If you live in Brantford and you haven’t heard of Graham Chittenden (well, we won’t go there), but he’s a standup comedian and television writer who Just for Laughs describes as “fresh and clean, but still relentlessly funny.” Chittenden, one of the City’s 2019 Tourism Ambassadors, has been a bright light in the Brantford community for many years. He’s the first guy to be called in for MC duties when there’s a big business or networking event in town because he’s a familiar face, hilarious, and, the best part of all…he’s one of us.
Chittenden, 36, was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario and attended North Park Collegiate. He continued his studies at York University in Toronto for Film & Television Production, and went on to study Comedy TV Writing at Humber College. You can see him perform on Just for Laughs, hear him on The Debaters on CBC Radio, and “all summer long you can probably catch [him] eating Dairee Delite for lunch.” He currently writes for the show Still Standing on CBC. Chittenden explains, “We travel to small towns in Canada that have faced hard times and are bouncing back in creative ways. We give them a standup show, in their town, about their town, for the people of their town.”
“The show has taken me to Carcross, Yukon, down to Vancouver Island, and East to Bell Island, Newfoundland. My standup comedy has taken me as far as Bermuda, California, Mexico, and also through all 10 Canadian provinces and two territories. (Sorry, Northwest Territories.)” Though Chittenden travels often for work, his permanent address is in Brantford with his partner, Shanelle and their “pack of elderly dogs.” He quips, “if you’ve seen a man in the north end walking with a pug way out in front of him, and an old shih tzu way behind him, that’s me.”
In March 2019, Chittenden won an award for Best Writing: Factual for the second time for his work on Still Standing at the Canadian Screen Awards. His long list of accomplishments also includes: Host of Showtown on MTV Canada, Host of Comedy @JFL42 on the Comedy Network, Writer (and guest star) on Mr. D on CBC, Season 4 & 5, and much more. Chittenden adds, “one particular personal highlight of my career was, years after my dad introduced me to the comedy of John Pinette on DVD, I was able to introduce my mom and dad to John Pinette, in person, before I opened for John on his Canadian tour.”
Chittenden and Shanelle are avid supporters and volunteers with The Brant County SPCA. Shanelle has done a lot of fundraising for the shelter and takes photographs of the dogs available for adoption, and Chittenden helps when he is home and able to. The pair love animals and have fostered puppies and even a litter of kittens once—“despite Shanelle’s extreme allergy to cats,” Chittenden shares.
Because of their love of animals, the couple spends a lot of time outdoors enjoying Brantford’s wonderful parks and network of trails. Chittenden said he feels truly grateful for the efforts of everyone who has made that possible. In 2018, he also joined the Brant Cycling Club and adds, “[I] was genuinely impressed with all the work they do to make Brantford an active community. They were instantly an inviting group of people whose goal is to maximize the potential of this beautiful piece of Southwestern Ontario.”
Chittenden was raised alongside his three brothers in Brantford, and admits that he grew up more involved in sports than in the arts. He didn’t practice his craft at an early age, but said that playing hockey all winter and soccer all summer taught him a lot about perseverance and teamwork. Aside from their mutual love and adoration for sports, Chittenden and his brothers loved comedy: “We were always joking around with each other and watching comedy movies ad nauseam in our house.”
Chittenden was inspired by a fellow Brantfordian and comedian, the late Gord Paynter (1955-2012). “Gord Paynter was the first standup comic I ever met. While at York University, I had to shoot a short documentary about an interesting person. Someone who knew I was a big fan of standup comedy suggested Gord. Gord was available and eager to participate. We stayed in touch and Gord helped me brainstorm some of my first jokes that I used to audition for a spot in the post-graduate comedy program at Humber College. Years later, we shared a stage on several Yuk Yuks gigs. I learned a lot about positivity from Gord, and a lot about sharing a message while telling jokes.”
Not shy about his love for Brantford, Chittenden says, “What I like about Brantford is the size. (Though I imagine it’s grown five percent since I [began] typing this sentence.) You can see a car show in the morning and a craft show in the afternoon. There’s culinary diversity and access to numerous farms and their produce. And yet, you can get anywhere in town within fifteen minutes.”
In the past year, Chittenden has spoke at and hosted several events at the Brantford Public Library. The Brantford Public Library has nearly 30 events each week for people of all ages, and many of these events are possible through partnerships they have with nearly 30 community organizations. People have travelled as far as Pennsylvania to attend author appearances that are part of their Bell City Author Series. Chittenden adds, “James Clark and everyone there are going above and beyond to make the library more than just a stack of books, and they’re doing a wonderful job of making it an event space and social hub.”
Chittenden comes from a long line of comedic talent from Brantford, with Phil Hartman (1948-1988) being the most notable. He has shared the stage with John Pinette, Mark Forward, Gerry Dee and many others who have inspired him. He used all of the tools Brantford has at its disposal to help him achieve his goals, and encourages others to do the same. He adds, “If what you’re looking for doesn’t exist, it’s up to you to create it. Brantford has a lot to offer; take what you need and give back what you can.”
You can find out more about Graham Chittenden by visiting his website, or following him on social media: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Chittenden's new album, Defeated, releases worldwide this Friday, May 31 and is available for pre-order NOW on iTunes.