Open letter to Bell says LaFlamme ousting shows sexism, ageism women face at work | Canada News Media
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Open letter to Bell says LaFlamme ousting shows sexism, ageism women face at work

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An open letter signed by a long list of Canadian luminaries is taking aim at Bell Media’s abrupt dismissal of Lisa LaFlamme as anchor of the company’s flagship newscast.

In a two-page spread in Saturday’s Globe and Mail, the missive signed by a who’s who of Canadian arts, business and politics — including former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, singer Anne Murray and BlackBerry co-founder Jim Balsillie — said LaFlamme was an award-winning ratings leader for the company “until one thing changed: the colour of her hair.”

“In making their ‘business decision,’ Bell confirmed one sad truth: even after all the progress women have made, they continue to face sexism and ageism at work everyday in a way which is unacceptable,” said the letter addressed to the board of directors and management of BCE and Bell Canada.

It said LaFlamme’s dismissal has destroyed trust in Bell Media and questions how the company will “make things right.”

The letter, published in the front section of the national newspaper’s weekend edition, was also signed by former New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor Margaret Norrie McCain, Indigo chief executive Heather Reisman, singer Jann Arden, retired Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire, former federal politicians Lloyd Axworthy and Catherine McKenna and author Louise Penny, among many others.

Bell Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

The open letter is part of the backlash that has engulfed Bell Media since LaFlamme’s dismissal earlier this month.

Its publication came a day after Bell Media executive Michael Melling took a leave from his job amid the ongoing fallout.

The controversy raised questions among media observers about whether sexism and ageism played a role in the shakeup, and has sparked a reckoning of the ongoing gender discrimination women face in the workplace.

LaFlamme, who has covered stories ranging from wars and natural disasters to elections and the Olympics, announced in a video shared to social media that her contract had been terminated.

In the video shared nearly two weeks ago, the longtime CTV National News anchor said she was blindsided by the company’s decision.

Bell Media said terminating LaFlamme’s contract after 35 years was a business decision, adding the company wanted to move the chief news anchor role in a “different direction.”

Bell Media has said it takes allegations of discrimination “very seriously” and is taking steps to initiate a third-party internal workplace review in the newsroom over the coming weeks.

An internal memo on Friday said Melling’s decision to take leave “reflects our desire to support the newsroom and do what’s best to help the team move past the current circumstances.”

Richard Gray, currently regional general manager of the eastern region, will step in as acting vice-president of news, supported by Karine Moses, senior vice-president of content development and news, the memo said.

LaFlamme has garnered strong social media support since announcing her departure. Brands such as Wendy’s, Dove and Sports Illustrated have all publicly backed the 58-year-old journalist, who has been open about not dyeing her grey hair.

Wendy’s changed its signature red-headed mascot’s hair to grey, while Dove announced it would donate $100,000 to Catalyst, a Canadian organization that helps build better workplaces for women.

Sports Illustrated retweeted its cover that features 74-year-old model Maye Musk.

LaFlamme’s departure and her replacement were both announced on Aug. 15, frustrating viewers who felt she should have had a proper sign-off and career retrospective.

Bell Media has said it “regrets” the way in which LaFlamme’s departure was handled, as it “may have left viewers with the wrong impression” that her storied career wasn’t valued.

LaFlamme said in her video she found out in June that Bell Media was ending her contract at CTV National News, but kept the decision under wraps until the details were finalized. Omar Sachedina has been named as her replacement.

At a town-hall meeting with staff last week, Moses said LaFlamme rejected the opportunity to bid farewell on air.

In a recording of the meeting obtained by The Canadian Press, she told employees that LaFlamme wasn’t simply ousted from the company.

She “was offered many options to come back and to do many things, which she declined, and I respect that,” Moses said, without offering details on the other job opportunities Bell Media presented to LaFlamme.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2022.

 

Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press

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Canada’s Denis Shapovalov wins Belgrade Open for his second ATP Tour title

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BELGRADE, Serbia – Canada’s Denis Shapovalov is back in the winner’s circle.

The 25-year-old Shapovalov beat Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 in the Belgrade Open final on Saturday.

It’s Shapovalov’s second ATP Tour title after winning the Stockholm Open in 2019. He is the first Canadian to win an ATP Tour-level title this season.

His last appearance in a tournament final was in Vienna in 2022.

Shapovalov missed the second half of last season due to injury and spent most of this year regaining his best level of play.

He came through qualifying in Belgrade and dropped just one set on his way to winning the trophy.

Shapovalov’s best results this season were at ATP 500 events in Washington and Basel, where he reached the quarterfinals.

Medjedovic was playing in his first-ever ATP Tour final.

The 21-year-old, who won the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF title last year, ends 2024 holding a 9-8 tour-level record on the season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Talks to resume in B.C. port dispute in bid to end multi-day lockout

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VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.

The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.

The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.

The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.

The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.

MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.

In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.

“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.

“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”

In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.

“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.

The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.

“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”

The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.

The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.

A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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The Royal Canadian Legion turns to Amazon for annual poppy campaign boost

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The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.

Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.

Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.

Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.

“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.

“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”

Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.

“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.

Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.

“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”

But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.

Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.

“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.

Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.

The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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