Justin Bieber: 10 Facts You Might Not Know About The Singer's Life Growing Up In Ontario
Justin Bieber may be a huge pop star these days, but did you know he grew up in a small town in Ontario?
The Canadian singer busked in Stratford long before he became a big-name celebrity, and it was all thanks to YouTube videos that he got recognized for his talent.
Bieber often shares throwbacks to his childhood in Canada with his fans. While he may no longer live in Canada full-time, the pop icon still returns for regular visits and shows his home country a lot of love while he's here.
Here are 10 facts you may not know about Bieber and his life growing up in Ontario.
Justin was born in London, Ontario
Justin Drew Bieber was born in London, Ontario, on March 1, 1994, to Pattie Mallette and Jeremy Bieber.
He grew up in Stratford, Ontario, with his mom
Bieber's parents split up when he was a few months old, as per a People report.
Following the split, Bieber lived with his mom in Stratford — a small town about halfway between London and Kitchener — in low-income housing, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Justin taught himself how to play guitar
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Bieber had an interest in music since he was four years old.
He took drum lessons, but the Canadian musician actually taught himself how to play guitar, piano and trumpet.
He was discovered on YouTube
Bieber fans, or Beliebers, will likely remember seeing YouTube videos of the young singer.
It was thanks to some of those clips that Bieber was recognized by American talent executive Scooter Braun, who would go on to be his manager for 15 years.
According to the CBC, Bieber's mom first uploaded a video of Bieber singing "So Sick" by Ne-Yo at a local singing competition in 2007 before she went on to add more clips of her son.
Other videos that popped up on YouTube show a young Bieber busking on the steps of the Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre.
His first time on an airplane was to meet his manager
Bieber has previously talked about the first meeting he had with Braun and how his first time on a flight was to meet his future manager.
"My manager found me on YouTube. He flew me out to Atlanta for the first time — I'd never actually been on a plane before. He flew me to Atlanta where I was going to the studio to meet some people," Bieber told MTV in 2009.
Justin was signed by Usher
According to that MTV interview, Bieber met Usher in a parking lot in Atlanta while he was on his way to meet Braun.
Usher wasn't interested in Bieber at first, but then he reportedly couldn't get enough after Braun sent him videos of the young Canadian singing.
Bieber told MTV that Justin Timberlake was also interested in signing him, but the Canadian singer ultimately chose Usher's joint record label with Braun.
Justin is close with his parents
Bieber has had his ups and downs with both his parents and has spoken out about his relationships with his mom and dad.
In 2015, the musician told Billboard his dad moved to B.C. for a year when Bieber was four years old, but the two grew closer after that.
"There's a misconception that he's this deadbeat dad, but he has been in my life since. I was with him on weekends and Wednesdays," he said at the time.
Bieber now shares many posts on social media showing photos of him with his dad for special occasions like Father's Day.
Bieber also told Billboard about a rough patch with his mom, whom he didn't speak to for a couple of years following some of his bad behaviour in the press.
"I was distant because I was ashamed. I never wanted my mom to be disappointed in me and I knew she was. We spent some time not talking, so it takes time to rebuild that trust," he said.
"She's living in Hawaii now, so it's hard, but getting better. She's an amazing woman and I love her."
He has four siblings
Bieber spent many of his childhood years as an only child, but that's not the case anymore.
The 29-year-old singer has three half-siblings and one step-sibling through his dad's marriages, as reported by E! News.
Bieber is close with his brother and three sisters and often shares pics of them hanging out together on Instagram.
"Honestly I never thought I could love somebody the way I love these two children. They are strong, kind, smart and so charismatic! They are constantly making me want to be better," he wrote in a 2015 post.
Justin's been a huge Leafs fan for years
Bieber has loved hockey since he was a kid and has shared old pictures of himself on the ice on numerous occasions.
As for his favourite team, there is no doubt it's the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The "Baby" singer has been a mega Leafs fan for years, and he's often spotted at the team's games whenever he's in Toronto.
Bieber, along with many other Canadians, has been hoping the Leafs will win the Stanley Cup for years.
In 2022, he shared a throwback pic of himself and his mom standing next to the trophy.
"Happy Mother's Day mom, we're gonna bring back lord Stanley's Cup to Toronto this year and it will be beautiful," he wrote in the caption.
Unfortunately for Bieber, it didn't happen that year — but there's always 2024!
Justin first met his future wife when he was 15
Bieber met his now-wife Hailey Bieber long before the two started dating and would get married.
The two met when Justin was just 15 and Hailey was 12 at a meet-and-greet at the Today show in November 2009, reports People.
They reportedly became good friends before they started dating.
If you want to learn more about Bieber's childhood and his favourite spots in Canada, you can take a tour next time you're in his hometown of Stratford.
The free audio tour explains the singer's favourite hangout spots he loved to go to when he was growing up.
According to the tour, Bieber loves hanging out at the local Boston Pizza whenever he's in Stratford, so who knows? Maybe you'll bump into the singer himself next time he stops by for a slice of 'za!
