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BARBARA Has the position of head news anchor been a long time goal for you? Did you apply for the job?
LISA No, it isn’t a job you apply for. I’m very present day; I work on what I’m doing at that time. I think a bit ahead, but professionally it’s been so busy and gratifying. So I was shocked when they asked me. I actually cried. Lloyd came to my office afterward and we had a great hug. It was a magical moment. So much of this position is wrapped in him; what he is for this country; and for CTVers, he’s the leader. It’s been a cool transition as he ‘handed it over,’ and then in this last year giving me incredible tools to work with so I can aspire to leadership as well. It’s all still sinking in.
B What will you bring to the anchor desk that’s
different?
L The obvious: I’m a different generation; a different style of journalist, a field reporter bringing field reporting into the studio. At the core it’s the same, telling
engaging stories. I’ll bring the same commitment and passion for news that I’ve always had in the field. I hope it’s a continuation of what CTV National News
has been under Lloyd. We put the puzzle of the day
together, a story of what happened in the world and
in our country. Weaving the events together to give people the information they need so they go to bed
at night feeling, “Okay, I get it.”
B How do you get into the headspace, so quickly, to
do a crucial story?
L This year was insane with what’s happened in the world – the Arab uprising, Cairo, Libya, Japan and the Royal Wedding. It may seem funny, but the busier the news cycle, the easier it is. If I couldn’t put myself on autopilot, I’d be in the wrong business.
I have a standard plan: throw the last few things into the suitcase; call my amazing, great friend I’ve had since University of Ottawa who takes Barney and off I go. I don’t even know if I get into the mindset. I guess I’m just always in it. I’ve missed many family things. And that’ll continue to be the case as I’ll still be going to ‘breaking news’ – even in the new job. I’ve learned over the years not to plan in advance. It’s the only way I can feel less guilty about last minute cancellations.
B What do you do when you don’t have to get on
a plane?
L I garden. (Her gardens are lovely.) It’s therapy; I love it. And I read a lot. I absolutely love to relax. I take my dog Barney for walks in the park.
And I absolutely love going to movies. The lights
go down and I’m entertained for two hours. No one can reach me, a few hours of peace. I have great friends I spend a lot of time with when I’m home; and, of course, my family who all live in Kitchener-Waterloo. I go there often and they come here to visit. I’ve got to pinch myself because I’m so very lucky. I have lots
to help me balance out the work side.
B The most fun assignment you’ve had?
L I do a lot of really awful, heavy, tragic news, so the 2010 Olympics was unbelievable fun for me. The Royal Wedding was so much fun too. My mom’s a Londoner, and to see her home town decorated with flags, all the patriotism was incredible. A lot of work, but there were moments I sat back and thought, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m looking at Buckingham Palace and tens of thousands of people.” Mind you, we were 8 days in London and not once did I get to shop. Sometimes I’m in these fabulous places and people say, “Oh, you were in Cairo, did you get to...?” “Ahh, no I was there for a revolution.
I didn’t get to the Egyptian museum: it was on fire!” (Lisa’s husky laugh shows the irony.) I have a list of places I’ll go back to as a tourist, Cairo is one of them.
B What place made you stand in awe?
L Oh, so many. Most recently Japan, in Tokyo and Sendai, the scene of the earthquake. Those images never leave. The same in Cairo. Looking at a beautiful square in the daylight, then at night the fireworks (gunfire) start.
Beauty is different for me because of my work. It’s tempered by the pain of the story. Maybe that’s why
I see beauty in more places than the average person.
I go to a back alley in an African village and see two kids happily playing in filth, no shoes. That’s absolutely beautiful to me. I don’t think, “what a mess, look at the poverty.” I look at the happiness: that’s the beauty.
I tell the story I want Canadians to see, because your kids were probably playing on the street the same day; kids are the same all over the world. I try to show how we are similar. It’s how I tie cultures together. Journalists are cultural translators. It’s been a gift to have a job that I absolutely love and to tell these stories fairly and honestly. To get at the truth, whatever it may be.
B What inspired you to do news?
L I don’t know how I knew, but I always knew. I was writing stories in grade three. As a family we watched the news and read newspapers. Our lunch discussion with my Dad was around Andy Barry’s guest on CFRB’s noon radio show.
B You studied communications and then – off into the world.
L Twenty five years ago I started in radio news two days a week. I couldn’t get a full-time job so I also worked full-time as a translator for a moving company. I worked 7 days a week for two years. Slowly but surely my news career grew. One Saturday when my radio shift ended, the CKCO assignment editor asked if I would do that night’s TV news report. The reporter had called in sick. That was the first one I ever did. Eventually I went on to anchor CKCO News.
In 1996, Henry Kowalski (the President of The National) called, and asked me to meet with them. They launched a 24-hour news station CTV News One (now CTV News Channel). I remember that day vividly. The next day I drove to Toronto, met Henry and his assistant; got the job, then and there. Back in my car I started crying, typical me, and called my parents with the news.
B Anything you’ve kicked yourself for not doing?
L I’m sure there are many but I have this great ability to block out negative memories. Clearly that’s one of them. As a 46-year-old woman, I would have loved to have children. When it was a possibility in my late 20’s and early 30’s, I didn’t. I could have a teenager right now. But I have 8 amazing nieces and nephews I love dearly and I get a lot of love from them. And when I’m on a story I’m always surrounded by kids, so in a way it’s all worked out the way it’s supposed to be.
B Your biggest fear?
L I’ve tried really hard to keep things in perspective, certainly when I’m in a war zone. Yes, I’m afraid of
having my legs blown off or losing my sight. But, I’m compelled to be there, especially with our Canadian soldiers. The risk is worth it to cover the stories. We’re not cowboys; we protect ourselves. We’re very strategic in the places we go and the equipment we wear.
B What makes you stay present in a war zone?
L The closer to death you are, the more alive you are. You’re alert to every single thing around you. You have to be present in every moment. Journalists travelling with the military can’t be a liability or we wouldn’t get that incredible vantage point of war. It’s unforgettable being on the front lines with our soldiers. |
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Lisa on a convoy with Charlie Company through Southern Afghanistan in 2008.
B What has your career brought you?
L A wealth of knowledge and experience. When you think something, someone or a country is at its darkest point, something emerges. Even in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami, these stoic people still invited us to have a cup of tea even with all the devastation. This is the beauty of human nature. It’s these pieces of sunshine I want to hold on to. In every rotten story there’s something to restore your faith in humanity.
B 9/11 was a new beginning for you.
L Rod Black and I had started anchoring Canada AM on September 10th. I had been an Ottawa correspondent and loved that job. I thought, “I’m leaving the field. Is this the right time?” The second day on the job, at 8:45 a.m., the producer said in my ear, “A plane just crashed into one of the towers. We don’t have any details. Just mention it. We’ll go live after the commercial.” Well, that started the odyssey: on the air until 1:00 p.m. Lloyd came in and I jumped in a car with a producer and we drove to New York City. At 1:00 a.m. we arrived at 14th Street, as close as you could get to the financial district. I remember the debris. Rats and shoes everywhere. No power except for what emergency workers had. We almost got arrested for being there – but we had to see it. We were live at 5:00 a.m. that morning. For two weeks Canada AM was broadcast from there. So many Al-Qaeda events that followed 9/11 have made up a massive part of my life.
B Your job is a constant adventure, going off to these things.
L I see why people might think so. But I think everybody’s life is an adventure, in different ways, on different roads. My sister is living an adventure. Mine happens to collect more frequent flyer points. (A chuckle.)
B Three things on your bucket list?
L You throw me with these questions – I don’t think about things like this. I’m sure I say, “I’d like to do such and such...,” but I don’t remember them. Visiting Turkey is one.
B Who would you like to meet?
L I had hoped to meet Nelson Mandela when I was in South Africa but he was too ill. I’d love to meet Barack Obama and Oprah. I’d love to sit down with the Queen. Love to! I’d love to ask her about her life, a candid conversation with a woman who has been a remarkable
figurehead since she was 20 years old. A few of a very long list.
B Words you live by?
L Live for today. Be a good person. I really do live for the present. And I do believe in ‘what goes around comes around.’ Being a good person is high on my list.
B I love this one above your desk: Sit long. Talk much. Laugh often.
L One of my sisters brought me that. It’s our family
ritual. Okay, that’s my motto.
B What would you name this chapter in your life?
L ‘New Challenge?’ I don’t know. Ask me that in 10 years.
B The previous chapter?
L ‘Non-stop Adventure. Discovering and Uncovering the World.’
B That one gives me shivers. Is there a book?
L Somewhere down the road. I don’t know when
people have time. My memory isn’t great. I remember facts, stuff like that, but my memory has to be jogged for other things. Funnily enough, I’ve kept all my boarding passes. One day I’ll look at them and think, “Oh my God, when were you there? Oh yeah, it was that story.” The boarding pass stub will remind me of the obscure places I travelled.
Sadly, I didn’t follow Oprah’s advice, I never kept a journal. But I have the stories. There’s a library I can pull from and be reminded. Once I see or read something I’ve written from years ago, all the other things will come back. I’ll remember the people I met, or the cool find in a market. Hopefully my theory will play out.
B Your biggest learning curve?
L Everything’s a learning curve. Culturally, no matter where you go you’re learning. The high profile nature
of this new job is a learning curve, because I don’t
want to be anything except what I am.
B What gives you the ‘juice’ to keep going?
L The stories, no doubt about it. I love getting to the airport; waiting for the plane; flying for 8 hours with my research. Landing somewhere and finding my way. Getting that first story done. On the work side, there’s so much. And on the personal side too – my friends, my family, the kids and their lives, being a part of that with them juices me up.
B How do you take care of your health?
L That’s been hard. Food is very hard. I went gluten-free two years ago, I had so many stomach problems from eating crap. You eat what you can, what’s there. And I walk my dog. I know I have to do more. Okay, I’m adding that to the list. Visiting Turkey, travelling for pleasure and a healthy routine – there’s my three!
B Words of wisdom to women on living their life?
L Make sure it’s your life you’re living. The choices we make create the life we live. We have to embrace that. Make sure your decisions bring you some happiness.
Also support other women. Mentor someone younger; it’s a gift you give to the future. Including the mistakes; we learn more from them than from what we may have possibly done right. The ‘sisterhood’ is a very powerful gift. We need to celebrate it more and more. With three sisters I know all about the sisterhood. Literally and figuratively.
B Thank you for your precious time, and sharing your life with our readers. We wish you all the best in your ‘New Challenge’ – head anchor of CTV National News. H&L
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