Natalie McHaffie was born in Deep River, Ontario, in 1946 and grew up in Toronto. She is a licensed pilot who flies stunt planes for a hobby and has been actively involved in the Toronto Aerospace Museum. In 1999 she wrote and illustrated a children's book titled, C-Growl:The Daring Little Airplane. She is an artist/instructor with the Inner City Angels, a non-profit group in Toronto that brings artists and children together.