After more than three decades of work in Canadian broadcasting and in her community, CTV Montreal’s Chief News Anchor Mutsumi Takahashi has been presented with the country’s highest civilian honour.
The longtime anchor was recognized for her contributions to the broadcast news industry and various charitable endeavors during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Thursday.
Gov. Gen. Julie Payette presided over the event, which also acknowledged the achievements of 39 other Canadians.
Takahashi began her career at CTV News in 1982 as a reporter for the television station then known as CFCF 12. Four years later, she became an anchor.
Since that time, she has received numerous accolades, including an honorary doctorate by Concordia University, a member statement in the Quebec National Assembly, and a lifetime achievement award by the Radio Television Digital News Association in 2017.
In January, Takahashi was able to preside over a Canadian citizenship ceremony as a member of the Order of Canada. She shared what the honour meant to her as an immigrant herself.
“It was important for me to tell them that I was once there too. I stood there. I took the oath of citizenship,” she said at the time. “I know what kind of hope these people have for themselves and for their children. I wanted them to understand that anything is possible now.”
Takahashi was born in Shiroishi, Japan, but she moved to Canada with her family when she was a child. She later attended Vanier College and Concordia University in Montreal.
