utor ▁to ▁The ▁Glo be ▁and ▁Mail . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁▁ ▁McK ay ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁St ell art on , ▁Nova ▁Scot ia , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁St ell art on ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁working ▁class ▁St ell art on ▁neighborhood ▁called ▁the ▁Red ▁Row , ▁a ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁hundred - year - old ▁min ing ▁company ▁du ple xes ▁and ▁a ▁tight - kn it ▁community ▁of ▁working - class ▁people . ▁His ▁parents ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁neighborhood . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Georg ina ▁Bel lick , ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Eastern ▁European ▁imm igr ants . ▁ ▁His ▁father , ▁Leo ▁McK ay ▁Sr ., ▁who ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁Red ▁Row ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁was ▁a ▁riv eter ▁at ▁the ▁rail car ▁factory ▁in ▁nearby ▁Tr ent on ▁before ▁becoming ▁a ▁career ▁labour ▁leader , ▁social ▁activ ist , ▁New ▁Dem ocrat ▁politician , ▁and ▁eventually ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁St ell art on ▁Town ▁Council . ▁ ▁He ▁studied ▁English ▁at ▁St . ▁Francis ▁X avier ▁University , ▁French ▁at ▁L aval , ▁Creative ▁Writing ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia ▁and ▁Education ▁at ▁Dal h ous ie . ▁ ▁He ▁lived ▁in ▁Asia ▁for ▁four ▁years . ▁ ▁Career ▁▁ ▁McK ay ▁teach es ▁English ▁at ▁Cob equ id ▁Edu c ational ▁Centre ▁in ▁Tru ro , ▁Nova ▁Scot ia