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Chantal Kreviazuk visits Ryerson photojournalism students

By Karoun Chahinian 

On Thursday November 6th, Peter Bregg’s second-year photojournalism students were paid a visit by Canadian singer-songwriter, Chantal Kreviazuk.

Bregg said he has photographed Kreviazuk in the past and used her visit as an opportunity to have her speak to students about press conference photojournalism. Kreviazuk spoke to students about her volunteer work with the organization War Child and about growing up in Winnipeg.

“I think there’s something inside of artists that they want truth,” Kreviazuk said about her work with War Child. “They’re usually tortured or traumatized and they want to see justice.”

Since she was in elementary school in Winnipeg, Chantal said she was aware of the surrounding injustices which ended up sparking her curiosity and passion to make a change.

“It was a dream come true to be able to travel to Iraq with War Child,” said Kreviazuk. “I wanted to know what these people were about that we were all supposed to be scared of and hate. I come from a very diverse background and I just had this feeling that something was very wrong and I wanted to know what it was about.”

In March 2014, Chantal and her husband, Raine Maida, lead vocalist of Our Lady Peace, were the recipients of the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award and were honoured during the Juno Awards for their humanitarian causes and work in philanthropy.

“I love the side that has the privilege of being with people in their most difficult moments,” said Kreviazuk. “I love and am humbled by the side that can help or at least provide hope. These are the things that drive me.”

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