Dad of the Week: Christopher McKenzie 

Christopher McKenzie works as the 1st cook at the University of Calgary and lives in Calgary Alberta Canada where he is raising his daughters! Every Dad of the Week answers the following questions, read on to learn more about Christopher and his family!

• What was your first reaction when you found out that you were going to be a father?
  • Disbelief.
• When you knew you were going to be a father, who or where did you turn to for advice?
  • My Pastoral team at church.
• How would your kids describe you as a dad?
  • Best friend.

• What has been the largest challenge you have had in being a father?
  • Single parenting since my twins birth, almost 6 years now as a single father.
• Looking back on your life as a father, what would you change if you could?
  • Some of my past life choices were not so good, Drugs, Alcohol, not finishing school, very selfish, and no drive to better my life. I would take that all and do a 180 degree turn if I knew what today held.
• What do you do for fun with your children?
  • More then I can list. We are at the library twice a week, the space and science center once a week. We sing, we dance, we bake together, build blanket forts and watch movies, we are always outside. The park, a mall, bike riding and more.

• What advice would you give to other dads?
  • Take care of your own mental health!! That’s priority.
• How have you come to balance fatherhood and outside life?
  • Near impossible, I work full time cooking for 1500+ students at the U of C, as well as day to day sole parenting.. House hold chores, cooking for my girls, bills, I have a time management system. I sit each Sunday and plan our week.

• What have been the most memorable experiences that you have had thus far as a father?
  • The girls and I would walk by fire hall #4 Monday thru Friday on my way to work, and to drop them off at daycare, the crew at the fire hall would always drop what they were doing to see the girls, turn on the lights and sirens of the trucks, give the girls there own fire hats and more. But we eventually moved. One day the fire chief of the A shift at station 4 came to my mothers house at 8 am. Mom, still in her house coat hair a mess, scared out of her mind seeing a fireman at her front door. “Good morning Mrs Durrant, we have not seen Chris and the twins for quite sometime?,” Mom(granny) said Chris and the girls had moved.. The fire Chief asked if he could get my contact info. Granny did give him my info. The Chief called me mid November, asking if his crew, “A” shift could sponsor me and my girls for Christmas. I was beside myself and said, well I am quite sure there is a more deserving Family, he promptly said no you are the deserving family we chose. On December 19th 2018, my girls, 2 at the time, got a very special visit from Santa along with 3 full fire trucks, lights and sirens blazing. At least 20 fire fighters came to our apartment, each one having a gift for the girls, and a meal fit for an entire fire station. The Ham was at least 15 lbs alone along with all the fixings. In total my guess they spent more than 3000$ on the girls and I. But the gift those firefighters gave the girls and I was beyond priceless, seeing them with Santa(the fire Chief dressed up) sitting on his lap smile from ear to ear, and all 20 firemen in our tiny apartment also the biggest smiles on their faces, and me with a sense of yes I am blessed, we visit station 4 quite often the girls will have a memory that will last, but also build into a dream. This memorable experience will last in my girls hearts and mine forever

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