session IPA. Yeah, so that one's a summer brew. So Big Al's a lucky. man. So I also quickly just right off the top because we're going to cook of gas, is that I have in my freezer upstairs a delicious frozen lasagna for you from Palma Pasta.

And the weather network's in Oakville, right? Correct. Okay, so Palma Pasta has physical locations in Mississauga and Oakville, but I urge all the listeners to go to palma pasta.com and get yourself some delicious authentic Italian food, the Petrucci family

delivers. So, yeah, I'm going to enjoy the absolute hell out of that. Even though I'm more slender now, it gives me the opportunity to go to buffets and go nuts. Portion control, right? You don't have to eat the whole is on you. No, but I can and I probably will. Well, that's my problem is governance. Like that was my big thing is, oh, there's pizza.

I'll eat 10 slices right now because I love pizza. And then it's like, oh, mate, what if I only ate four slices? Yeah, but do you suffer from massive reflunks? I mean, we're both kind of the same age. I do not. We're products of the 80s. But my brother does. Oh.

It's bad, right? Oh, you got to watch all that. Okay, so Chris, we have, and by the way, when you're talking about, you know, getting fit and dealing with your depression and what else, quitting smoking, like all this going on. Is this your CP24 era? No, it was 2-4 era was going into the pandemic and then coming back from the pandemic, coming back to work. And that's kind of when, I guess, my major anxiety kicked in. And at the time, I was extremely medicated. I had been diagnosed with something.

And I was on a lot of pills trying to just keep me sane. And the problem is I wasn't quite clear. And this is why it's very important, folks, to be quite honest with your doctors when you talk about how much alcohol you consume. They know you're lying, but they don't know how much you're lying. So I obviously wasn't truthful. I wasn't honest with myself, and that was the biggest problem. But it wasn't honest with the doctors, so they prescribed me something.

And I continued drinking and obviously it didn't work out. So that's a big, big issue. I'm over that now. I'll give you the Cole's notes. I quit drinking because I thought that was the biggest thing holding me back. And I think it truly was for me. I've done therapy, obviously. This has been a huge thing in my recovery.

And not to tell too much about my recovery because it's no one's business. just know I'm doing well. If anyone out there has been curious, I am not on any pharmaceutical drugs right now. I feel great. I have a lot of energy and it brings it back to me

trying to be a kid again. Not acting out and being whatever because I do that too from occasion because I'm learning that too. But when you have the spirit of a child, you start to move. And that's all I've done. I didn't physically go,

I want to lose weight. I literally was scrolling through one night, probably very similar timing as me watching Shawshank and thinking about my mother and choosing happiness and living and get busy living, that I'm like, wow, like, I think this is the thing holding me back, but I want to do more. You know what I mean? I just want to get that to do list, start working, because I want to rebuild not only my house, I want to rebuild myself, my relationships with others, and that's part of my recovery. And in the end, And me just doing things around the house, I looked in the mirror one day, and I'm like, Jesus Christ, I don't even know what I weigh now.

The only reason why I knew what I weighed, because I was at the hospital for, and they weighed me. And I was like, geez, I think that's the highest I've ever been. Right. So I kind of set a goal when I was 30 years old, you know, 15 years ago, that when I turned 45, because 45 to me was a big number, if I made it to 90 years old, that's an amazing life. You don't want to gloat. You know, 90, you're like, oh, he made it to 90. But your hero made it to 99. 99.

Rose Island. Right? Well, my grandfather made it to 99. Well, my grandfather made it into his, I think it was 93 when he died. I think my grandmother was 80, 89. You got good genes then. Pretty good, but then my parents died very young. Right.

Because of, did you, can you pick up what they passed away? The Big C. Fuck cancer. Yeah, fuck cancer. So it wasn't just my mom. It was my father who died of cancer. My grandmother died of cancer. My grandfather weirdly died of a stroke and basically old edge.

He was the amazing part of my story. And if we have time, I'll tell you a quick little quip about that fella. Well, do you want to do it now? Because we'll never get back to it. Yeah, yeah. You're going to run out of time. You're going to be on the road to Oakville. So, yeah, yeah.

Don't worry. So my grandfather, 1907 is when he was born. So the Halifax Explosion, 1917, I do believe. So he would have been about 10. My grandmother would have been still an infant, like a baby, less than one. She was born in 1917. I'm trying to remember, Helifax Explosion, I think it was December. The way my grandfather told it, and for some reason it's very vivid when I think about the people.

And this is how I truly think people live on forever. It's just through memory stories. And part of my drinking, it kind of affected my memories quite a bit. So I started to lose quite a bit of myself and memories. So when I quit and I started doing therapy and I started doing other things, they also came back. And it's magnificent to have. And more importantly, having a sister to talk to who's older than you to kind of go,

yeah, that's exactly it. That's exactly how it happened. Because when you start to get these memories, the problem is some of them are kind of fuzzy. Are they real? kind of imagining it. Well, mine can be verified by numerous sources. And she goes, nope, that's the story he told. So let me tell you. Yeah. My grandfather, Jeffrey, 1917, the Halifax explosion, as I remember him telling me, early December, so it was kind of a cold morning. He had forgot his homework. That was important. So he went back to get his homework. He

started walking to school, blammo. He says it's like just after 9 a.m. that it happened when he told me back in, I do believe, 1999 when I graduated high school, and I had to do a paper on someone. And he said, me being late, saved my life. Wow. And this is weirdly how my, how therapy has kind of told me why I'm always a little late, like I was today. But also, severe. Or the last time when you didn't show it at all.

Well, that was family circumstances. I know. I shouldn't bust your job. No, I know. But that's fine. You should. I should take ownership. No, family first. And that's, that's most.

Think about it. If not for that twist of fate, this is why life is so interesting. It's a sliding doors thing. I wouldn't be here. Yeah, you wouldn't be sitting here. The whole time, space, continuing. Do you want me to blow your mind even more? Please.

And this is why my grandfather, remember those Heritage Canada commercials. I remember vividly the Halifax Explosion one. Okay. That's it. Yeah. So remember. The warning. I need to warn that train.

I'll never forget that heritage moment. We can call my sister now, if you don't believe me. I am. My grandmother, as a baby, got on that train in Truro. Yeah? And was heading to Halifax. So that guy, the heritage commercial, why? No, no, I kid you not, man.

The heritage commercial, why my grandparents and everyone in my family was like, you need to watch this. And this is history, you'll find out about it sometime. So when I did that project in 1999, when I was doing a paper, I'm like, my grandfathers. full of shit. Like, I didn't think he was factual. I thought he was pulling my leg because he was the comedian in the family. He was the guy that did the humor. So I didn't believe him at first. And then I asked my grandmother, I'm like, listen, man, he, he's 10 years old, blah, blah, blah. And yeah. And she goes, I'll blow your mind even more. She told me about the part about her being on a

train as a baby. She doesn't remember it, obviously. She was less than one years old, but she was on the train and my grandfather simply forgot his homework went back for it. Unfortunately, he lost a lot of classmates in there. He survived and at 10 years old he tried to join the military. At 10 years old. And then when World War II came out, he was simply too old. So like he would always want to be in the military. I've always wanted to go into the military because of that story and I, you know,

life just didn't allow it to happen. Okay, these stories are blowing my mind, Mr. Potter. Seriously, because it's amazing you're here considering this. This could be a two-partier folks. So yeah, we might have to make it a two-partner. But a couple of quick things here. Sure. Because then we got to get into it.

I feel like this has been amazing already because you're so honest and open about all of this. And I think we need to talk more about all this stuff. But I need to know, Shawshank Redemption is a very, very rewatchable movie. I can watch it over and over again. I don't get tired of it. I, whenever it's on, I just watch it. Whenever, you know, suggestions come on, I just watch it. And so when I rewatched it at three months over,

alcohol it was just almost like fate or you know it was supposed to happen because that really spawn me and get busy living get busy because it's such a very unique way to look at it you can either poison your body and you're allowed to fuck it's your body are you happy about it if you are keep going but when it becomes unhappy you got to change it up and more importantly as a man mike you got to be able to ask for help that's what makes you strong not asking that's what makes you weak another rewatchable movie is, in my opinion, it's a wonderful life. Let's switch to movies.

So there's a movie I can watch every year and I'll cry and enjoy it like I'm watching it for the first time. But I have a real quick stupid question because we're just setting the table and then we're going to get into it. When you watch, it's a wonderful life, you've seen it? Yeah. Okay.

When Bedford Falls becomes Pottersville, because of course George Bailey didn't exist. Are you happy? Happy, it's Pottersville because you're a Potter? 100%. I thought so. Like I'm thinking, this is a guy who probably roots for Potter. 100%.

And it's a wonderful life. And I, even though we were all supposed to, also rooted for Harry Potter. Oh, which I didn't actually go into that universe, but my kids did. I had to. My last name is Potter. And at the time that those books came out, thank you, J.K. Rowling. I was a swimming instructor. So I was teaching kids how to swim.

And I would be like, hello, my name is Chris Potter. I'm yours swimming instructor. The kids would go, oh, my God. You related to Harry? And I would say yes. I know some magic. Okay, speaking of actors, there's an actor named Chris Potter. Kung Fu Legend continues.

And Heartland, I think, right? And he's a Toronto, I think, I did a little research, but it seems like this, Chris, maybe there's more than one, but there's a Chris Potter who's on Heartland and is a Toronto-born actor working in Canada. He was this guy named Tim Fleming on Heartland, which has run a million years, even though I've never seen a minute of it. But you must get confused for this actor. Now that Google is like AI, Gemini, my stepdaughter was like, do people know who you are?

And I said, well, I don't know. I suppose. I know who you are. And it was because of it. Someone came up to us. I have a date day sometimes with my stepdaughter. We'll go out to eat sushi or something that no one else in our family likes, but she and I'd love it. And someone said, oh my God, did anyone ever tell you?

you look like the weather guy from CP 24. And I said, oh, yeah, I do get that all the time. And my son, the daughter starts laughing. I'll just call her my daughter, starts laughing. And she goes, do you get that a lot? And I was like, yeah. But the thing was, this woman also said, yeah, but he got real fast. Oh, that's funny.

That's funny. So she said, you look like that Chris Potter. You look like that Chris Potter, but even better. You look so much better, blah, blah. You look like a good version of Chris because he used to look like. And I go, fair enough. And then as she's walking away, I mean, you know what would have happened. I think she realized who the hell I was.

She's like, oh boy. So anyways, I don't care. But one thing I'll say, Chris, is that I remember seeing you all the time on CP 24. And being well aware of the fact, at least when I remember seeing you, being well aware of the fact that you were a berry guy and you're in your berry backyard. Like, so this, I'm assuming the sushi place or wherever, it's in Barry. Oh, yeah. Like this woman is just ignorant. at nocta no Chris Potter from CP 24. Oh, it wasn't in the sushi place. It was just out.

But it's in Barry. Yeah. Oh yeah. Like this woman should know better. Come on. And it was also. Listen to Toronto Mike for gone sick. Yeah. And it was also just after I wasn't working for two four anymore. We'll just put it like that. Okay. Let's do this. Then let's do that. We have to do a little bio here. So you're in Beaver Bank. Beaver Bank. Beaver Bank, wasn't born and raised. Okay. Once again, we'll do it this really quick. Yeah. I just want to know when you wanted, like, when did you realize you want to be a meteorologist? Oh, grandfather. It was all. my grandfather once again. Okay. Yeah. Elaborate. Okay. So at the time I grew up, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Yes. Moved to just outside of Mahome Bay. And it was Indian Point. So very rural.

We lived right on the highway, really close to the ocean, and weirdly, I couldn't swim. I fell in the pool. My dad jumped in to save me. He couldn't swim either. We almost both drowned. My mom had to save us because she rock started. I then went into swimming lessons because that's important, became a lifeguard. Bavrebank was it. Helifax was where my grandparents lived. Every time I'd visit them for holidays or whatever, because it was about a half an hour, 40 minute drive, I would do daily observations of the weather with him. We'd do overnight low from the morning, daytime high, and an average of the conditions through the morning, afternoon, and evening. He has little booklets that I have somewhere kept. So it was that that I was fast.

fascinated through that. And weirdly, it was me going into high school, not knowing what I wanted to do. And I did physics. And I was like, this just comes to me, man. Physics, math, calculus, it just worked. You know, when there's a solution to be found, find it. You're a STEM man. So, yeah. So I just went into sciences. And because of my grandfather, I was like, well, physics, so related, fluid, you know, dynamics, et cetera, et cetera. And I'm like, this is a meteorology, man. fall in love with exactly what my grandfather loved. He just wasn't a big science guy. He was just more of an observations guy.

So I became more of the weather guy because of his observation and fascination with how it changes day to day. Because the old additive, what is it? You don't like the weather in Halifax, just wait an hour. Right. Well, that is true in many a place.

Everywhere. Except for San Francisco. I was in Ireland and they were saying that in Ireland. I'm like, well, that's kind of the way it is in South Ophatocco. That's what I'm thinking there. But okay, so I'm not your therapist. I need to declare that in case you thought I was.

No, I know. I'm sorry. You know, you've spoken so warmly about your late mother and how you miss her to this day. And I, I mean, your affinity for your mother is obvious because she's your mother. She loved you unconditionally. But she literally saved your life when you were drowning, I suppose, right? Like, she literally saved your life. And then to bring it back to it's a wonderful life.

And then we want to hear back from you where we talked about Pottersville. Remember, George Bailey saved his brother's life, and that brother would go on to be a war hero who saved thousands. You were saved by your mother who was able to swim. Exactly. Conveniently, imagine if she couldn't swim. Like she gave you life and then she saved your life. Yeah, exactly.

So obviously, it brings it back to my mom being very important to me. Well, yes, because there's no you. But I mean, movies are as well. I mean, this is the thing. Yeah. I bring it back to that movie because it's very important to be at a happy place, thinking about a happy moment when you're down. So I'm very open and honest with this because everyone's down, right?

Yeah. And another man. So watch a movie man that made you happy. So Shawshank was one of them. What's your favorite movie of all time? And I doubt that you'll be able to say. You probably can guess it, I think. My favorite movie of all time is Pulp Fiction.

I feel like you're talking to a Gen X guy from Canada. You know, you could have guessed that maybe. Okay. I was hoping you'd say that. Okay. In drama class in grade 12 from me. I'm very cliche. No, you're not cliche.

It's of the age. I don't want to guess the year you were born. I'll tell you, 74. So when Pulp Fiction comes out, I'm probably 19 years old. So I'm still fairly young, but I loved film. And Pulp Fiction was just one of those movies. And the reason why. Glemy mind.

Still does, by the way. Yeah, Tarantino. My favorite director of all time. Okay. What's so great about Tarantino? One thing that you really love about his style. Oh, geez. The dialogue that would be like a pop culture, you know, like a, you know, I didn't go to Burger King.

Like all that, a silver surfer, whatever. Like, oh, Madonna is like a virgin, right, in the first one there. All the dialogue, the conversation. And what I do on the show, if anybody listens, I don't know if you've ever heard an episode, but there are a lot of tangents. Somebody said this show should be called tangential mic. But we do go off and we do that, but then we come back. Like, we've even done it here about Pottersville and Shosh.

But we have to. That's what conversations are all about. Yes. And I love the allusions to music and film. And we talked about Golden Girls, for God's sakes. Big part of your story here. So I love the way Quentin Tarantino writes in films and movies. And I love all of his films. There's not one that I didn't love. Some of his films are my favorite of all the time.

But I got to give a shout out to Martin Scorsese because a lot of his movies struck me. And I mean, Francis Ford Coppola made Godfather one and two. And those are highly rewatchable movies to me where I could drop into any part of either film and I'm stuck until it concludes. I love both those movies very much. Oh, but for me it's movies. I can re-quote movies. I can, you know, think about the names of actors, actresses and go through plot lines. And, you know, my favorite movies are not just the iconic ones.

Like even clerks. Oh, I love clerks. Kevin Smith. Kevin Smith. I'm not even supposed to be here today. I'm a big clerks guy. Clark's is amazing. Yeah, black and white.

Black and white. And I was like, can I watch this in black and white? And now I don't think I can not watch it in black and white. It's a wonderful life also black and white. Yeah, yeah. But there's something about those. Even Justice League, I don't know if you were a big fan of that. Not a big Justice League guy.

No, no. I'm not a big superhero. Like, I just watched a film where it's a couple, two couples. Ed Norton, Selma, not Samma, Cruz. Penelope Cruz These names, right. Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen, okay? And a lot of people have probably seen this because it's just hit.

But it's like they're in an apartment. So it's a single scene and these two couples have kind of have like a date night type thing. And I'm telling you it's just, yeah, well, I got to remember the invite maybe. I want to call it this the invite. But it's just good dialogue, good actors. And that's, hook that to my veins over the action sequence

that bores the fuck. me like okay you spent 600 million dollars you use cgai and now all this crazy fight scenes happening good night irene like give me the invite i know over the latest dc or marvel and i love indivate don't get me wrong i just know what to expect from those films so when i'm in that mood it's just sure blowing things up i'll watch transformers i'll watch a michael bay film i'll watch those oh and rest and peace shabby peter cullen because peter cullen canadian voiceover actor I was sad because... Autobots rollout.

I had a birthday card where if you opened it, it said, Autobots roll out. And I kept that card for like a decade just to open it for my kids every once in a while. But Peter Cullen,

the voice of Optimus Prime, I watched, I got like seven years on you, but I watched the cartoon show after school. I remember getting side swipe for Christmas. Like I have vivid, and then Optimus Prime himself.

What a big deal with. Anyways, he's a Canadian guy and just passed. away. Amazing. And even him as a primarily a voice actor, that's something that I gravitated towards as a kid too. Like just voice using my voice. Well, everyone always told me I had a, you know, a good voice for radio. Well, did you have the good voice before you started smoking? Or was it the smokes? Really? Because Jeff Woods, who has a great voice for radio, told me his secret was he

started smoking around 14. I did start smoking at around 12. Not like, crazy to me. I know. Well, it was the time. I have a 12-year-old. I mean, I kind of do too. My third 12-year-old. Yeah, you did too. And I can't imagine that smoking. Looking back, I mean, 80s, early 90s, very different times. Sure. So, of course, you're a product of what you see. You're telling me. Yeah, everyone just smoked. It was so weird. I can remember my elementary school crush smoking. And I was like, oh my God, I'm going to have to start

smoking. And my parents both smoked. So, of course, I tried it. Luckily, my mom smoked those ultra-large. I don't even want to say... Are they Virginia Slims? No. I'll mention the name. Go ahead. No, just let me think.

Because I used to have to buy them for her all the time. Benson and Hedge deluxe ultralight 100s. Okay. So those are the big ones and the filters were like this giant. Okay. So that's when I smoked. Okay. So, and it was fine because they were extremely light cigarettes until I had an expo-a-creen.

I don't know if they were fine. I'm not going to be your doctor. No, no. Then I tried the export A green. The listeners will know it exactly. The rest is history. The launchers, yeah. Okay, now I need pointed questions, and then we can come back to this fun stuff.

And you will need a sequel episode, okay? Because this is your first podcast, but it won't be your last, because there's a lot of meat on this bone. And you simply have to get to work at some point. So you studied, I guess you studied meteorology at Dalhousie. Am I right? Yep. Okay. And you mentioned you got a gig at the Weather Network right away.

Like, so please tell me, and we're not talking about this iteration of Chris Potter. I got a little clip. I'll play in a minute. The original Chris Potter weather network experience, the company's called Pelmorrhics. Palmyricks. Pelmerix. I never know how to say that.

You're currently located in Oakville, but I remember when they were located in Mississauga. Mm-hmm. And Carla Collins will tell you it was in Montreal or Quebec or something. Okay. That's where it started. Metro media. Right.

Still exists. And she was a weather network person back then. Yeah. So 2004, you were hired by the Weather Network, straight out of Dalhousie. How did that happen? Weirdly at the, time, and it's still fairly common, there's not a lot of schools across Canada that offer

meteorology programs. It's increasing. At the time, like, I do believe York was a big, big school, Dalhousie, McGill, UBC. Gwealth has like an atmospheric science. So it is expanding because of the need. And I mean, it's not just about knowing if it's going to rain tomorrow for your golf outing or your wedding or something like that. Weather is going to play a huge role in everyone's life. It already does. So, you know, well, we'll talk about this week in a moment. Yeah, yeah. So like, you know, um, it just was, was a thing, 2004. Um, it was, they needed someone. And it was so selective of where they could get people. Um, they actually hired Chris Potter.

They actually hired, but they, they interviewed a lot of people. I also applied for Environment Canada. Now Environment Canada climate change. Um, and I got that job as well. I just didn't know where to go. So at the time, options. I was like, I might as well go to where I know I'm going to go. And at the time, I didn't know Mississauga. I was like, where is Mississauga? I know that's pretty close to the airport. Right, right.

Because I'm just, you know, Halifax guy. Yeah. I've only been to Toronto like three times prior. And it was always driving here, never flying. My first flight, weirdly, post-9-11, dude. That's when I had my first flight with my mother. I went down to Tampa Bay with my mother just after my grandmother passed. That was the first time I was on a flight.

And so anyways, just to give you some context. So you're driving, you're driving to Mississauga. So I was driving to Mississauga all the time. So now flying in for the first time, you know. Okay, so 04, you get the gig. You chose the weather network. And are you on, so you're on the air? No, no, no, no.

I was behind the scenes. Well, that's what I'm scrounging for here. So you're not yet like a face. and living rooms across the cross a nation. No. One thing you said, though, about the neat,

can I ask this? I hope it's not a rude question or whatever, but it seems to me like more and more media outlets are just putting a presenter in front of the camera and letting them read the script

or whatever that might have come from, you mentioned, environment Canada. And that's okay. But, but that's okay because when Harold Hosein was over and any words you want to say about Hurricane Herald,

I'm ready, man. I'll talk Hurricane Herald for 90 minutes. I only met him very. very briefly once. You told you to bring an umbrella? That was his famous, but everyone in Toronto knows that. And I'm glad you brought that out. Bring your umbrella is the most simplistic thing to say, but the most educated way to say it.

I would be like, yeah, there's a chance for showers, primarily on the north end of the city. Harold's like, just bring your umbrella. Well, you should shout out Harold, bring back the bringing umbrella. But Harold was saying did go off. And I talked to Kim McDonald about this, who will get to in a moment, because it's been on the show several times. Oh, yeah, your colleague there. but and she was there boasts i guess Harold Hussain kind of went off on the

rip and readers as he described the presenters and there's a woman and i'm going to talk about in a minute you worked with at CP 24 who was like a presenter but not a meteorologist but i do love the fact that the weather network is still interested in having on air actual meteorologists who understand truly understand and have been well versed in the science behind weather prediction Well, I'll give it like this. Anyone that's presenting weather, whether they're a meteorologist or, you know, a specialist,

they have a fascination with weather or else they wouldn't be doing it. You know what I mean? They could, if they're in the media and they're doing weather, and I've met a lot of them, they get bit by that weather bug too. So they love weather. So they love, I know what you're saying. Well, it's just, okay. So Kim McDonald aside, who clearly is immersed in weather.

But she's been doing it since like 1996, 97 is when she started the weather. Oh, no. She's a... So she knows more about leather and patterns. We call her the weather queen, or at least I do. Right. And I guess that's my point, because there's people that do weather for a long time. Tom Brown, another example. Oh, yeah, he's been over.

Yeah, like, when you do weather for this long, you have a fascination, you're going to pick up on a lot of stuff. I think Matt Damon and Goodwill Hunting kind of brought it up. You don't have to go to school to become a meteorologist to have a fascination with weather. And that curiosity, which, once again, is very childlike. when you think like a child, you want to learn. So all these people doing weather, they want to learn. But it doesn't tick you off that, hey, I got this piece of paper that says, I am accredited meteorologist.

I went to the Dale housing. Like, it doesn't tick you off that somebody can just be, let's say, attractive and well-spoken and have a curiosity about weather where they can learn about weather and then present weather and basically taking the job away from a meteorologist like you, doesn't piss you off. Well, here's the thing. Those people can't go to Environment Canada and work as a meteorologist.

Right. So I used to care back in the day about that. I simply don't anymore because, you know, people can get their weather anywhere. We have phones. We have apps. We have everything. Environment Canada has a website. Yeah, a website.

Weather is available everywhere. So part of it, you know, that meteorologist versus presenter, If you watch for a presenter, you're a fan, for instance, and you get your information through that, but you're happy about it. And that person, because they're a presenter that takes their job seriously, and they're going to give you the weather that you need and more importantly care about giving it,

that's the most important thing for me. If someone doesn't want to be a weather presenter, if that's what we're calling it, not an on-air meteorologist, and they don't want to do it, it will show. So, I mean, that's the thing. If you don't want to do the job, it will show. I have much respect for people who do the weather. Think about this.

Do you understand the principles of weather? Not many people do. Those people who are presenting are trying to do it. So it doesn't piss me off at all. Because the viewer will know the difference. Well, I can tell you, because I did point out this Harold Hussain gripe with Kim McDonald. Oh, with her?

Yeah, she sat here. Yeah, listen, this is the home of the real talk, okay? I just let Kim know what Harold Hosein said about what Harold called the Rippin'Readers. You're not a meteorologist, basically. And Kim took great umbrage with it. Like she was defending. And she's been there, what, 25 years? More?

I do believe it's 97. Okay, well, that's more than 25 years. I'm good enough. So that's pushing 30 now. And she's beloved across the country, doing the great job there. She's the weather queen, and she's not a meteorologist. But here, I need to get you to CP 24, actually. Because I just saw the clock, 1153.

So you're at the Weather Network for a few years. how do you like then your next move is city news right yeah what i used to call city pulse speaking of harold was the same i mean back in the day and this is still uh for people who watched cp 24 city pulse back in the day um we would be a two for at events and they'd be like well blah blah blah and i'm like no no city tv is different than cp 24 now and that became this big thing for the longest time people were just confused it was a tough divorce yeah it was a rough divorce especially with breakfast television everything was a tough divorce let's face it i mean I mean, it was rough for the kids, and we were the kids, all the people working.

And, you know, at the time, I just, I don't know, I chose a battle to go for two for. Because, like, oh, you're getting Anromer. Bell, you're getting Anromer. You're getting Steve Anthony. But meanwhile, you know, Kevin Frankish will stay with Rogers. It was quite, because I covered all this for the, before I had a podcast. Oh, I know you do. I know you do.

And, yeah, the whole idea of, like, Bell get the hell out of, sorry, Bell did get too. So Bell got 299 Queen Street West. and Rogers had to figure something now. Yeah, they went to Young Dunn... Now, Sancofa Square is what they called it. Which I don't understand why people get so pissed off that they renamed Young Dundas Square as Sancofa Square.

But anyway, people like to be enraged in 2026, but we don't have time to get into that. And 2025, especially 2020 and 21. It's all the rage since 2016, maybe. I wonder what happened that year. Okay, so did you apply for a job on the air at City TV and just got it? Is that what happened?

In all honesty? They were looking to just get weather people in. Like they just wanted to have more weather. They wanted a meteorologist, which kudos to them at the time. Yeah, so at the time, I weirdly got a call from the news director at the time. And she said, who was that? Do you want to, Tino Cortez? Yeah, who went to the, at some point I went to the region, I feel, which is like a Markham station.

But go on. Yeah, and she's great on the radio, by the way. Okay, I should get her on. Because Anne Romer told me one day I should get her on. An amazing person. Okay. Yeah. I'm taking notes over here.

But she gave me a chance, even though I didn't have any broadcast experience. I literally went in with like a shell necklace, bracelets, you know. Surfer dude. I probably had like a bit of a mullet or whatever. Not a mullet, but like, so I didn't fit the part, if you will. But, you know, through me just talking about the weather, you have an ability to talk about what you really like and be able to communicate that well. And that's the most important thing.

You're a handsome guy with a good voice and you're a meteorologist. To me, you're made to be telling us about the weather on television. Oh, I appreciate it. Like you were made in a petri dish. They said, here,

get this handsome, well, good voice guy. He's been smoking since 12. Let's reward him. Okay. So, but you're not at city. Well,

Will Arnette has that voice, though. Yeah, yes. That's why he plays Batman in the Lego movie. Oh, I love that. I came into it.

I want, I could probably do it. Go ahead. Batman. No, it's not even close. It's better than mine. Okay, you win. You win the contest.

Okay, I'm trying to get to the CP 24 because I got questions. I know, I know, go, go, go. That's next. So you're not at City News very long. So what happens? Do you just get an offer you can't refuse from Bell Media? I was new to the biz, didn't know what to do. I didn't have a lawyer, didn't have an agent, didn't have any of that.

And I still don't. I mean, I deal with my... You could have had Lauren Honickman. I could have done a lot of things, but that's the thing of life, right? Oh, and by way, at City News, since we're getting you out of there. Did you work with Adam Stiles? Oh, yeah. No, no, no, weirdly.

just to keep it on track. Adam Stiles was my replacement when I left and went to two-time. Okay, because he's been over. I'm not sure what he's up to these days. Adam Stiles is a cool dude, man. Well, he loves his craft beer. He has his own brewer. I don't know if he still does, because I haven't talked to him in years.

I know he was a big Great Lakes head back in the day, but I haven't talked to him in a while. Him and I would talk craft beer all the time, even when I didn't work. Because let's say, I didn't work with him. We just worked in the same building during that divorce. Wow. Okay. So let's get you now to, speaking of the divorce. Let's get you to Bell Media.

Okay. So at the time. for those who don't know, this is an insider information. I'm not like giving any secrets. I want inside information. Well, here's the thing. Chum,

owned pretty much everything. That's who I technically worked for at first. Right, like Chum City, right? A lot of people. Yeah, whatever. I mean, it was the Moses' Chum City and they pushed out Moses. It would have in 2007, I do believe.

So 2007-ish. Yeah? Or, yeah, 2007, May. Okay. Into June is when I went to city. Right. And then kind of the divorce started happening within the year.

Right. And then around 2008, June, July. I just decided to go with two four just because they were staying in the building and I was comfortable with that. That's it. And at the time, I was kind of like, well, you know, I don't do this as a career yet. I'm not a broadcaster, nor do I claim to be. I still don't really claim to be.

I'm not, I used to not see myself as a- But here's the thing. I finally accepted that for years. It's like imposter syndrome for a guy who's literally on our televisions every day talking about the weather and he's got the meteorology degree and you're still not considering yourself a broadcaster? Until now. Fairly recently.

Until your appearance on Toronto, Mike. It happened here first. No, it was actually Kim. Kim. Kim, bring it back to Kim. I have such warm feelings towards Kim McDonald. Please bring it back to Kim McDonald. Who came over with her husband,

who was at CFNY, Chris Pack. Yeah, yeah. So we did a whole bunch. Anyways, please talk about Kim McDonald for a moment as we get you to CP 24. Yeah. Or maybe, no, you know what? We'll talk about Kim.

We'll get you back to the Weather Network. That's where you are today. And I get up. So can I go over this noon deadline you dropped on me? Like I need, how much over? Can I go 15 minutes over? Hell yeah, yeah. Okay, okay.

So get yourself to CP24, which is a Bell Media. You just wanted to stay at 2929. Yeah. I mean, that was it. And I don't know. I just made a decision. And, you know, I trying to live my life without regret. You know, I try to stick with it.

Even if I think that that decision would have been wrong or correct. I don't care. If you dwell on something in the past, it's going to eat you up. So whatever decision I made to go to two four, stay with city, whether, however that would have worked out, I'm here now. I'm here now with you. And you were at CP24 for 16 years. Yeah, it seemed like a lifetime.

That's a long time for your CV as I look at it. 16 years? No, it's a very, it's the longest I've ever been anywhere, obviously. By far. But that's me in a nutshell. Like I, I didn't go job to job to job when I was a kid. I was a life card. Right.

And because I needed more money, because, you know, growing up with a single mother, you being the dad and the son at the same time, I worked full-time hours since 14. Right. I've- No wonder you were smoking. Yeah, I mean, we all had to, right? And I could grow a beard at 14 as well, so I could buy cigarettes at 14.

Now I'm jealous. Yeah, dude. I can't grow a beard at two. I'm 52 years old. I'm trying to grow a beard. Oh, go see. Oh, my goodness, you are one of those. I did shave.

I did not. I did just say shave because when it, does come in. It looks, it's not exactly full and beautiful like yours, but it comes in white now. No, I don't, I don't like how it looks white. So, if you look back at me, um, uh, no, yours, I'm looking at your face. You're not completely white. You, you, you absolutely have pigmentation in that beard. Well, thank you. There might be so little, little gray to give it a little style here. Okay, so enough about your beard because you, you've, you stayed at 299 in Queens, by way, my most recent guest on Toronto, Mike, I, I, I know her. Well, it wasn't her. So, oh, but, but, I thought it was killing it.

Who do you think it was? Kelly Lanahan? That's not the most recent guest. But you can talk, Kelly was great. We can talk about Kelly because you did work at Kelly. And we have you at CP24 now. But my most recent guest worked at 299 Queen Street West. He was a much music VJ in the early 2000s.

Before he got to the same thing. Good guess. He's coming in either next week or the week after, actually, because he wrote a book. It is Bradford Howe. So I don't know if you were watching in the early 2000s. If you watch much music, you know the name Bradford Howe. But that's just a side note about 29 Queen Street West, which comes up early and.

often on this very program here. Okay. And the social is getting out, everybody's getting out of 299 Queen Street from the Bell Media World. Okay, they got to get out of there. So it's a hot commodity, man. That's 299 Queen Street West, dude. But wait, Kelly, Linahan, super, I only zoomed with her because she's in, she's in Loonenburg. Loonenberg. So she's in the Maritimes now. But I had that accent. She's fantastic. We talked about East Coast often. I don't think I have spoken to her since she left two, four. Oh, she can counsel you. So you, I mean, you have her number. Give her my number and just say, hey, Potter. Okay.

Yeah, just do that. Okay. I'd love to talk to her in Lunenberg, because that's where I developed my, my Halagonian type accent that sounds suspiciously like a Boston accent. Like I say Harbour a lot. I love it. And shout out to Lake Great Hal Harbor, who also in FO-TAM. And shout out to Jim Moore from Rusty, who's also a maritime, all these maritimeers.

Oh, the maritimeers. Okay. So when you're at CP-24, you are a meteorologist delivering the weather. Most people listening to us now probably know you from CP-24. You had high exposure. If you're at a donut shop in the city, if you're getting pizza, coffee shop, whatever,

you're probably seeing CP24 on one of the screens. This is my experience. Pretty much everywhere. It's everywhere. City TV was everywhere, but now CP24 is everywhere. This is how things have changed. Okay.

And Chris Potter was on the screens. Everybody knows what you look like, what you sound like, and they tuned in for the weather. Okay. Another person delivering the weather on weekends was not a meteorologist. Oh, this is Patricia Jaggernauth.

Yeah. Okay. Patricia, when she left, she quit Bell Media and filed quite a detailed grievance against Bell Media. I know she actually might have filed a human rights complaint and then rescinded it at some point when they kind of, so she no longer will speak about that, unfortunately. But one of her grievances was that she wasn't paid the same as meteorologists at CP24. And I'm wondering, like, when I learned this news, to me, it made sense to me.

Well, of course, because you don't have the meteorology degree. someone else like Chris Potter does. So to me, it's just a guy who doesn't have any skin in the game. It seemed to make sense that a meteorologist would be compensated higher because he's got the credentials versus just a person who is a presenter,

as we were referring to them as. What were your thoughts on these public statements made by Patricia Jaggernauth when she left CP 24? I kind of had sympathy for her, to be honest. I mean, to be honest. No, to be completely honest, I was the one that kind of trained her to do the weather thing.

Okay. And here's a difference with PJ. She actually cared. Like she actually cared about the weather. So if she had a curious question about the thunderstorms tomorrow, she would simply contact me. Yeah, but we're not questioning her passion. No, I know.

But it's more about compensation. Like should her compensation have been the same as someone with everything else being equal? So this is an impossible hypothetical, but if all things being equal. I'll put it like this. The only difference is this person went to Dowhousie and got a meteorology degree and this person did not. Should the compensation be the same? Here's the thing.

No, no, I'm going to be completely. You're being very careful. No, I'm not being careful. I'm just being honest. Me being a meteorologist is important truly about the forecasting. If you're good on the air, that's what's relevant in terms of compensation. So all things being equal, same compensation, even though one's a meteorologist and one is not. Well, I mean, we all know about media.

It's about viewers. It's about adverts. It's about making money. And once people figure that out, I think everyone will be better. Let's be honest, we all know. This is common knowledge. I got laid off. This is the next question.

I was based on time. Why did you leave in, I think it was May 2024. No, no, no. When do you leave CP 24? Well, here's the thing on paper. It was May. Okay. Tell us the truth.

I just got laid off. So they basically said Chris Potter, your services are no longer required. Yeah, that's exactly the script. When did you get that? It was February. So in February, 2024, they say, you know, you can stay in Barry, but you're not, I don't know what you were using, what tech you were using, but you're not FaceTime and in or whatever the hell you were doing over there. You're going to, and I'm hoping since you were there 16 years, they severed you fairly. Oh, yes.

I'm just making sure. No, everything was fair. this is why on paper it was May. Because I obviously, like anyone laid off, if you've been familiar with that horrible thing, your services are no longer required, that's the line they have to use. So I did take it personally at the time. I'll be honest. I was pissed.

I would be too. And it drove me to drink. I'll be very honest. Oh, that's what really was the final straw because, I mean, as we wrap up, I'll just say it like this. Yeah, we got nine, ten minutes. We have ten minutes. Yeah. And I'm taking every second.

what I've learned from my past year, going from bad days starting to pile up and my worst day ever, to me reaching for my best day ever tomorrow. That's basically how I live now. If I want my best day tomorrow, I've got to set it up today. I can't be a dick. So as soon as I'm an asshole to someone, I'm not setting up my best day tomorrow because inadvertently, I could have jeopardized it through being a dick. And we all struggle with that.

So I know that every moment in my life is not going to be perfect. It's far from it. And that's what makes my life perfect now. It's the imperfections in life. And bringing it back to Kim McDonald, she's the one that taught me that very early on. She was the one that helped me through a very big thing. So Kim McDonald, I'll be very honest about this. And we can talk about that next time.

She's more or less my angel. She's one of many. Because she's one that has kept me on a path. I was raised by my mother and my sister. So I have an affinity for protection of women, especially those who dealt with domestic abuse. I also have a high affinity for children's welfare. You can imagine why.

But this is where I am now. So, you know, bringing it back to Kim McDonald's, she's just one of many good people in the world. And if anyone ever was curious about who she is and who I am on off the camera, I was a very different person months ago. And by that, I mean just over 10 months ago. People didn't simply not want to be around me

and I simply didn't want to be around people. Through my life and through the falters, the struggles, the falls, the whatever you want to call it, I have found happiness and that's what's truly important to me right now. And Kim and others who are good people, and I know you're a good person deep down inside, and you've got a job to do. But this is me now. I don't care about how things were done in the past. I've simply learned from them.

I know what's important now. I simply don't care about what anyone else thinks about me. they can say whatever they want. I simply don't care. You know who's most important to me? The people that I love and they're important. And those who are important to me know it because I talk to them every day.

Well, that's beautiful, Chris. And I'll talk to you, buddy. Well, we're going to do this. We have to do a sequel because my final. I know I was very serious on that one, but it had to be said. Yeah. No, listen.

First of all, thank you for celebrating Kim McDonald. I'll celebrate a lot of people. I'm sure she's been on. She was on with Carrie Oliver last time. She told me, and that's what gave you the idea to have it on. Yeah, that was the moment where I said, hooked me up of Chris Potter. And she did.

And this is now happening now. Yeah. So I, so CP 24 and you have, I think I can hear the air show. So CP 24 and you part ways and you explain what happened there. And then how quickly, like when did you get the opportunity to return to the weather network where you are today? That was Kim. An opportunity came up.

and I What an angel. Yeah. In the end, I got it. I've worked hard for it. I've had to work very hard to make myself better at the same time as being the meteorologist and the broadcaster. I should have been long before. So for me, it's about course correction, if you will.

I was very happy at the Weather Network in 2004. I had everything. Then I lost everything. And now I'm getting it back one day to time. Good for you. I'm glad you're there. So just a little taste of Chris Potter here. This clip is brought to you by Recycle My Electronics.C.a.

Because Mr. Potter, if you have old electronics, old devices, old cables, don't throw them in the garbage. Those chemicals end up in our landfill. Go to Recyclemyelectronics.ca. Put in your postal code in Barry and find out where to drop that off to be properly recycled. Also, shout out to Nick Aeney's and Fusion Corp for helping to fuel the real talk. There will be a live event at Old Mill with Karen Stints and Nick Aeney's having a live podcast recording. more information on that incoming. Here's a little clip.

All right. And it's round two of severe weather. Back-to-back days with tornado warned storms capable of producing tornadoes right now in the Windsor, Leamington area. There's actually two areas of rotation right now that I want to display.

One, to come see. This is very recent. This is very recent. Yesterday, right? Okay. So I wanted, of course, I wanted the most recent YouTube post from the Weather Network with Chris Potter.

So this week, This week that we're in right now, so I'm time stamping. It's September 4th, 2026. You've got to get up for this. This must be an exciting week for a meteorologist. It's crazy when things work out like this, because weather enthusiasts, meteorologists, versus the average person.

You know, when we get excited, that's bad newsbears for the average person, especially if you're an outside worker or you're going to, you know, be exposed to the environment. Right. So when we get excited, it's usually a bad thing. So, you know, there's, I'll put it like this, there's less excitement today than there was yesterday,

but there's still a bit of excitement in the office. Well, this is Friday morning. You're about to go to the office. Now, Wednesday, so we're talking in South Etobico, so in Toronto anyways, Wednesday was the big weather day. Like, so when you, I'm, in fact, I'm going to read something. Warren Kinsella, do you know this name, Warren Kinsella? He is actually also an FOTM.

He's been in the basement here. He happens to be working with Brad Bradford's mayoral campaigns. So that will explain maybe this tweet he did. Lieve Fumka sent this in. So Warren Kinsella tweeted, just before all shit broke loose on Wednesday, he tweeted, Olivia about,

I don't have the exact tweet, but it was something about Olivia Chow was raising panic by saying, you know, acting like the sky was about to fall. And here it is, another beautiful Wednesday. And then, of course, because that was a weird day

where we were all braced for it. People like you were warning us all day. It's coming. here's the radar, here's what's going to go on. I was prepared because I was going to go see Finger 11 at the ban shell. And my daughter got canceled. But my daughter had a soccer match at Reni Park. And that was a big part of my agenda.

My day was all planned. And it all quickly fell apart because, of course, of that storm. But I'm asking you, I guess, about sort of aging like milk tweets like that where you'll say, hey, this is what's happening. And there might be a calm before the storm. I remember going for a bike ride Wednesday. And it was actually really nice out. And then it got dark and windy and not necessarily South Atobico,

but more northern parts of the city got absolutely hammered. So from your perspective, how did that day unfold Wednesday when it was just madness for a while? It unfolded as we kind of expected it to do. You called it. Science, right? Well, it's science, but it's an inexact science. And obviously, I've heard the jokes. So, I mean, like, come on.

Like, get some new material. Right. We're predicting the future. Go ask a psychic if she's ever lost. He or she or they or them has ever won the lottery. Right. You know, right. We're trying the best.

You're not. That's a difference. But we're trying our best with what we have. But the thing is, forecasts can change. Yes. For instance, when we get all excited about convective weather, then there's a shitload of smoke above us. That inhibits convective activity.

So on a day that looked like dramatic chaos, that just went, nope, not today. So it was a good news, bad news situation. One, we didn't get the severe weather, but two, it was because of significant fires in northwestern Ontario. Right. So everything's just fluid.

You know, everything moves here to there. But Wednesday specifically, because I got the Environment Canada warnings on my phone, and I bet you that's a high ratings day for the weather network. Everybody's concerned about the weather. Is this going to be canceled? Is that going to be canceled?

And a lot was canceled. Should I get in the basement now? And it was interesting because we had, guess, well, you're the neurologist, we had the conditions that would possibly create a tornado, at least west of here. I don't know if it was Toronto, but it was like Oakville and maybe west or something. But we were getting tornado warnings for the Golden Horseshoe, for example. Like, that's got to be like your Super Bowl, man.

It's our Super Bowl, but me having dealt with a tornado myself, my son's daycare was actually hit by a tornado. Oh, Barry. When I worked from home during the pandemic. Right. So I take tornadoes fairly seriously. Yeah, you should. Because I needed to see a tornado before.

It was on my weather to-do list, the bucket list, if you will. Right. But the first day that I saw a tornado was also the first day that I had to really panic as a father because my son's daycare got hit by the tornado. He was okay, and there we are at 12th, he was okay. And I've made it a big thing out there that it was just eye-opening. But I was good then. He was good.

but it has definitely changed my opinion on tornado warnings because 90% of the time a tornado doesn't mean there's a tornado but if one is issued you can bet your ass or severe weather in your area and that's what we're trying to say but it's so localized so when a severe thunderstorm warning comes out folks and we're giving it to you from the weather network

it's up to you and what you do with that information I'm simply just here to give it well Olivia Chow got it and she did her job which is warning the citizens of Toronto that's all we can do, man. This is what's coming, you know, batting down the hatches, so to speak. So when I, Warren Kinsella says, oh, there is your mayor again. Overreacting.

And then bang, everything that was predicted happened. Because it might not be an exact science, but it is science. Like you're, you have models and you're making educated guesses. And the closer to the event, the better the odds that you're going to be correct. Of course, I know I don't even listen to four-day forecasts. It's like, I need 24 hours or less. or I'm not even going to pay attention. But I just think it's interesting that Kinsella decided to react as if it wasn't happening.

That's politics, man. And then, yes, it's all about the Olivia Chow Fudd, which is bothersome. But dude. Well, I get that a lot as a meteorologist. We all do. People in the media, people in the public opinion or public spotlight. You know, everyone gets it. What a storm that was on Wednesday.

But that's the thing. The GTA, this is the worst we've seen so far this year. So this long weekend, folks, look so much better. Get out there and enjoy. with his son. Stay safe. Have fun. And stay tuned for part two. My kids go back to school in just a few days, ladies and gentlemen. Mine too, yeah. It's happening Tuesday.

Parents out there rejoice. Chris, you were made for podcasts. I'm shocked. This is your only podcast appearance. You were made for podcasts. Well, thank you. I appreciate it. And thank you for being the first. I will give these to Al. Big Al. Big Al. And that lasagna. I got your lasagna. And we're going to take a full. photo by the tree and then you're going to get your ass to Oakville. Perfect. Sounds good, dude. And that, and that brings us to the end of our 1,966 show.

By the way, in 1966, the bluer Danforth subway line in Toronto opened. So that's line two. It opened in February, 1966. I'm giving that piece of history for Jayho. There you go, Jayho. Go to Toronto. Toronto Mike.com for all your Toronto Mike needs.

I need a new partner to replace Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball. So if that's you, send me an email. Mike at Toronto Mike.com. Let's do something. Much love to all who made this possible. That is Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Nikainis, Recycle My Electronics.C.A. and Ridley Funeral.

Home. You got a measuring tape here from Ridley Funeral Home. So you're getting more swag here. Oh, this is actually, okay. I've seen bigger. There's a lot. Sorry. Size doesn't matter.

Don't you know? No, it doesn't. You've been told that before. Okay. Tuesday. Gilberto Fernandez. Okay. Galberto, he's a professor at York University who wrote a book about the dark side of Toronto history.

This is going to be cool. We're going to talk about the Goodfellas side, the mobsters, the less celebrated side by the officials here. So that's going to be cool. That's Tuesday. working on something else for Labor Day. Ralph Ben-Murgey's here on Wednesday. Stay tuned. Peace and love.