Thanks for watching in 2018! May this next year bring health, happiness and prosperity. Good things are coming… I can feel it!
Original investigative reporting: Environmental stewardship
It’s a great honour to help make waves of change especially when it comes to taking action against plastic pollution.
We may be only a short time away from having a concrete national plastics strategy in Canada.
Being one of the first journalists to put out this important information really underpins why we in the Canadian media do what we do to disseminate information. Driving the national news agenda and hopefully creating waves of change. Lets see what comes out of an upcoming meeting that could serve as the forum for this big announcement if all goes as signals suggest.
Original investigative sourcing, reporting for TV, Web and of course writing the full context in this Weather Network article.
Read it for yourself, the statistics are staggering.
Only 11 per cent of plastics are recycled in Canada. The rest end up in our landfills, lakes, parks and oceans, destroying ecosystems and leaching toxic chemicals.
Watch within the article to see the sit-down-chat with Environmental Defence.
A love letter to the land of my roots: East Africa
This Canada Day it was an honour to not only share my family’s refugee story but to write it myself as well for the Hamilton Spectator.
A fitting tribute to the country we all pay tribute to on July 1st. Our story is like so many others who have come to this country with nothing and have been welcomed with open arms.
I was lucky enough to go back and re-trace my roots and visit the homes and businesses my family had been forced to flee decades ago which made this all that much more emotional to write.
Thank you to my friends at The Spec
An honour to be featured and showcase my hometown pride
Hamilton, Ontario, March 27,2018- Saphia Khambalia, is a broadcaster at The Weather Network with roots in Hamilton. .
Cathie Coward/ Hamilton Spectator
Saphia Khambalia joined The Weather Network in 2015 after paying her dues at stations across the province, including Toronto, Windsor and Sudbury.
Khambalia says she’s learned to strive for excellence, not perfection, because perfection doesn’t exist. Here’s more.
Name: Saphia Khambalia
Age: 31
Position: Anchor and reporter at The Weather Network
Job description: I broadcast in the studio at the green screen (in the TWN Oakville Headquarters) and report live in the field or shoot fun weather related stories. I get the great privilege of giving Canadians (including many viewers in Hamilton) the latest information they need to know on the weather conditions that they experience daily. Of course, being from Hamilton I love any excuse to come back to Steeltown with a camera in tow. Most recently, I came to Hamilton for a TV story that involved a few local businesses as well as ArcelorMittal Dofasco and the Hamilton Bulldogs.
How did you come to be in this job?
I’ve always wanted to be in media and was bitten by the TV bug at a young age. Actually, it was doing behind the scenes work at Cable 14 and volunteer writing for the Stoney Creek News while still in high school when I really fell in love with this industry. When I went to journalism school at Ryerson University, TV broadcasting was certainly my pipe dream. I worked a lot of long hours putting in my dues at TV stations all over the province (reporting in Toronto, Windsor and Sudbury).
Then, wanting to work closer to our area after our first child was born, I’m lucky an opportunity was available to join The Weather Network in 2015. Timing is everything.
What gets you up in the morning?
No two days in Canadian weather are ever the same and the same goes for working in broadcast. It keeps things fresh and fun when you can always learn something new about your craft. However, the No. 1 thing that gets me up in the morning is the viewers. It’s an honour to be let into people’s homes and become a part of their day.
Lessons learned?
Humility. Love yourself and laugh at your mistakes, often!
Strive for excellence. Never for perfection: it doesn’t exist.
Don’t look for handouts. Every opportunity is what you make of it. I learned how to shoot and edit my own footage and took-on international journalism opportunities while following my roots in East Africa.
Roots:
Boomeranger. My family is from Hamilton. I was born out of town but we moved back when I was a baby. So I’ve been in the area since infancy and all of our family still is.
Groups and associations:
I’m proud to act as a spokesperson supporting Parkinson Canada, within the province of Ontario. I bring awareness for the organization that is there to help so many people living with the disease and caregivers.
It’s all in the memory of my beloved grandfather who battled it himself. This April is Parkinson Awareness Month and my message is to have empathy. Always. Which is especially important to heed for our generation that takes so much. I say give as much as you can instead.
Recent social media post(s):
A photo of me cuddling with my 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter. I don’t post many pictures of my kids. However, this one was special. It’s the little moments like this that you hold on to forever that rarely get captured. My heart melts every time I look at it!
Favourite place in the downtown:
Ottawa Street for fabric shopping and checking out all the cool stores and restaurants that have opened up. I’ve gotten really into crafting with my kids lately, so I stock-up on goodies at the fabric stores!
What would make Hamilton a better city?
Ensuring the protection of some of our amazing green space and farming land in the Greater Hamilton area.
I remember driving down Highway 8 and Ridge Road toward Winona, almost every day as a child and loved stopping at all the farms for fresh fruit and veggies. Now there’s a ton of new development in some of that same space.
While a housing boom is great for the market, I think it’s always important to keep the integrity of the some of the most prized Canadian farming land in the greenbelt at a priority as well.
What’s next for you?
Outside of work I love living an active lifestyle with my husband and kids. And you can bet I’m always asked around town “What’s the weather going to be like?”
As a family we have lots of plans of hanging out in cottage country and hiking closer to home.
Contacts: @saphiatwn on twitter and Instagram, theweathernetwork.com/tv/saphiakhambalia, facebook.com/saphiakhambalia
Welcome to the Weather World
It’s a fascinating blend of journalism, environment, technology, broadcasting, forecasting and performance. Here are some behind the scene shots from the green screens and studio to active weather reporting in the elements in storm systems. All from the past few months at The Weather Network.
Still reeling after Oprah’s incredible Golden Globes Speech
I’m still incredibly struck by the words in the momentous speech by Oprah at last nights Golden Globes. This image reminds me of the scene of almost every women wearing black at the awards ceremony. In solidarity, I recognize the truth in the words. Every woman has lived this, some to such an unfathomable degree. Here’s to hoping we can work together to ensure the next generation of women never have to say “me too.”
2017: That’s a wrap!
Last national show of 2017 in the books. Looking forward to what 2018 has in store.
2017 highlights
From all the big days this year: the first day back after mat-leave, to Remembrance day, Christmas and New Years coverage it’s been a pleasure bringing you important weather and science information from 2017. From my family to yours!
Merry Christmas Card & Carol a la the Weather Network
Hope it was a beautiful holiday season to you and yours!