Born in Edmonton, Alberta and of Norwegian descent,[1] Hagyard's interest in acting began when she was enrolled in a modeling class with her mother.

[1] She returned to Ottawa, Ontario, and studied drama at St. Patrick's College (now Carleton University) for 3 years.

[1][2] She began her work in entertainment as a high-fashion model on Miami Beach and actress.

[4] Referred to by the Ottawa Citizen as "one of our town's best and busiest actresses",[5] Starring roles in dinner theater productions led to a one-woman show and an invitation to host her own entertainment series on CBC.

[7] Between taping sessions, Hagyard provided character voices for the animated cartoon series For Better or For Worse, The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, Dennis the Menace and The Care Bears.