Local video podcast puts spotlight on disability community

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on April 19, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Medicine Hat’s own Dalton Ehry is highlighting members of the local disabled community with the help of the TELUS STORYHIVE.

‘Adapting’ was born out of a similar attempt made through Ehry’s workplace at REDI, where he had initially desired to promote some of the work he does there. That attempt did not ultimately come to fruition, but he saw an opportunity for a personal project to become a spiritual successor via STORYHIVE.

“It just kind of all worked perfectly and it was a great opportunity. Story hive really gave us the platform to get these stories out into the community,” said Ehry. The eight different participants all focus around different aspects of disability within the community, from those born with a disability, those who gained one later in life and disability advocates.

This is one of 65 different Video Podcasts that are being released as part of STORYHIVE’S first wave of video podcasts, all focused on new storytellers in British Columbia and Alberta.

“We really are trying to generate a new generation of creatives, whether it’s short film makers to content creators who are trying to express an idea and get it out there,” said Georgina Chaplin, STORYHIVE program manager. “We’re really trying to add richness to this Western Canadian media front, so that we can really celebrate the rich stories that you know come across both our provinces.”

Thus far, STORYHIVE has supported more than 1,400 projects across the two provinces.

The process, said Ehry, was simple, knowing several people through his work that he could approach for this personal project to speak, as well as co-hosts Robin Keenan and Kirah Giles to help bring it all to life.

“Robin, and I were doing those little interviews before, but we wanted to pull in somebody else, Kirah,” said Ehry. “She herself has ADHD and autism, so it was nice to have that perspective when she was talking to participants and was sometimes able to connect with them in ways we couldn’t.”

Ehry said he was thrilled to be able to highlight these vital stories for the community and shine a light both on this underrepresented demographic but also Medicine Hat as a whole.

Being able to tell stories like that, echoed Chaplin, is why she is so thrilled to be facilitating STORYHIVE and getting new content creators the support they need to create the works they’re so passionate about.

“We really provide the training so that everyday citizens are able to take the reins from their perspectives and give them the control to tell the story that they want to tell,” said Chaplin. “We’ve had some people who went to film school, but just as many who have never touched a camera, and now they have the tools to pursue their stories.”

The first episode of Adapting released on April 8, and Ehry could not be prouder of the work he and his team have put in to make it a reality.

“We’re really happy with it, and being able to show it off to, like, our families and friends and all that, it’s pretty exciting,” said Ehry. He added that he has already applied with another idea regarding the local restaurant scene to STORYHIVE, having thoroughly caught the creative bug, as well as considering further episodes of Adapting.

He encourages people to support not only his work, but all of STORYHIVE, feeling their work is important for new creatives to shine.

Adapting, as well as other works in the program are available on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel, and information on TELUS STORYHIVE, including how to apply, can be found at storyhive.com.

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