The Journalist | Lisa LaFlamme
After a decade as one of Canada’s most trusted and well-known journalists in the role of chief anchor of CTV National News, Lisa LaFlamme made headlines across the country and beyond this summer when she announced that CTV News had abruptly ended her contract, citing a “business decision.” LaFlamme shared in a video on social media that she was “blindsided” by the decision, and Canadians rallied behind LaFlamme to investigate the shocking decision. Discussions arose about CTV’s parent company Bell Media, pointing out that other male anchors well past LaFlamme’s age could retire on her own terms, while she was asked to keep quiet about her dismissal for almost two months. Stories pointed to LaFlamme’s recent grey hair and discovered that Bell Media executives questioned her decision to let it “go grey,” highlighting the ageism and sexism within the journalism industry. LaFlamme has since gone on to be a special correspondent for CityNews to cover the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and she has become an instant hero for women across the country.
By Rosa Hwang, executive producer with CTV National
She has witnessed and reported on humanity at its worst, shining light from dark and dangerous corners. Still, I would describe Lisa LaFlamme as an optimist. Only an optimist would seek to uncover the unique nugget that makes each person she encounters the most interesting in the world, whether it’s the United Nations secretary general or a war refugee in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Ukraine-Poland border. A brave and accomplished journalist, she is perhaps Canada’s most recognizable broadcaster, with enough awards and accolades to fill a room, and yet, she still has the tenacity of a cub reporter. Truth is her currency and compassion is her driving force. She has changed perceptions through her reporting, changed the world through her humanitarian work and changed lives, including mine. About a decade before we met, I saw Lisa in action, reporting from a political convention. I was working for a competing network and saw her criss-cross the room, questioning candidates, getting the scoop, then getting it on the air. At the time, I thought: “I would love to work with her some day.” Having travelled to more than a dozen countries together as her producer, spending hundreds of hours with her in the newsroom and sharing countless meals and meaningful conversations over the years, she is more than just someone I worked with. She is my sister. The public trust she has earned does not come from titles and it’s not just for what she does, but for who she is.
See our full list of Toronto’s most inspiring women of 2022 here.
