Timmins has long been dubbed ‘The City with a Heart of Gold’ but it soon might require an update to include a certain mythical animal.
A young man wearing a unicorn mask has been spotted around the city for the last few months, spreading cheer and creating curiosity everywhere he goes.
Recent appearances include the Northern Ontario Expo and a visit to city hall to meet Mayor Steve Black.
The man behind the mask, Jesse Beaulieu, is a grade 10 student at École Secondaire Thériault, who says he simply wants to make the world a nicer place.
“It all started when I bought it. Someone came up to me and said ‘Do you want to take a picture?’ and I said ‘Why not?’ Then I realized that it was a good deed, so I kept with it” he said.
Beaulieu said there was no specific reason why he chose the unicorn mask, other than the fact it made him laugh.
The unicorn has his routines and spends plenty of time out in the community.
“At lunchtime, I usually walk around Theriault Boulevard and when I get home, I walk around if I have time. On weekends I walk around from 7 o’clock to 8:30 or so,” he said.
Beaulieu says he’s been helping people long before the mask made its first appearance. He tries to give as much to the homeless and vulnerable as possible, including recently handing forty dollars to a local man who Beaulieu knows has mental health issues.
For safety reasons, it’s not something he’s going to make a habit of, but in the near future he would like to provide assistance for the homeless by providing meals, clothing and grooming facilities.
His grandmother, Linda Beaulieu, beams with pride over his initiative.
“It’s awesome. Jesse was always the type to be around and help as much as he could. At first I wondered why he bought the mask, but then I started hearing the positive feedback, and I thought way to go, keep it up. I’m always encouraging him,” she said.
Jesse says he has been receiving accolades from both current and former teachers, as well as his fellow students.
There has even been talk of a push to have The Unicorn featured on the wildly popular daytime talk show ‘Ellen’ with Ellen DeGeneres.
“I’m not doing it just to see Ellen. I do it to make changes in the world and positivity. Because Timmins can be kind of a bummer, but it’s a great place, so if I can get my story on Ellen, it would be a goal achieved,” he said.
There are no plans of slowing down anytime soon. Timmins residents can look forward to seeing him all over the city.
Linda Beaulieu feels that even the smallest act of kindness can drastically improve someone’s day.
“It’s awesome to see him making people laugh on a daily basis. If he can do that, he’s got his good deed of the day done.”
(PHOTO: Grade 10 student Jesse Beaulieu wears his now famous unicorn mask. Andrew Autio for TimminsToday)
