Could Ben Stager do for Kitchener-Waterloo what Frank Sinatra or Jay-Z have done for New York City? The Kitchener-born and raised comedian likes to think so. Stager’s TikTok and Instagram videos singing the praises of Kitchener-Waterloo (and Cambridge) have attracted thousands of fans, as well as the attention of producers from Citytv’s Canada’s Got Talent.
Stager showed off his talents to the nation and the show’s judges on an episode that aired on Apr. 23, 2024. Unfortunately, Stager’s performance of his original song “The United States of Kitchener-Waterloo” did not earn him a pass to the next round.
“All the time growing up in Kitchener-Waterloo, I’ve always thought it’s hard to ignore how many cultural similarities and services they share. It’s two things within one larger thing—and then Cambridge as well. I just want to write a song about it and share it with the rest of the nation and, I guess, the world,” Stager said.
I contacted Stager by phone to find out what had happened since his national television debut. He had posted on Instagram earlier in the day that he was in Pickering for a big deal and would have news shortly.
“Yeah, I’m just looking into getting a used car. Don’t leak that to the press,” he said.
After assuring Stager that this was not something we needed to keep off the record, he shared more about the inspiration for the song.
“Another thing I was thinking of at the time was that it’s a big couple of years for Kitchener-Waterloo. Jamal Murray won the NBA championship. We had a BlackBerry movie come out. Let’s go for three. Let’s write a song and go on national television,” he said.
While Stager’s performance did not win over the judges, including Canada’s own Howie Mandel, he is still proud to have had a chance to “do for Kitchener-Waterloo what the Beatles did for Liverpool.”
Stager was born in Kitchener and grew up in the Westvale neighborhood of Waterloo. He said the neighborhood inspired his lifelong love for the twin cities.
“One side of University Ave. is the city of Waterloo. The other side is the city of Kitchener. I was technically born in Kitchener-Waterloo because the hospital was called KW Hospital at the time,” Stager said.
After graduating from Resurrection Catholic Secondary School, Stager studied at the University of Waterloo for a semester before deciding it was not the right path for him. He then switched schools to Humber College in Etobicoke, where he studied in the Comedy Writing and Performance program.
Making it in comedy is notoriously difficult, with lots of competition, and fewer and fewer opportunities to get stage time. However, Stager said social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have made it easier to build an audience that performers can bring to venues across Canada.
“I would advise most people not to try it. But I think it is a better landscape today. Social media has opened doors and allowed more people in,” he said.
When it comes to the next generation of Kitchener-Waterloo breakout stars, Stager’s advice is that you love performing to make it work.
“Some people blow up super early on. Some people never blow up. Some people blow up super late. You just have to really love it because there will be some years pursuing entertainment where you won’t make a lot of money, and you’ll have to just work a bunch of odd jobs,” he said. “If you love it and your heart’s it, I say, go for it.”
You can follow Stager on Instagram and TikTok to see more of his videos and get updates on upcoming shows.
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