The W5s of journalism: Who, What, When, Where, Why.

Who?

Hi my name is Kimothy. Yes, it’s my real name.

I spent 25 years on Canadian network TV running a newsroom two days a week and now I live in my car on purpose…as in WITH purpose.

I am keenly interested in the social shift, which is happening, where humans can’t afford to live indoors.

This project combines two of my favourite things, “woods and water” and storytelling, after four decades of award-winning journalism.  As a veteran TV anchor and author of Canada’s Capital’s official book, I’ve been to 33 countries, often living out everything I first learned at summer camp….a passion for nature, people and purpose. .

What is the project?

I am driving from Ottawa to either Mexico or Southern California and then up to Canada and back home to Ottawa in April for two months as I am the Director of Communications for the Canadian Tulip Festival, and that will be in person.

While working remotely as a nomad, I will be creating content about the affordable housing crisis by living in my own SUV.  I am launching a mental health podcast that will also be on Blast the Radio.

As a PTSD survivor, I hope to record a lot of fireside chats with affordable housing victims while also shining a light on the beauty of life in her travel vlogs.

When? Journey itinerary – time wise.

Sept 1, 2024 – I will be homeless, on purpose, in my own city of 42 years while I learn about the affordable housing crisis . I plan to sleep at a lot of Walmarts, Cracker Barrels and gas stations, when I can’t find affordable camping.

After losing almost $200,000 after a serious collision my dreams of RV camping were dashed, so I started to challenge the concepts related to consumerism. A few countries can’t house their most vulnerable people anymore.

Sept 1-30, 2024 – live in my own G7 Capital city, in my vehicle, to interview people struggling. I am leaving a luxury home attached to a football stadium. I lost my company and wanted to tell the stories of people who, through no fault of their own, are living in vehicles, and how that is criminalized.

Oct 1, 2024 – start going South, stopping to stay with family near Cleveland, Ohio and Fort Worth, Texas on my journey, but mostly be sleeping in truck stops, camp grounds and off grid land, like Bureau of Land Management or Crown Land in Canada.

April 1, 2024 – Home for two months in Ottawa for in-person job as Director of Communications for the Canadian Tulip Festival. I will sleep in my vehicle at the site of the festival.

Where? Map of proposed journey.

I’m excited to share this journey with you and will be map that out soon.

Why? What was your inspiration.

After the collision June 10, 2022 I had a long road to recovery. I’m still on it. There won’t be an end really, as some of my injuries which will get worse with aging.

My career was over, my injuries were complicated and I was bleeding money because of my own insurance company’s resistance to the opinions of medical professionals, even though I had an enormous policy.

I had a lot of time to think about my life. I once owned a 6 bedroom house and had a place setting for 20 guests…soooo much STUFF.

That seemed ridiculous as I trained to walk without a limp with the help of more than 10 medical experts. The day of the accident, the young driver also destroyed my camper, which I was towing, when she ran a stop sign.

So, I had to process what was still possible, and not what was now impossible. That all combined with my life-long profession of being a modern day storyteller and someone who has naturally navigated toward the stories of perseverance.

One doesn’t have to look far to see we have a full-blown affordable housing crisis in Canada.  I, then, looked at the United States situation and watched the Oscar winning Nomadland about vehicle dwellers and everything just fit. I wanted to tell the stories of why people got to “on the road”.

How did you do it?

I rented an apartment after COVID, for a number of reasons, but mostly because after owning big homes for years I was already becoming drawn to minimalism.

Ottawa is very expensive and my rent was $2500+/month.  So, I decided to pay only the equivalent of one month’s rent on the equipment I would need to be a full time nomad and traveller. I purchased solar panels, a huge battery, a fridge and some video production gear. Basically, instead of $30K/year in rent, I paid $2500 to be free in a vehicle I already owned.