You've probably spotted him at a city council meeting toying with the ancient video cameras they have set up to capture the action—or inaction—or, maybe you've seen him out on the street asking Merritt citizens their opinions on local issues, but if you ever see Paul McLellan without his tripod and video camera, which are pretty much extensions of his self, you may not recognize him.

Though his official job title is producer, McLellan does much more than that for Shaw Cable in Merritt. Since his arrival in Merritt last September, he has been responsible for almost all the stories that air on channel 10, from the ground up. His duties include researching, interviewing, editing, and filming—often requiring him to be on both sides of the camera and in the studio all at once.

“My TV thing actually started with volunteering at Shaw TV in Vancouver when I was about sixteen—I worked with their news program,” explains McLellan.

An early seeded passion for video journalism led McLellan to the broadcast school at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, but not before he could satisfy a small travel bug.

“I lived in Madagascar for two years in between high school and BCIT. That was an interesting direction to go.”

Though he didn't know too much about Merritt when the position opened up, it turned out this little town was actually quite a good fit for McLellan, who admits human interest stories are his “thing.”

“I had probably stopped here for gas once, but everyone has been very nice since I've been here,” saysMcLellan.

“There are so many great personalities and characters in Merritt—it hasn't been very tough finding stories.”

When he's not out capturing stories, McLellan is shooting the breeze with the local media crew, chatting about Merritt issues, like the Cents, country music, or moustaches.

So, when you see McLellan out and about, don't be alarmed by his massive headphones—powerful enough to hear your whispered secrets from across the room—or his intimidating video camera, which can see right down into your soul. With a smile like his, it's clear: he's after your story, not your soul.