By Charlie Senack
Jeffrey Larocque is a federal office employee by day and Spider-Man by night. When the Westboro dog dad is not hard at work for Agriculture Canada, he’s shooting his webs for charity.
Larocque first fell in love with the marvel character after watching the first Spider-Man movie starring Tobey Maguire in 2002. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he decided to purchase the superhero costume in summer 2021 and dress up for his nieces and nephews.
“People were generally not feeling well during the pandemic and it was a bad time. I built up the courage to go and take a walk out in the suit and chat people up. People stopped and took pictures. It got me thinking what more I could do with this,” recalled Larocque.
The wannabe Spider-Man started filming videos to raise money for charity and soon started dressing up for community events. He later bought a better suit and launched a Instagram page in 2022 that has quickly been growing in popularity. In that time Laroque has raised over $25,000.
“There are the core group of charities that I target like CHEO, the Distress Centre, Red Cross, Ottawa Food Bank, Freedom Dog Rescue and Sit With Me Dog Rescue. But if somebody wants to donate elsewhere, that’s totally fine,” he said.
Larocque grew up with dogs, and he began rescuing from local shelters about 10 years ago with his wife. The couple typically take in canines that are older or have other issues that might make them harder to adopt.
Danielle O’Leary, vetting director and chair at Sit With Me Rescue, said she admires Larocque for his kind heart.
“He adopted a dog who was not the easiest dog to adopt,” said O’Leary. “After she passed away, he reached out and asked what our hardest dog was, the dog that’s been in our care the longest with behavior and medical issues.
“That rarely ever happens,” she continued. “When Scott was suggested to Jeff, he had no issues getting a dog that needed several meet-and-greets and more training at the start.”
Local dog rescues have been facing new challenges lately. Economic pressures have resulted in higher bills and fewer donors, creating tough financial situations for organizations like Sit With Me. O’Leary said the rescue is currently enduring their toughest months ever.
“As the vetting director, I book all our surgeries, dental and neuters. The average neuter can cost us between $200 and $500. Those funds can move pretty quickly,” said O’Leary.
A recent fundraiser organized by Larocque was able to cover almost the entire $3,200 vet bill for a dog with a triple hernia.
The premise of the Spider-Man film follows an apprehensive teenager named Peter Parker who gains superhuman abilities after being bitten by a genetically engineered spider. With his new powers, the masked persona begins fighting New York’s crime.
And while Larocque admits he doesn’t plan to take on any bad guys in the future, he has started taking parkour classes to be a bit more like his fictional hero. Many kids who stop for pictures with the Kitchissippi superhero want to see their idol do some cool tricks.
“It’s been a challenge. I think I’m a little bit older getting into it at 38, and I have a very big fear of hurting myself. The kids in these classes are nailing backflips and I have been trying for a year and a half and I’m still not there,” he said.
But Dagan Mercury, owner of Ottawa Parkour near Westboro, disagrees. He said Larocque has been an inspiration to the younger generation and is always offering a helping hand.
“The nice thing about Jeff is you just need to say yes. He will come to me with a great idea that he’s already set up,” the parkour instructor said. “It’s the sort of thing a lot of people would do once or twice to feel like they made a difference, but Jeff is truly dedicated to it. It means the world to him to make kids happy.”
Want to connect with Jeff and follow the project? Check out his website or Instagram profile @jeffflarocque.
