uOttawa alumna Lisa LaFlamme to replace Lloyd Robertson
She's been embedded with troops in Afghanistan, stood at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and has otherwise been in harm's way more times than she can remember, but for CTV News anchor Lisa LaFlamme, it's the human aspect of her work that fuels her passion.
"I always feel like the people I cover are so inspiring and that I'm not really worthy of special recognition."
That special recognition has now been bestowed on LaFlamme, as the uOttawa alumna will take over Lloyd Robertson's chair as CTV's top news anchor in mid-2011. "To follow in the footsteps of Lloyd Robertson is an enormous honour and extremely humbling," LaFlamme said. "I remain dedicated to upholding the solid tradition that Lloyd has created."
For her work both in front of the camera and behind the scenes helping others, LaFlamme was recently given the prestigious Meritas-Tabaret Award for Alumni Achievement on November 25, 2009 during a ceremony at the University of Ottawa's Distinguished Canadian Leadership Awards (DCLA) in Toronto.
She was recognized for a stellar career as a journalist, but also because she tries to leave each location a little better than how she found it. "Any recognition is a wonderful thing, but coming from the school I love means so much."
LaFlamme, who recently co-hosted the Vancouver Olympics daytime coverage with James Duthie, is also deeply involved with Plan Canada, a development organization that works in more than 65 countries worldwide on critical issues affecting millions of children. It doesn't end there. "Nine years ago, I decided I wanted to do more. I just want to highlight spots where the media never goes, like West Africa, for example."
As for the next crop of journalists leaving school and looking to forge their own paths, LaFlamme was succinct. "It's 100 per cent write, write, write. Keep your head down and keep working hard. I think it's the best business in the world. I love it."
Published: July 2010