On May 6, I celebrated 50 years at CTV —yes 50!
Reaching this milestone, I am reflecting on my experiences at CTV News and the parts of my life that have been public all these years and the things about myself I’ve kept private.
With time, there is safety in revealing the most personal aspects of myself, so I am sharing with you my own cancer journey, which really started with my husband.
Michael died in 2005 after a six-month battle with cancer. Afterwards I read and reread journalist Joan Didion’s book “The Year of Magical Thinking.” It’s a brilliant account of Didion’s first year of coping with life after her husband’s death. She explains her grief process and how during the days and months that followed, she believed, if a person hopes for something enough or does the right thing over and over, bad events can be reversed. Didion writes about keeping her husband’s shoes, just in case he comes back and needs them.
I did the same thing. It was only when I was ready to move forward, that I was able to donate Michael’s shoes to a men’s shelter.
And then, without warning, two years after his death, I was plunged back into coping again.
An annual mammogram revealed a small lump on my right breast, unnoticed to touch or the naked eye. I was 57 years old.
I remember the day as if it was yesterday. A call from the hospital to come back for a second scan; the concerned faces of the technician, the radiologist and the biopsy that followed. I went home with a patch on my breast to wait for the results.
A call the next morning from the doctor confirmed I had breast cancer.
My worst fear was sharing the news with my three daughters who were missing their father.
I knew they would go to that dark place; losing me, too.
Let me tell you how challenging it is to focus on being optimistic when the universe is pulling you down. I had experienced far too much death; a son, when I was in my 30s; my mother in my 40s; and then at 55, my partner of 35 years.
I knew I had to find the strength for my girls and somehow I did.
I turned to music and dance to soothe and centre myself; and I spent time with those who brought me laughter.
But I focused on something far more important; my daughters. They inspired me to steady myself for what was to come.
I wanted to be around to watch them grow into the marvellous women they are today; to find love, make babies and build lives for themselves. I could not leave them.
Surgery, a lumpectomy, was scheduled to remove the tumour. A biopsy, ten days later, revealed it was small, hormone-driven and had likely not spread.
It had been caught early, which made me one of the lucky ones.
Treatment included weeks of radiation; but I opted out of the safety net of chemotherapy after consultation with my oncologist and a test to determine the likelihood of the cancer’s return.
It’s a decision my doctor told me could be the wrong one, if I let fear of a recurrence control my life. She suggested I do my best to avoid stress and focus on building tools to strengthen my resilience.
Ten years of the hormone pill tamoxifen followed; and here we are, sixteen years after the diagnosis.
Several of my colleagues have also had breast cancer or are currently in treatment. Many, if not most, have chosen to go public.
I kept my cancer secret from viewers at the time, largely because I was dealing with a lot, as a single mother of three daughters. I also worried that my aging and widowed father would be broken by the news. He had survived the Second World War, had endured loss, but watching his only child tackle cancer, would have been too much for him.
He is gone now; and with the passage of time, I am ready to reveal personal aspects of my life never shared publicly before, as part of a CTV News Special called “I’m Sandie Rinaldo” celebrating my 50 years at the network.
The Canadian Cancer Society says the five-year survival rate for all cancers, based on the most recent data collected, was 64 per cent, compared to 55 per cent in the early 1990s and 25 per cent in the 1940s; progress made through early detection and advances in treatment.
Growing up, we couldn’t say the C-word. It was as if uttering it aloud would make it a reality. Well, for the one in eight women who will get breast cancer in their lifetime, it is very much a reality, just as it is for anyone who has lost someone they love to the disease.
Cancer is very much a part of my story and I hope that sharing it now, even all these years later, will help others facing their own journey. You’re not alone.
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
A large police presence in Surrey's East Newton neighbourhood Friday night is now a homicide investigation, local Mounties said Saturday.
King George SkyTrain Station closed Saturday morning and won't be open again for weeks.
An evacuation alert for residents in areas around Chetwynd, B.C., has been lifted just days after a wildfire forced some residents from their homes.
William Nylander is poised to join the Stanley Cup chase.
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Calgary police took two people into custody on Friday after a stabbing in the community of Haysboro.
Ontario Provincial Police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing man from Newfoundland who disappeared in eastern Ontario.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) asked drivers to expect delays after a single-vehicle collision on Highway 15 near Brewers Mills Road Saturday morning.
The City of Ottawa says the release of the first draft provisions for Ottawa’s new zoning bylaw marks the start of the next step of the city’s growth and development.
Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez was ousted Saturday in the third round of the Madrid Open in a three-set loss to Tunisia's Ons Jabeur.
Montreal comic book artists Ben and Ray Lai claim Marvel and Disney are abusing the legal process in the Lai brothers' copyright infringement suit against the industry giants.
Quebec provincial police say a 51-year-old woman has died after a head-on collision in the town of Lachute, roughly 50 kilometres west of Montreal, early this morning.
Evander Kane’s teammates believe he’s tailor-made for the playoffs, and so does the man himself.
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
A Toronto-based restructuring firm says several bidders have offered to buy all or part of SaltWire Network and The Halifax Herald, the two insolvent companies that operate Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper enterprise.
Halifax’s professional soccer team kicks off its sixth season against Ottawa on Saturday with a sold-out crowd of 6,500 fans on the Wanderers Grounds.
Police say a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant has been arrested in Saint John, N.B.
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to get underway on April 29.
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews were busy Saturday morning, responding to five different structure fires within several hours.
A 29-year-old man is facing charges after police said he hit an officer’s vehicle at the Richmond Avenue Co-op in Brandon.
A teen boy is facing several charges after he stole items from a business on Friday in Regina.
Regina fire crews responded to a late night blaze on Friday night at a house on the 1900 block of St. John Street.
RCMP have identified 28-year-old Brianna Hayes from Oxbow, Sask. as the victim in an ongoing homicide investigation in the province’s southeast. As a result, police have charged 24-year-old Taylor Japp, also from Oxbow with second degree murder, an RCMP news release said.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
A driver has been arrested and a pedestrian has been seriously injured following a hit-and-run crash in Cambridge.
An established horse riding school in Centre Wellington is hanging up the saddle after five decades in business.
Workers at group homes run by LutherCare Communities in Saskatoon are escalating their strike action.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) and Saskatchewan Coroners Service are investigating after a woman’s body was found at a recycling facility Friday morning.
Over six months after Saskatchewan's government announced a significant $90 million investment in social services, the initiative is reportedly making progress.
Two hunters from North Bay, Ont., and a third from Temagami pled guilty recently to offences they committed during a 2022 moose hunt.
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Ontario Provincial Police responding to a disturbance in West Nipissing this week discovered a conscious person lying in the street.
A 24-year-old man who died Friday in a car crash on Highway 401 has been identified as Omar Barzak from London, Ont.
At an event in which she was celebrated for her advocacy of women’s issues, Karen Vecchio was in no mood to speak about her removal from her role of chair of Federal Parliament’s Status of Women Committee.
The London Knights resumed their playoff push on Friday night against the Saginaw Spirit at Budweiser Gardens.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
A gala helping to support children through their darkest days saw dozens of people come together Friday night in Barrie.
Police in Caledon are investigating a crash that left one person with life-altering injuries.
A former graduate of Holy Names High School will soon be moving to New York after being selected during the NFL Draft in Detroit on Saturday.
Playing bingo in April made a local resident $100,000 richer -- and will keep him in his home.
Kids who have never played league soccer but have been eager to step on a professional turf are getting their first opportunity to shine. Thanks to a microgrant from Soccer Canada, the Windsor Soccer Club hosted a Free Kicks Day at the Novelletto Rosati Complex on Saturday.
J.T. Miller had a goal and assist and the Vancouver Canucks edged the Nashville Predators 2-1 to re-take the lead in their first-round playoff series.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Major crime detectives in British Columbia are investigating a suspected homicide after a body was found in a remote area southeast Kelowna over the weekend.
The Brooks Bandits got down to business Friday, defeating the Okotoks Oilers 8-2.
An Alberta political scientist said the NDP leadership hopefuls remained fairly even following the first of the party’s debates.
It was a busy Wednesday evening for fire crews in Lethbridge County after multiple grass fires were sparked near the Kipp rail yard.
About 100 delegates from around the province travelled to Timmins, Ont., for its annual general meeting and convention at Cedar Meadows Resort and Spa.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie is looking for community input on some design concepts for the waterfront.
Meeting next week, city council in Sault Ste. Marie will get an overview of what to expect if it decides to implement a new tax on empty homes in the city.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning new image of the glowing gas ejected from a dying star, which in this case happens to resemble a 'cosmic dumbbell.'
Taking place in May in Malmo, Sweden, the 68th annual competition will see acts from 37 countries vie for the continent’s pop crown in a feelgood extravaganza that strives — not always successfully – to banish international strife and division. And you don’t have to be in Europe to watch, or to help pick the winner.
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs pushed back against a woman's lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault, filing a motion on Friday to dismiss some claims that were not under law when the alleged incident occurred.
The federal and Quebec governments are spending close to $100 million to boost the country's manufacturing capacity for semiconductors, which are vital in technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Take an illustrated look back at the culinary history of Winnipeg.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
William Nylander is poised to join the Stanley Cup chase.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, beat Alex de Minaur 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the second round of the Madrid Open on Saturday, avenging a loss to the Australian less than two weeks ago.
Evander Kane’s teammates believe he’s tailor-made for the playoffs, and so does the man himself.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
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