In a two-minute video posted to Twitter last week, Lisa LaFlame said she was let go as the anchor of CTV National News, one of the most-watched evening shows in the country. LaFlamme claimed to be “blinded” by the decision to terminate his contract. The video has now been viewed over 4.4 million times.
The claim that the Canadian news anchor lost her job as a result of “going grey” shook one of the country’s major media organizations and highlighted the harsh standards of women in the workplace.
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LaFlamme has covered terrifying natural disasters and war zones for CTV News for the past 35 years. Recently, she was named the Best News Anchor at the Canadian Screen Awards. Many famous people in Canada were shocked to learn of his departure, and business and political figures entered the discussion.
LaFlamme, who began hosting the main event in 2011, was one of many women who stopped dyeing their hair during the pandemic and allowed their natural hair color to stand out. LaFlamme called the decision “liberating” and regretted that she had waited so long to take action.
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“I’m still shocked and saddened,” she said. “At 58, I still thought I’d have a lot more time to tell the stories that affect our daily lives.”
On the other hand, according to a Globe and Mail report from August 18, Michael Melling, a senior executive at CTV News, “asked who approved the decision to ‘let Lisa’s hair go gray'”. According to the Globe and Mail, Melling and LaFlame argued over journalistic issues before eventually telling LaFlame that her contract was being terminated.
LaFlame has been referred to by former Alberta Prime Minister Rachel Notley as “a giant voice in the Canadian media” and “horrendously sloppy” by former Environment Minister Catherine McKenna.
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Others made reference to sexism and ageism stereotypes. A well-known investor named Arlene Dickinson praised LaFlame for “brilliant” aging on national television and for serving as an example to others.
According to CTV’s parent company, Bell Media, the reason for LaFlamme’s termination as anchor was to “change audience behavior”.
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When contacted for comment on allegations that LaFlame’s termination was affected by the color of her hair, she remained silent.
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