For over 20 years, Ross Hull has been delivering to Canadians the weather news they need for the top news outlets across the country. Since moving to Toronto, Hull has worked at Global News as a meteorologist. If his face looks familiar while sharing the chance of precipitation on your TV, there’s a reason. You might recognize him from his starring role in YTV’s 1990s horror anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark? Hull shared the details of his and his partner Rodson Garcia’s serendipitous meeting and how their Instagram-famous dogs reunited the pair.
How they met
We like to believe it was actually Rodson’s first pet (Jasper the Pomsky) who brought us together! Rodson travelled with Jasper from Calgary to Toronto in July 2016 for a social media pet influencer event. While he was in the city, we connected online and had a great chat, but by that point, Rodson was already returning to Calgary, and we weren’t able to meet in person. We remained in contact online, and we both felt there was something worth exploring . A year later, we finally met in person in Toronto for our first date!
The first date
I had always wanted to do a road trip through the Maritimes, so I booked some time off in 2017 to do just that. After a year of getting to know Rodson virtually, I knew he also wanted to see that part of the country, and he had some friends in Toronto to visit. What better way to get to know someone than to do something we both enjoy — exploring new places and creating travel adventures. So, I casually asked if he’d be interested to go on the trip with me, leaving from Toronto (fully expecting him to politely decline). Surprisingly, he said yes! So we set off on our nine-day “first date” road trip headed toward our first stop, Quebec City — where we finally were able to have our first real sit-down dinner together.
After the trip, we were both sad to see each other go. I was hesitant about starting a long-distance relationship, and after visiting each other back and forth, it became clear that one of us would have to move to keep what we had going.
The pets
In the end, we like to say it’s the CanadianBros [influencers] who played a key role in bringing us together. By 2018, Rodson not only had Jasper [the pomsky], but he had added Louie [the eskiemute] to his pack, so double trouble! The Bros’ followers on Instagram were on the rise, and Rodson saw new opportunities to expand their brand in Toronto. That coincided with him looking to make a change in his own personal career as a project manager. So in August of 2018, Rodson decided to make the big move to Toronto! I had met the boys during my visits in Calgary and fell in love with them, but all of us being together in Toronto on a regular basis really cemented my role in the pack as daddy number two. Now it’s hard to imagine life without them — in fact, they’ve even dug into my work life by regularly appearing on Global News in my at-home segments and in-studio. You can learn more about their howling ventures on Instagram @CanadianBros or watch them on Wildlife Wednesdays on Global News.
Balancing a career and relationship
The pandemic certainly brought this relationship challenge to the forefront — Two Men and Two Fur Babies would be the name of the sitcom. Rodson’s work turned fully work from home, while I’ve been on a hybrid schedule with Global. Trying to manage his meetings with my shoots, while also making sure Jasper and Louie’s playtime/walk needs are being met, all in the relatively confined space of a one-bedroom downtown condo, has led to some hilarious yet sometimes stressful behind-the-scenes chaos. For the record, to date we have both never missed a deadline and no wardrobe malfunctions either, except trying to get Jasper into his many outfits when he is growing his fluffy winter coat.
For more How They Met stories, click here.