Michael Allen Ormerod

Michael Allen Ormerod is a renowned multi-media editor, activist and film maker currently residing in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Michael was born in 1970 in Hamilton, Ontario, where he spent the majority of his life.^[1] He was raised in subsidized housing neighborhoods throughout the Mountain area of Hamilton during which time he observed many of the problems facing the unemployed, underemployed, and minorities. Michael's academic progression was fairly normal in his early years, even going as far as to be moved up grades to prevent boredom. Later in life Michael would be diagnosed with dyslexia explaining some of the erratic drops in grades every so often, as well as behavior issues.

In 1984 Michael started attending Hill Park Secondary School, a school known for turning out such other notable music and film artists like Shanya Lynn Vaughan, Warren P. Sonada, Jason Jones (actor), Kevin Spencer (musician), and Ray Lyell.^[2] Soon, battles with dyslexia, alcohol, and violence forced the school to expel Michael, and send him off to an alternation education program, now known as Mountain Secondary School (Hamilton). Things went downhill from there. Michael dropped out of school, and left his family home at 16.

It took some time, but Michael was able to right the ship, and after stints in Westmount Secondary School, and Barton Secondary School, Michael was able to move on to post-secondary. First, he focused in on business administration, before finding his creative instincts would be better served in the television broadcasting course at Mohawk College.^[3] Around this same time Michael joined the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve^[4]with 23 Medical company (now 23 Field Ambulance). Finding success with both endeavors led Michael to seek out a career in war journalism. After meeting his future wife Lori Dursten, Michael set his focus on more local career opportunities.

While serving in the Canadian Forces Ormerod spent time doing wedding videos and working at Rogers Sportsnet before finding his niche as a news editor; first in Winnipeg, Manitoba, then in Edmonton. Working in the news brought back many memories of what it was like to grow up in poverty-ridden neighborhoods, and the problems faced by those living there. These realizations launched Michael into activism and film making. Michael became active on the political circuit, volunteering campaign time with the Alberta New Democratic Party, although his views were more aligned with socialism. Michael also defended LGBT rights in Canada, spearheading and attending rallies to attack cutbacks on funding for gender reassignment surgery, and threats of pickets from the Westboro Baptist Church.

Michael is currently still involved in news, and working on his first full length feature film project entitled "Straight Camp". Inspired by his dealings with negative views towards the LGBT community, the film takes place in a world where Homosexuals are the majority, and endorsed by the major Churches, and heterosexuals are a persecuted minority. The film is set to be released in 2013.^[5]

Michael and Lori gave birth to their first child, Wyatt Allen Ormerod in 2008.

References

1. ^ St. Joseph hospital birth records
2. ^ Hill Park S.S. Alumni Association
3. ^ Mohawk College Alumni Association
4. ^ DND public records
5. ^ National Film Board of Canada

Persondata
Name	Ormerod, Michael Allen
Alternative names
Short description	Filmmaker, multimedia editor and activist
Date of birth	1970
Place of birth	Hamilton, Ontario
Date of death
Place of death