McGill says pro-Palestinian protest outside senior administrator's home 'crosses the line'
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
I can’t believe it’s been 50 years since I first walked in the door at CTV, a kid at 23, fresh out of university and thrilled to have talked my way into a job at CTV National News.
And talk about starting at the very bottom rung, in what was clearly a man’s world —with only a tiny handful of women in television news at the network level in North America. In 1973, all the executives, producers, and anchors were men.
Little did I know or even dream that seven years later, after starting as an assistant to Don Cameron, the director of News, I would be promoted to news anchor of Canada AM earning the distinction of becoming the first woman in Canada to anchor a daily network newscast.
Perhaps it was because when he hired me, I told him with the brashness of youth that one day I would be hosting the morning show —or when he promoted me to the public affairs program W5 after I kept badgering him about an opportunity to do investigative work
Or perhaps it was because when I wanted to report, he assigned me to Canada AM to learn about the grind of daily news.
With every promotion Don threw in the caveat — “you’re going to have to prove yourself “and with that I was on three months’ probation.
Both former CTV News chief political correspondent Craig Oliver and I tell each other how grateful we are for his vision.
The crusty hard-nosed journalist demanded excellence from everyone he hired, but he also went against the grain and opened the doors to women.
And believe me, those were challenging years for women in journalism —sexual harassment, discrimination, stereotyping, and misrepresentation; certainly more pervasive and ugly south of the border, but female journalists in Canada were not immune.
I remember while reporting for CTV’s Toronto News Bureau, an incident where a gruff assignment editor asked one of the male reporters —“Where’s the broad? I want her to file a consumer piece.” I went to the editor and asked if what I’d heard was true. He told me not to be so serious —to lighten up. Imagine that?
Like other women at the time, I had to push back against being stereotyped — push back against the perception women weren’t as tough as men, weren’t able to ask the difficult questions, or deliver the story under demanding circumstances.
I can tell you that no industry is perfect, and today there is still discrimination — more rampant in some circles than others. But the difference now is that women have created platforms to be heard and there is more safety in numbers.
Despite the challenge of working in a male dominated profession — or perhaps because of it, there were trailblazers — women like Barbara Frum, Wendy Mesley, and Adrienne Arsenault at the CBC — Carole Taylor, Helen Hutchinson and Lisa LaFlamme at CTV —Dawna Friesen at Global —who stand as examples to generations of young journalists.
I remember thinking a few years ago, that I wish Don Cameron was alive to see the News division almost five decades after he hired me. A seismic shift— with the executive producer, a woman, the two main national anchors — women, and the multitude of female reporters.
CTV National News Anchor Sandie Rinaldo
Today we can boast a strong group of both men and women of all races and backgrounds; a playing field where those with talent are recognized and encouraged.
Young journalists, men and women, come up to me now and tell me they grew up watching me on television. I smile and say, the door is open to you now. It’s your time to make a difference.
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
A Starbucks fan — whose name is Winter — is visiting Canada on a purposeful journey that began with a random idea at one of the coffee chain's stores in Texas.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.