Ty DeLisle performs in a recent stage production on Vancouver Island, continuing his journey from the Crowsnest Pass to the world of professional theatre. Submitted Photo
Nicholas L. M. Allen
Apr 16, 2025
From stocking grocery store shelves in small-town Alberta to captivating audiences under stage lights on Vancouver Island, Ty DeLisle is living proof that dreams can take root anywhere — even in the heart of the Rockies.
A graduate of Crowsnest Consolidated High School, DeLisle is currently starring as Eric Birling in An Inspector Calls, a 1945 British morality play written by J.B. Priestley. The performance marks his third production since moving to Victoria a year and a half ago, following Frey’s Anguish by Alan Segal and Switzerland by Joanna Murray-Smith.
“This is a morality play,” said DeLisle, “I play Eric Birling, the alcoholic son of a wealthy industrialist.” He landed the role after working with director Tony Cain, who previously served as producer on Switzerland.
Though now based on the West Coast, DeLisle’s acting journey began with a jolt of cinematic inspiration back home.
“I was kind of aimless the year after I graduated from CCHS,” he said, “But after seeing the first Deadpool movie, I realized that these big movies I love were being made in Vancouver. Also, that it was something you could actually go to school for — that had me fascinated.”
Soon after, he applied to the Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts and received his acceptance letter on July 4, 2016.
The leap from the quiet streets of the Crowsnest Pass to the competitive world of Vancouver acting was a dramatic shift, DeLisle admits. Fortunately, family in Langley and a supportive cohort of classmates helped ease the transition. Still, there were challenges.
“The biggest one was stage fright,” he said, “The first time I performed in front of a group of strangers I froze and forgot my lines.”
Since then, he’s also had to navigate criticism and the often-cutthroat nature of the industry, hurdles he continues to push through. Despite those difficulties, DeLisle believes his roots in the Pass gave him something special.
“There’s a kind of innocence that stems from being from a cozy little mountain town,” he said. “It shaped my excitement for how much world there is to explore.”
He’s naturally drawn to comedy, often landing roles as bumbling characters, but he’s also keen on stretching his dramatic muscles.
“There’s always something,” he said when asked about future goals, “I’d like to do some Shakespeare and see what challenges cometh my way. I’d also love to work in film more — so it’s not so expensive for my parents to see my work.”
For young people back home dreaming of a career in the arts or other big ambitions, DeLisle’s advice is simple: “Do it! Always dream big and don’t listen to people who try to minimize your dreams. If something is calling you, it’s for a reason.”
He also shared a quote that’s helped guide him: “To get something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” — Denzel Washington.
DeLisle’s journey from the mountains of Alberta to the footlights of the stage is still unfolding — and he’s chasing it with passion, grit and a healthy dose of humour.
His current production, An Inspector Calls, is now running in Victoria.
