Teaching brought them to a small N.W.T. community — then they found love
After meeting in Fort Providence in 2015, the couple has moved twice and gotten married
Almost three years after two teachers moved to Fort Providence, N.W.T., from different Ontario towns, they have a love story.
CBC originally interviewed William Magno and Diana George in 2015, when the Deh Gah School in Fort Providence lost seven teachers — over half of its teaching staff.
Magno had moved to the community of about 700 from Mississauga, Ont., and he found it was a "little bit of a shock" to adjust to the small hamlet.
But while working at the school, he met Diana George — another new teacher who was coming from Markham, Ont.
"I was sitting at my desk trying to set up for my first year of teaching ever. And then Diana walked through my door, and I was like, 'Oh my goodness,'" said Magno.
That's a moment that George has heard about many times before.
"Will said it was love at first sight. He said he was sitting in his little orange classroom and when I walked to the doors the orange walls started to vibrate."
She said the relationship developed gradually.
"We were overcoming things together… I knew he was like an adventurous person as well and wanted to share more experiences with me," said George.
"It just led us to here."
Put a ring on it
Last year, the pair made a move to a school near High Level, Alta.
"I'm definitely like the restless one," said George. She had been living in small communities for a while and wanted to move somewhere with more access, and closer to friends.
But this year, another opportunity popped up in the N.W.T. — this time in Fort Simpson. The two are excited that there is a Pizza Hut in the community, which is "definitely a big bonus," said Magno.
The pair married this past summer. George says it was a big wedding because they both have large families.
"When we put the rings on, that was the highlight," said Magno.
They're taking the lessons they've learned from their experiences teaching in northern communities to Fort Simpson with them.
For Magno that's "definitely being able to bring the culture into the classroom, because I learned so much out on the land with the students."
And for George it's "remembering to let other people teach you things, as well, like including the students and other community members."
With files from Loren McGinnis