Peter Mansbridge
| Peter Mansbridge OC LLD (hc) |
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|---|---|
 Peter Mansbridge at Mount Allison University in May 2011 |
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| Born | July 6, 1948 London, England |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | broadcast news anchor |
| Spouse | Parm Dhillon (?-1975)[1] Wendy Mesley (1989-1992) Cynthia Dale (1998-present) |
Peter Mansbridge, OC (born July 6, 1948), a Canadian broadcaster and news anchor. He is chief correspondent for CBC News and anchor of The National, CBC Television's flagship nightly newscast. Mansbridge has received many awards and accolades for his journalistic work including an honorary doctorate from Mount Allison University where he is serving as chancellor until December 2013. [2]
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[edit] Early life
Mansbridge was born in London, England and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, where he attended Glebe Collegiate Institute, but dropped out before graduating. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy in 1966 and 1967 and studied at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario.
[edit] Newscasting career
While working at Churchill Airport in Churchill, Manitoba in 1968, Mansbridge was recruited to work for a local radio station by a radio executive who heard his voice making a flight announcement (Mansbridge's regular job was as a baggage handler). From there, he moved to CBC Radio's northern service, still in Churchill. In 1971 he moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba to continue as a reporter for CBC Radio and while there in 1972 began as a reporter for CBC Television.
In 1975, he became The National's reporter for Saskatchewan, and in 1976 he became parliamentary correspondent in Ottawa. Following a decade of political coverage, Mansbridge had become a substitute anchor for Knowlton Nash and in 1988, was reportedly being recruited by U.S. broadcaster CBS for a prominent position. Nash, in fact, voluntarily gave up his position as anchor later that year, specifically so that Mansbridge would be promoted to anchor and remain in Canada.
During his tenure at the helm of CBC's flagship newscast beginning May 1, 1988 (as co-anchor of CBC Prime Time News from November 1992 to fall 1995, and as sole anchor of The National otherwise), he has covered Canadian news stories including federal elections, party leadership conventions, the Meech Lake Accord negotiations, the Charlottetown Accord and its referendum, the 1995 Quebec referendum, floods in Manitoba in 1997, ice storms in Ontario and Quebec in 1998, the six days in September 2000 that marked the death and state funeral of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the 2003 blackout across much of Eastern North America and the death and state funeral of Jack Layton. His coverage of the blackout was notable because the normally clean-shaven Mansbridge had grown a beard during his summer hiatus (as he did every summer), and the news of the blackout broke with no time for him to shave. Thus, Canadian viewers saw a bearded Peter Mansbridge reporting on the events of that day.
He has also anchored coverage of many world events, both in the studio and on the scene. In the studio, he anchored coverage of the Gulf War, the War in Kosovo, and the events surrounding September 11, 2001. He was on the air live when the 2003 invasion of Iraq began and anchored coverage of it. On the scene, he anchored coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales and Pope John Paul II, numerous royal, papal, and U.S. presidential visits to Canada, numerous Olympic Games, and the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama. He reported extensively from Normandy both 50 and then 60 years after D-Day and from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands for the fiftieth anniversary of V-E Day. He also reported from the Netherlands for the sixtieth anniversary of V-E Day.
In 1999, he launched a new program, Mansbridge One on One, in which he interviews newsmakers.
With the retirement of Lloyd Robertson of CTV National News on September 1, 2011, Mansbridge became the longest-serving active anchor among the big three anchors in Canada, as Dawna Friesen had taken over as anchor at Global National only in 2010.[3] Lisa LaFlamme taking over for Robertson also meant that Mansbridge is the only male anchor among the big three anchors in Canada (Mansbridge, LaFlamme, and Friesen).[4]
[edit] Personal life
Mansbridge has been married three times. He has been married to Canadian actress Cynthia Dale since November 14, 1998.[5] They have a son, William, born in 1999.[6] His previous marriage to CBC colleague Wendy Mesley (January 6, 1989–1992) became regular tabloid fodder in Frank Magazine as their marriage ended.[7] Mansbridge has two daughters from a first marriage which ended in 1975. He is now currently married and lives in Toronto, ON with his family. He was named chancellor of Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick in 2010.[8]
[edit] Awards and honorary degrees
Peter Mansbridge received his first honorary degree in 1999 from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick where he currently serves as Chancellor. [9] On July 1, 2008, he was appointed by Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada as Officer of the Order of Canada, the second grade of the highest civilian honour in Canada. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2001.[10] He received an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree from Ryerson University in Toronto in 2005.[11] He received the honorary degree Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LL.D.) from the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario on June 9, 2008.[12] He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario on June 17, 2010.[13]
[edit] References
- ^ Moore, Micki (8 June 1990). "Peter Mansbridge In the right place at the right time". Toronto Star. p. B1.
- ^ "Mansbridge named Mount Allison University chancellor". CBC. November 9, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/11/09/nb-mansbridge-mount-allison-chancellor-109.html.
- ^ Lackner, Chris (September 2, 2011). "Global marks news anniversary; Series will showcase major events covered during its 10-year run". The Montreal Gazette: p. C10.
- ^ Zerbisias, Antonia (September 22, 2010). "The hair is gone, but not the passion: Peter Mansbridge, the voice of CBC-TV since 1988, is nowhere near ready to give up the reins at The National". Toronto Star: p. E1.
- ^ "Mansbridge marries Dale". CBC News. 17 November 1998. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/1998/11/17/peter981117.html. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
- ^ Curtain falls on Stratford's leading lady, The Toronto Star, October 28, 2007
- ^ McDonald, Marci (26 May 1997). "Canada's Star News Anchors". Maclean's. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011338. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
- ^ "Mansbridge named Mount Allison University chancellor". CBC News. 2009-11-09. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/11/09/nb-mansbridge-mount-allison-chancellor-109.html?ref=rss. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^ "Mansbridge named Mount Allison University chancellor". CBC. November 9, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/11/09/nb-mansbridge-mount-allison-chancellor-109.html.
- ^ "University of Manitoba History: Honorary Degree. He also got the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal just recently. Recipients". University of Manitoba. http://umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/archives/UofM_history/honorary_drgrees.shtml.
- ^ "Ryerson Honourary Doctorates". Ryerson University. http://www.ryerson.ca/calendar/2009-2010/pg1511.html.
- ^ "Chrétien among honorary degree recipients". Western News. 3 April 2008. http://communications.uwo.ca/com/western_news/stories/chretien_among_honorary_degree_recipients_20080403441990/. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ "CBC's Peter Mansbridge gets honorary degree". CBC News. 17 June 2010. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2010/06/17/wdr-mansbridge-degree-100617.html. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
