For more than a decade, Frankie MacDonald of Whitney Pier, N.S., has been one of the most famous YouTubers from the Maritimes.
“I’ve got a lot of fans in different countries in the world,” said MacDonald, who receives feedback from people on every continent except Antarctica.
MacDonald, who has lived with autism since he was a child, graduated from Sydney Academy in 2002. In the early 2010s, he rose to Internet fame with his viral YouTube videos, particularly those about severe weather forecasts.
Some of his videos have millions of views.
When MacDonald is not entertaining his fans, he can often be found working his day job in maintenance at Sydney’s Mayflower Mall.
“Frankie definitely gets a lot of attention here,” said Greg Morrison, the mall’s general manager. “People are always shouting out, ‘Hey Frank, how you doing?‘”
Morrison said it’s fun having a local celebrity on staff, noting that MacDonald is a role model for many who live on the spectrum.
“A lot of people with autism will see Frankie and just see that he is very capable to work in an environment here like a busy shopping centre,” Morrison said. “It could just be uplifting for anybody.”
Frankie has worked at the mall for 20 years, and while autism awareness has changed quite a bit during that time, most who know MacDonald agree that, despite his fame, he hasn’t changed much.
MacDonald said he first took part in a public event to mark the World Autism Awareness Day in 2019 at Sydney’s Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion.
“I’m 40 years old. That means I did a lot of videos in the last decade as well,” MacDonald said.
MacDonald has also co-written a book – “Be Prepared! The Frankie MacDonald Guide to Life, the Weather and Everything” - with Halifax author and freelance journalist Sarah Sawler.
He has also had bobbleheads made in his likeness, and has been featured on celebrity podcasts.
Morrison said MacDonald’s vast array of accolades, plus his skills as a longtime employee, speak volumes to what people who live on the spectrum can accomplish.
“What you can overcome, what you can achieve; Frankie lives it daily,” he said.
Some of the fans who reach out to MacDonald also live with autism.
“They have their own journey,” MacDonald said. “They go about it their own way.”
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