It was through a mutual love of theatre that Jordan Blaxill and Robyn Saxberg initially came together. In fact, Robyn auditioned for a Cambrian Players show that Jordan was directing, but she didn’t get the part.
“Robyn made it through to the call-back round, but I didn’t cast her in the end,” says Jordan. “When I was calling people up to let them know they didn’t get the part and to offer feedback, she was the only one who requested feedback.
I should’ve seen that as a sign at the time.”
“I went to the audition and Jordan was there, all suave with his cute accent,” says Robyn. “I thought he was charming.”
“I took him not casting me in the show as a great challenge” she says. “Ultimately, I think I got the better end of the deal.”
The two found themselves in the same circle when they went on a hike with mutual friends up Mount McKay and after that, their relationship took off with long letters on Facebook and a whirlwind romance that has brought them two beautiful children in a place they love.
Jordan is originally from London, England and he came to Thunder Bay to pursue a previous relationship that did not end up working out. Despite this, he tells me, he liked it so much here that he decided to stay in the city. He was warned about, and now has experience with the brutal Thunder Bay winters, but so far, they haven’t managed to scare him off.
Robyn herself has family ties to Thunder Bay, dating back more than 150 years and relocated here permanently from the GTA, to be closer to those ties and put down her own roots.
“My mom and her family are from here. My Grandma is 99 and we all want to be like her when we grow up” explains Robyn. “The way the GTA was growing just wasn’t really my thing. I always kind of felt like Thunder Bay was home. My grandparents built a house in Murillo that my parents own now, so Thunder Bay just had a consistency for me that I never found elsewhere.”
Robyn owns and runs a multimedia business called Saxberg Design Creative. Through her business, she opened a kindermusik studio during the past year which has been keeping her very busy.
“I was really surprised and really delighted at the level of support that the community at large has for the arts community here,” Robyn tells me. “It warmed my heart in a big way as it made me feel like there was a real place for my passions here. There is such a sense of anonymity in Southern Ontario and I didn’t get that feeling at all here. Everything just kind of fell into place.”
“There are just so many people trying to get into every industry in the GTA. You’d think with it being a bigger city that there are more opportunities but that’s not really how it is,” says Robyn.
“I’ve never doubted moving here for
a second,” she adds.
Jordan currently holds a position at Magnus Theatre as the Theatre in Education Director. He is another younger face on the Magnus team, joining new General Manager Alexis Rowlinson who stepped into the role in 2021.
“Thom [Currie, Magnus’s Artistic Director] is trying to expand and revitalize all of the things that Magnus has always done. It’s a really great team and an exciting time to work at Magnus.”
Jordan has been involved in theatre and drama since he was a child. He has spent time acting professionally in the UK as well as teaching drama.
“I’ve been pretty actively involved in the theatre community since I moved here. I have done a lot of community theatre and that led me to take on my role at Magnus,” says Jordan. “We have a great theatre community here and there are lots of opportunities for young people. We are lucky the community is as vibrant as it is here.”
Between Robyn’s kindermusik studio,
a new season at Magnus, and making time to get out to see the fall colours with their two children, the couple is enjoying a busy autumn.
