Matt Black - Former CFL Player

Matt Black was born and raised in Toronto and spent his entire 10-year career with the Double Blue after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 CFL Draft. The defensive back reached the pinnacle of the sport twice during his career, winning Grey Cups in 2012 and 2017. His first Grey Cup championship won on home turf at the Rogers Centre and his second championship ended on one of the most memorable plays in Grey Cup history.

Matt has always been into athletics, playing football, hockey, baseball, rugby, and running track and field growing up. His natural athletic ability helped him considerably, but perseverance and determination have played a very important role as well. He was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and found school very difficult. He knew if he wanted to continue with sport at a higher level, he had to overcome the challenges that dyslexia brought to learning. It was with the help of a very supportive mother and his strong work ethic that allowed him to overcome significant challenges along the way.

Off the field, Matt enjoys speaking to and inspiring young people. During his CFL career, he served as an ambassador for both the Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program and Level the Playing Field and is also a spokesman for the White Ribbon Campaign. In 2016 Matt was the recipient of the Jake Gaudaur Veterans Award, given to a CFL player who best demonstrates strength, perseverance, and contribution to Canadian communities.

Since his retirement from the Toronto Argonauts in 2019, Matt has stayed close to the game. Transitioning into a role in the front office where currently serves as the team’s Players Relations Advisor and Team Operations Assistant. His ambition for success, however, is still ever-present. His ultimate goal is to become president of the team he once played for.

Learn more about Matt by visiting his Twitter.

Dale MacKay - Chef

Dale was diagnosed with dyslexia in grade one. He always found school very stressful and knew early on that he would need to find creative ways to learn and grow. Having a very supportive mom and two older brothers gave Dale the confidence to believe that he could make something of himself, no matter what the challenge.

Chef Dale Mackay has worked under world-renowned Chef Gordon Ramsay and Chef Daniel Boulud with a combined 11 years in London, Tokyo, New York and Vancouver. 

After winning season 1 of Top Chef Canada, Chef Dale Mackay had returned to his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to open Ayden Kitchen and Bar, named after his son Ayden. Since then, Dale Mackay has formed a Grassroots Restaurant Group that consists of Ayden Kitchen and Bar, Little Grouse on the Prairie, Sticks and Stones, Avenue Restaurant and most recent Dojo Ramen. Dale is a Food Network personality and a Judge on Fire Masters and Wall of Chefs. 

Learn more about Dale by visiting his Instagram.

Phil Hanley - Comedian

Phil Hanley is from Oshawa Ontario and now resides in New York City. He first began his standup career by performing at open mics around Vancouver, often in between bands at music venues. In these establishments, he discovered and honed his unique blending of material and crowd interaction that makes no two of his performances the same. His style has been described as unpredictably reflective, delivered with sharp accuracy, and rooted in the grand tradition of joke-telling. His Comedy Central "The Half Hour" premiered on November 14, 2015. He has performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, The Pete Holmes Show, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, and @midnight. He has also been showcased at numerous comedy festivals and can be seen regularly at The Comedy Cellar in New York City.

Phil Hanley was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 10. His mom was very active and supportive with researching dyslexia and advocating for a diagnosis. Phil hopes to inspire, encourage and connect with young people across Canada who have dyslexia. Learn more about Phil by visiting his website, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Maggie Berk

Maggie was diagnosed with dyslexia in grade one and often struggled with her confidence in school. Maggie worked hard to find her love for learning and now she’s currently studying at Cape Breton University in the B.Ed program. Maggie is excited to join our team of Ambassadors as she feels this opportunity will give her the chance to share her life experiences as well as help fellow youth throughout Canada with navigating through the struggles of dyslexia. Maggie hopes to provide and share strategies that she has learned throughout her life so far.

“I am honoured to be an ambassador for Dyslexia Canada because I believe in advocating, celebrating, and continuing to learn about dyslexia. This is a great opportunity to connect with others, continue to grow my confidence and share my toolbox of resources.”

Maggie is involved with many Dyslexia Canada projects and programs such as interviewing an author on our Sharing Stories podcast and sharing her story for our Young Voices of Dyslexia video series. Maggie also created a website for her university course which shared definitions of dyslexia, stories including her own and provided links to informative resources.

Henry Bates

Henry Bates is a 10-year-old from Eastern Ontario. He is a grade 6 student with the Mon Avenir School Board.  Henry was identified as dyslexic the summer before grade 4. Of his dyslexia identification, Henry says, “School is sometimes hard for me, but I see my dyslexia as a strength.  For example, my attention to detail means I always find the Pizza Planet Truck in Pixar movies.”

Henry has a passion for the arts. In addition to being a guest on our Sharing Stories podcast, Henry has also participated in our first-ever event; Cartoon Club - Dyslexia Strengths Studio Workshop, as well as creating an original illustration for the cover of Dyslexia Canada cards. Henry is a writer and illustrator of his own works of fiction. He believes his stories can  “make people laugh because it is good to laugh.”

Henry looks forward to his role as a young ambassador for Dyslexia Canada and the many more opportunities he will be involved with. “I want to share my opinions and experiences with other Dyslexio Fellows.”

Eva Trites

Eva Trites is 12 years old and is a grade 7 student in Quispamsis, New Brunswick. She is passionate about learning, she’s a loyal friend, and she’s a fierce competitor. She spends a lot of time on the ice playing hockey and on the field playing softball.

Eva was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was 8 eight years old and heading into grade four. After her diagnosis, it was like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. She has adapted to assistive technology and has a new love for learning.

Eva is very vocal about her learning difference. She uses every opportunity to educate people about dyslexia. She advocates for herself but also for others like her and others who are overcoming adversity. Eva has inspired the Dyslexia Canada team with her story. She has been involved in the Mark it Read campaign for 2 consecutive years and Eva has also participated in Sharing Stories, Dyslexia Canada’s first-ever podcast. Eva is so thankful that Dyslexia Canada has given her opportunities to speak up and speak out about dyslexia!