Miss Halifax Galaxy – Brittney Blake

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Miss Halifax Galaxy, Brittney Blake. I made her acquaintance online and found out that she is not only beautiful and smart, but is a true ambassadress. I’m excited to see what the future holds for Miss Halifax Galaxy as she gets ready to represent her country in the coming Miss Canada Galaxy pageant held this summer in Ottawa.

Part (I) to our interview:

1. Tell us about yourself, (hobbies, work, family) etc..

I am originally from a small town called Yarmouth here in Nova Scotia where our fishing industry is strong and a big part of our heritage. We have many historical sites such as Canada’s oldest Courthouse in Argyle, Canada’s oldest shipping office on our waterfront, and also a historic acadian village in Pubnico where the staff actually dress and stay in character to better describe what times of the deportation was like to people of all ages. I am currently living in Halifax where the city life is quite the leap from the country side. With more places to see, and more people to meet, Halifax is definately the right place for me. I have been able to discover so much about myself living away from home and coming to school and work, I absolutely love it here and I am very excited to represent Halifax.

Amongst living in the city, I have taken up several hobbies. I have enjoyed playing music with friends at local open mics, learning different genres of dance, and modeling. I work as a Capital Health employee at the Nova Scotia Rehab Centre (NSRC) in the Rheumatology office and can see first hand how arthritis can affect many people.

My mother and Father and little sister are all in Yarmouth – which if you didn’t know, is about a 3.5 hour drive from Halifax. Both my parents have supported me tremendously through the years and my 10 year old sister seems to really look up to me, so it’s pretty cool, she always keeps me on my toes.

2. Do you have any other titles previous to this one, and/or any previous experience with pageants?

Yes I do. In 2007 at our annual seafest festival that takes place in Yarmouth every summer,  I ran for “Seafest Queen”, and competed with 9 other girls. Being Seafest Queen gave me a greater appreciation for my home town and for my province. I learned how to speak pubically, carry conversations with people of all ages and I learned how volunteering and community involvement makes a difference. From there I was passed on the title of “Miss SouthWestern Nova Scotia 2008”, where I then began to fundraise and gain sponsorship for Miss Canada International held in Toronto that summer. At the Miss Canada International pageant, I was given the first ever “Miss Spirit” award.

…And now you are “Miss Halifax Galaxy”, how did you recieve this title?

Shortly after MCI, I came upon some photos that a friend uploaded on facebook from a pageant she recently went to, (Miss Canada Galaxy). She competed in the teen division and just seemed to really have a lot of fun with it. It didn’t take me long before I sent her a message loaded with questions about the pageant and to no surprise when she replied she had great things to say about it. So I found the website, downloaded the application and the rest is history! Well, so far anyway.. (chuckles)

3. You said you needed to fundraise and find sponsorship. What kind of process does one need to go through in order to prepare for this pageant?

It is a lot of work, the second you decide to do a pageant of this calibre you need to start fundraising right away. It can be quite a large amount of money to join a pageant and I am currently creating fundraising idea’s for myself, and ways to interest people in sponsoring me. Right now, a lot of businesses are still recovering from the recession so a bit more pursuasion is needed, but I still have a lot of time to find sponsorship so it make’s everything less stressful. Apart from preparing financially, I also need to make sure I am stocked with a wardrobe of appropriate business attire for when we make public appearances as delegates. I also need to prepare myself physically. You need to show you are physically fit and that you care for your body. It is important to have confidence as a Miss Canada delegate.

It is also asked that you find a local charity that means something to you to use as your charity platform and discuss while you are at the Miss Canada pageant. I have chosen the Children’s Wish Foundation. I absolutely adore children. Having a 10 year old sister has influenced those kind of feelings. I just want what’s best for children because they deserve it and the Children’s Wish Foundation grants what it is these children’s hearts desire more than anything in the world. If that doesn’t speak words for itself, then I don’t know what will!

4. You mentioned before the interview that you dislike the stereotypes or the misconceptions that people have about pageants, what have you heard and how do you plan to approach these stereotypes?

Generally, when I mention that I will be competing in the Miss Canada Galaxy pageant, I get a mix of excited looks, and confused looks. There are misconceptions that these pageants are strictly beauty pageants and it is all about your looks. That statement, however, couldn’t be any more incorrect. The Miss Canada Galaxy pageant has been providing women with countless opportunities to volunteer in their communities and across the nation. There will be several times where she has to prepare public speeches and discussions about charities she represents. She is a role-model for young children, and adults to look up to. Size and image is not an issue, nor is it a necessity in these pageants. I take pride that I have had the chance to be a part of something as great as the pageants I have experienced thus far. I plan to approach these misconceptions by providing the right information to anyone with questions, and I plan to show people that these women are people we should all be proud of.

5. Name a place you would like to visit in the world and why?

Actually, believe it or not, I have traveled all over except in Canada! I have only been to Toronto and the Maritimes. This is why I am so excited for Miss Canada, it’s in Ottawa! So I would have to say that if I could go to any place right now,  it would be anywhere in Canada.

6. You also said you model, does that have an influence on you and your pageants?

Yes, because I have been modeling for 4 years now, I gain many experiences that help me with pageants. I learn how to walk gracefully and pose correctly for photos.

7. What have you done to be more involved with your community?

Well, I have had the opportunity to vounteer many times through seafest at community events. I volunteered for the Memorial club which is a club of teens dedicated to honoring veterans of war. I also volunteered for Childrens Breakfast Program and Amnesty International. I will be volunteering for the Childrens Wish Foundation and the Lupus society this spring. I also wouldn’t mind putting together a relay team for the Canadian Cancer Society’s annual “Relay for life”.  So as you can see, I am a busy girl!

8. What is your favorite part of being in a pageant?

I get to meet so many people. I still talk to some of the girls from the last pageant I was in, and I actually plan to go to Ottawa a day early to connect with a girl that I competed with at MCI. Learning about the cultures of the world is one thing. I’ve been to Europe and experienced a lot of different cultures, but that wont change how much I love to learn about our own cultures and what we have to offer. It is all life experiences for me, and I grow with each pageant I do.

9. What makes you proud to be a Canadian?

Our freedom. We are so fortunate to have our fellow canadian soldiers fighting for our freedom and also for the freedom of other countries. I am proud that we are so diverse. And can I mention how proud I am about the results of our olympic winter games in Vancouver?.. Go Canada!

Lastly what is your message to all the people reading this interview?

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to support me and show their love. Good luck to my fellow contestants who I am very excited to meet this summer! And I can’t wait to represent Halifax and it would be an honour to be your Miss Canada Galaxy 2010-11. Peace and love.

For more information regarding Miss Halifax Galaxy -Brittney Blake, and Miss Canada Galaxy, please visit www.mrscanadagalaxy.ca where the updated bio’s of all the contestants including Brittney will be posted this June. Also you can visit her facebook page by searching “Brittney Blake for Miss Canada Galaxy 2010”, If you are interested in speaking with her directly in regards to volunteering opportunities and sponsorship, please email her at brittney.blake@hotmail.com

-Brent

-Brent Colley Article