Our impressive roster of speakers had another busy month, often being featured and celebrated in the media for their expertise and successes.
From the Oscars to new books, money-savings tips for the tax season to the Toronto International Film Festival, here’s a round-up of some select media coverage in February 2020:
Jann Arden | Renowned Musician | Bestselling Author
The acclaimed singer-songwriter, Jann Arden, joined CBC’s Q to discuss her prolific career in the music industry, which has included more than 40 singles across her nearly three-decade music career, including 16 albums. She’ll be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the Junos this year.
“You know, I don’t have a big bang. I don’t have a discovery story for you,” she said in an interview with q host Tom Power. “I have thousands of seemingly insignificant events that, as I look back, just knot together. And that’s what’s made my career. It’s not any big thing.”
Jann also announced the release of her new book this Fall called If I Knew Then: Finding Wisdom in Failure and Power in Aging. The bestselling author of several books, Jann’s new book chronicles the surprises and screw-ups that have made her 50s so rewarding.
Cameron Bailey | Artistic Director and Co-Head, Toronto International Film Festival
Cameron Bailey sat down with Your Morning’s Ben Mulroney to share insight into how he picks films for the Toronto International Film Festival and who he thinks was snubbed by this year’s Oscars nominations.
Preet Banerjee | Behavioural Finance Expert
Financial expert Preet Banerjee joined Your Morning to share tips on how we can all save money on our tax returns. Watch his segment here.
“These are things that a lot of regular people would do and were showing you how much of tax savings that could amount to,” he said.
“It’s a little bit of thought and planning, and make sure you maximize those deductions and credits that are available.”
Jennifer Boterrill | Three-Time Olympic Gold Medalist
It was announced this month that Jennifer Botterill, an analyst for the New York Islanders and a Winnipeg hockey legend, will join a historic NHL broadcast as part of International Women’s Day — the first hockey game televised on NBCSN by an all-female crew.
“I’m really looking forward to it … I think all of us want to set an example. Not all females have to get into broadcasting in sports, but it’s nice that’s it’s now becoming a choice,” Botterill told CBC’s Information Radio host Marcy Markusa.
Jessi Cruickshank | Television Personality
The host of many of television’s most popular programs, Jessi Cruickshank announced a Canada-wide comedy tour this fall called Up Close and Too Personal. It promises to be an intimate night where she’ll discuss behind-the-scenes stories about celebrities, motherhood, and more.
Arlene Dickinson | “Dragon”, CBC’s Dragons’ Den | General Partner, District Ventures Capital
With the release of her new book Reinvention, Arlene Dickinson joined CBC’s The Next Chapter to discuss how, through personal and business difficulties, she recovered and found new purpose.
Arlene also spoke with CBC News for their Power & Politics segment, The Big Fix, to discuss why mental health is the biggest challenge facing Canada right now.
“What’s at stake is the well-being and the future of our society. It is breaking down. Communities are not being community-centric at all any more. We are getting more and more lonely, more and more isolated.”
Perdita Felicien | World Champion Hurdler | Two-Time Olympian
CBC Books published an excerpt from Olympian Perdita Felicien’s upcoming memoir, My Mother’s Daughter, which chronicles her mother’s immigration to Canada and the struggles her family faced, including poverty, domestic violence, and homelessness. It was her mother’s strength that helped her become a 10-time national champion, a two-time Olympian, and the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at a world championship.
Chris Koch | Renowned Motivational Speaker
CTV news caught up with Chris Koch to discuss how he finished a Dubai marathon despite losing a shoe — and not having arms or legs. The Dubai event is Chris’ ninth marathon since 2016.
“It was definitely the hardest marathon I had to work for to get to the finish line,” he said. “I was happy I didn’t bail on it.”
Lainey Lui | Co-Host, The Social | Correspondent, etalk | Founder, LaineyGossip
As a correspondant with etalk, Lainey Lui was covering The Oscars’ red carpet and gave the audience of The Social a sneak peek at what to expect at this year’s event.
Clint Malarchuk | Former NHL Goaltender | Mental Health Advocate
Ahead of a talk in Regina, Clint Malarchuk joined Global News to share his struggle with mental health after suffering one of the most horrific injuries in NHL history.
“I think we’ve progressed a long way with our therapies, medications, counselling, diagnoses, but there’s still a stigma,” he said. “That’s why people don’t step out right away and get the help they need because they’re afraid.”
Neil Pasricha | Happiness Expert | Bestselling Author of The Book of Awesome
Neil Pasricha spoke with CBC for their Power & Politics’ segment, The Big Fix, to discuss how smartphones are harming Canadian’s mental health.
“If you drink a bottle of wine before bed every night, slept with a bottle of wine within ten feet of your head while you’re sleeping and drank a bottle of wine when you got up in the morning, we call you an alcoholic. We are all doing that with our cellphones and we don’t seem to see that we are all phone-aholics,” said Pasricha in a December interview with Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos.
Joannie Rochette | Six-Time Canadian Figure Skating Champion | Olympic Medalist
It’s been a decade since Vancouver hosted the 2010 Olympics and CBC is catching up with some of Canada’s Olympians to reflect on the monumental games. The Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette reflected on her emotional bronze model, which she won just after her mother passed away.
Alyson Schafer | Acclaimed Parenting Expert
Alyson Schafer joined The Morning Show to talk about bullying and how the coronavirus is turning some kids into bullies and what parents can do to prevent it.
David Segal | Founder of DAVIDsTEA and Mad Radish | Retail Visionary and Branding Expert
Entrepreneur David Segal put out a call-to-action to the food industry imploring business owners to take more responsibility in offering sustainable take out containers in a column for The Globe and Mail. He is the founder of Mad Radish, where his team has done extensive research into the matter to offer the best and most sustainable product for their consumers.
“All of us in the food-service industry need to stop sidestepping the issue. Sustainability is not an easy headline in a press release, it is a real problem that requires difficult actions that move us forward. We don’t have 10 years to convince Canadians to start carrying around branded plastic cups – it’s time for businesses to assume real responsibility for the waste we put into this world.”
Sheila Watt-Cloutier | Environmental, Cultural, and Human Rights Advocate
Inuit leader and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Sheila Watt-Cloutier was profiled by CBC on how the melting ice is threatening the safety and way of life for Indigenous people.
“This isn’t just about ice and snow and polar bears. This is really about families and how we are trying our best to maintain a way of life with all the influx of what’s happening around us,” said Watt-Cloutier, who lives in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik in northern Quebec.”