Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Marci Ien: Toronto Mike'd #1022

Episode Date: March 28, 2022

In this 1022nd episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike is joined by the Honourable Marci Ien as they talk about her years on Circle Square, as a reporter as CHCH, her move to CTV, becoming the first black woman in Canada to co-host a national morning show, why Canada AM ended, her work on The Social and why she left television for politics. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Canna Cabana, StickerYou, Ridley Funeral Home and RYOBI Tools.

Welcome to episode 1022 of Toronto Mic'd, proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times, and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Home delivery in the GTA. StickerU.com. Create custom stickers, labels, tattoos, and decals for your home and your business. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville.

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There are 260 tools in the system, and it's available at Home Depot. Joining me this week is the Minister for Women and Gender Equality of Canada, the Honorable Marcy Ian. Are you used to that yet? I'm not. I still kind of look to my left, look to my right, and then think, oh yeah, they're talking about me. I'm not sure I'll ever be used to it. Well, when you're this big, they call you Honorable.

Oh boy. Oh boy. I was at an event a couple months ago and ran into Russell Peters who said, just remember, I knew you when you were dishonorable. I said, Russell, please. Please, Russell, please. Well, that's fantastic. And I'm going to take you way back in a minute,

but just to let the listeners know that we did meet on Zoom previously. So you were a guest on Dana Levinson's Fine podcast on the DL. Yes, my friend. And it was a pleasure to be on that podcast. And we did meet. And you said, Marcy, I'd love to chat with you. And I said, absolutely. And here we are.

Months later, but here we are. Well, better late than never. And, you know, I'm really excited you're here and there's lots to cover. But I just want you to know, I wanted to have you on before you were honorable. Okay. Okay. We can, you know what though, Mike? We can cover all of that ground, right?

Because we can go back to those days, which weren't that long ago. Well, hey, this is way back, maybe even much further back than you want to go, but I got a lovely note from somebody. So I'm going to play like, play a few seconds a song, and then we're going to talk about this. So just brace yourself, and I'm sorry, but it gets better from here. But let's get into this.

CKVR Channel 3, Cable 4, and Perry Sound. I'll bring her down. Shout out to CKVR. Tell us, what's the song we're listening to right now? Let Your Light Shine. You're listening to the theme song for Circle Square. And I was a cast member from, my gosh, 79, Mike, to 85. Okay, I'm going to read this note. I was 10 years old when I started.

This is the nicest note. And, you know, it's kind of, I think I feel like it's easy to kind of make jokes about Circle Square, but I'm going to start with such a sincere, lovely note that I got from a gentleman who goes by the name Basement Dweller. And Basement Dweller writes, just wondering, but does Ms. Ian

and he should have said the Honorable Ms. Ian, keep in close contact with any of her former Circle Square co-stars. Even as a child who was largely raised under the Jewish faith, albeit secularly, I always looked forward to Saturday mornings and repeated viewings of most episodes.

Yes, that program certainly helped to fill the void of childhood camaraderie that was somewhat missing from my troubled upbringing. So thanks for contributing to those special memories. Oh, that's lovely. Thank you so much to that person who wrote in. Basement dweller. That is lovely. Basement dweller. And yes, so one young woman in particular, Anastasia Spaulding, she goes by Stacey Spaulding, is a director in the city of Toronto and has done really, really well.

And we worked in the same place. We were both at Bell Media together. And so she was directing other programs and we would talk all the time. Her dad was actually the Circle Square director and her mom produced it and they were both he was he was an executive at CBC Sports but did Circle Square on a freelance basis and her mom was a director of entertainment, I want to say at Ontario Place at the time. And Circle Square was kind of a side gig for both of them. And Stacey was a cast member.

And we stayed in touch because she stayed in television. So for those who don't remember or maybe too young to remember, what exactly was Circle Square? We were a group of about 10 kids. And the whole premise was that we were in this clubhouse that we would meet at after school. And every week, one kid would have an issue. So whether that issue was peer pressure, or there was an issue with stealing or lying or whatever it is, that kid would bring that issue to the rest of the gang, the Circle Square gang. A part of our gang were puppets, their names, Egbert and Gert. And so in hearing

whatever the issue was, they would normally say, okay, you know what, you know who would know how to help you? Dirk would know how to help you. Dirk was the school janitor. You know, the kids would go and say, hey, I've got a problem with peer pressure. There's some kids at school that are pressuring me to smoke or pressuring me to do whatever. What do I do? And he would tell a story. And that story would turn into a taped piece, kind of like a taped segment, a play, or something that would help that kid out. So Dirk would say, hey, I know a guy, a young kid, his name was Jerry, who had the same problem.

Let me tell you that story. And that story would turn into an acted piece by us and by and large would help the kid understand. We also had a lot of music. Huntley Street produced it. So there was a religious component to it. But I'll tell you, as a kid of 10 years old, it was my second family. It's where I really learned my work ethic.

At 10, interestingly enough, I didn't know it was a precursor to Canada AM. But I had a call time of 4 o'clock in the morning. Wow. 10 years old. And we taped on Saturday. So my childhood was very, very different. Very different. Now, were you going by Marcy on the show or you had a different name? I was going by Marcy. Okay. Marcy. That would make sense. For some reason, I thought maybe you were like a stage name? Yeah, like a Nancy. No. No. It's either Marcia.

Right. Because that's my formal, that's my given name. Right. Or Marcy. So let me ask. So you're doing Circle Square, you said, for years. And sounds like. From 10 to 16.

And you enjoy the experience. Like, is that where you get the bug? Like, you want to be in, you know, in front of a camera? Like, is this when you decide you want to somehow be in media? I thought that I'd act. And yes, it is. And so after graduating high school, I applied to Ryerson and the radio and television arts program. I thought I might act. Definitely knew that I was, you know, comfortable in that realm. What I didn't know, Mike, is that it would be news. So when do you sort of make that transition that you want to be in news? Like, like, does that happen when you're at Ryerson? It does. It happens when I'm at Ryerson. One of my

friends, Tracy, got a job at Channel 11 in Hamilton. It was a weekend job where she was writing copy for the evening news anchor and they were hiring. They needed another person. And she said, Marce, you should apply. This would be great for you. So I made the trip to Hamilton, applied, wrote some copy and had an interview and I was hired. And so in my last year of school at Ryerson, I was working as a news writer at Channel 11 on the weekends. shout out to the hammer first and foremost shout out shout out big shout out to the hammer and there's a name I'm going to drop on you because I learned about this gentleman on social media like in the past week because this person uh I'm saving the name you might

already know but uh turned 90 and I learned that and I'll give you the name right now uh turned 90 and I learned that and I'll give you the name right now uh it's director Nick El Chawy I'm terrible with names oh my gosh so how do you say Nick's last name El Chawy yes at a at channel 11 yes so Nick's 90 90 goodness and he's still working there and he's been there for 68 years isn't that nuts? Gosh, you know what? It's unbelievable, but it's that kind of place.

Like it was very much a family. And once you were there, you kind of, you kind of stayed there. And it was also the kind of shop where if somebody called it sick, you could find yourself, you know, editing for the first time or like I did reporting for the first time

because someone wasn't able to make it in and I was thrown into the field to cover some story and then it kind of stuck. It's funny you hear those kind of tales from people who worked for like Chum City like at $2.99. You know what I mean? And it's like yeah like a Dwight Drummond or whatever was doing like yeah five or six different things and then he was floor directing doing all the things yeah. or six different things. He was. He was floor directing, doing all the things.

Shout out to Joel Goldberg, who founded Electric Circus at 299 Queen. We'll tell you that Dwight Drummond was working security at Electric Circus. Yes. Yes, he was.

I think Dwight and I were in the same radio and television arts class, and I think he might have been in school while he was doing think dwight and i were in the same radio and television arts class and i think he might have been in school while he was doing security at electric circus i think you're 100 right and he went to uh i think he went to run amine and he did when he played ball at running me oh yeah great ball team too uh okay and and you're so what high school did you go to before ryerson i went to aging court and leacock i'm from scarborough so you had to go Ryerson? I went to Agincourt and Leacock. I'm from Scarborough. So you had to go work at CTV at some point if you're living in Agincourt. Being from Scarborough and all, right? That's right. That's right. Okay. So tell me just a

little bit more. I want to get you to CTV, obviously, but you're at CHCH and you're kind of cutting your teeth, doing a bunch of different things. And maybe in a sense, this is where you get your first taste of politics, maybe, because you're reporting from Queen's Park, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was doing kind of a hybrid shift where I was writing and reporting at CH. And then one of my colleagues who was the reporter, the bureau chief at Queen's Park, had to take some time off for health reasons.

And so they were looking for someone to replace him kind of for an extended period. And I put my hand up as the, you know, the new kid and said, Come on, coach, put me in, please, like, please put me in. Somehow, my news director agreed, and I started working at Queen's Park. And it was at a time where we called it the Rat Pack, but Monica Kim was working at Global, Alison Bushnick was working at CFTO, and then there was me representing Channel 11. So we were these, you know, three diverse young women trying to take Queen's Park by storm, and we stuck together. So I mention this, Mike, because it's pivotal. We held each other up. We shared stories.

We shared tape. We did all the things that most reporters don't do. Usually you're trying to scoop each other. But we really supported one another. And I say this because Monica got a call from CTV because Newsnet, now News Channel was starting and they wanted to interview her and after the interview she came back and said Marcy they may not know who you are but they need to know who you are and you need to call these people up and and ask for an interview or at least, you know, a meeting or something because I think,

you know, they'd like you. So she did this herself and then set me up and said, please go and do that. And I did that and ended up getting an interview. And hopefully you took her out to lunch or something. Oh my gosh. Yeah, no. And to this day, mention her and her kindness because Because Mike, you know, in this industry and even beyond it, kindness isn't always something that's practiced. There's a lot of competition, especially with women at the time. There's only that mentality. There's only room for one of us. And she reached out and said, Marce, try and get in there. And that led to a job. It's a long story, but it ended up leading to a job.

Well, I almost wore a hoodie that says, it's cool to be kind. Like, I had it on earlier. I love that. I love that so much. So next time, when we do your Kick Out the Jams episode, eventually. And if you were to kick out a jam, I don't, but what, what genre of music, like when you're chilling out after a tough day in parliament, like what kind of music do you gravitate towards? I like R&B.

R&B. Yeah. I like R&B, but old school R&B. But what's old school to you? Let me hear. Well, old school. I like Marvin Gaye. What are you talking about here?

Marvin Gaye, Patti LaBelle. Yeah. Okay. You know, Aretha, Luther luther you know that kind of thing a lot of motown yeah like would you go as far back as like roberta flack or would you do that yeah okay absolutely would you stick something oh my gosh i she is a goddess yes okay absolutely If you see me walking down the street and I start to cry, each time we meet, walk on by. Walk on by.

Make believe that you don't see the tears, just let me grieve In private, cause each time I see you I'll break down and cry Walk on by Don't stop Walk on by Don't stop Walk on by. I just can't get over losing you. And so if I seem broken and blue, walk on by.

We'll be back with more Marcy Ian, sorry, the Honorable Marcy Ian shortly. I want to thank some sponsors that helped to make this program possible. Great Lakes Brewery, free delivery in the GTA. You can find GLB in LCBOs across this fine province. Palmapasta.com if you're hungry for authentic Italian food. Look no further than Palmapasta.com if you're hungry for authentic

Italian food. Look no further than Palmapasta. They have stores in Mississauga and Oakville. StickerU.com That's where I get my Toronto Mike stickers. I can't wait to get Marcy Ian one. They're tremendous supporters of this program. Ridley Funeral Home.

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Go to cannacabana.com. They've got unbeatable prices on cannabis and smoking accessories and i'm sure marcy has work to do in ottawa and if you have work to do the ryobi 18 volt one plus high capacity lithium plus battery provides four times more runtime four times longer lasting charge and 20 lighter weight weight than NICAD batteries. 260 tools and they all work with the Ryobi 18 volt one plus tools and chargers. Find them now at Home Depot. And now back to my conversation with Marcy Ian.

This is a teaser for the FOTMs listening that at some point when I can get you back in the calendar, we're going to kick out the jams, Marcy, because it's awesome. And I'm also going to just give a little like, everybody likes to know how the cake is baked, but you're in Ottawa right now and there might be something you need to vote on.

There's a confidence vote going on that you may have to actually interrupt this conversation and go do your important important business that's how that's how that's how life works and um you know those votes can happen at any time and we have a whips office that reminds us that they can usually mike uh there are bells and those bells give us a 30 minute warning sometimes though on certain days there are no bells warning. So you just have to be able to vote. What's different now is that we have hybrid voting. So you can actually vote via app. These are some of the things that COVID-19 has changed. Workplaces have changed across this country, but your MPs, if people didn't know, can now vote

using an app. So let me just understand this. You happen to be in Ottawa, but your MPs, if people didn't know, can now vote using an app. So let me just understand this. So you happen to be in Ottawa, but you could be in Toronto right now. That's correct. I was in Toronto last week. So will there be a, like, obviously there'll be an audible notification if you get like a warning that there's a vote you need to vote? That's right. That's right. So the app sends me a message. Yeah. The app sends me a message and it's the vote about to take place okay we'll be taking place and then there's a countdown like it's a whole

thing but will we hear the note because obviously you'll have to go when you hear the notification but will we hear it like would it be picked up by your microphone this uh no no okay no because that would be exciting okay so let me know when you hear it and that's it but we got some ground to cover but obviously uh if work beckons that's a pretty darn good excuse me know when you hear it. And that's it. But we got some ground to cover. But obviously, if work beckons, that's a pretty darn good excuse. Okay. So when you so I was looking into, you know, how you get to CTV, because in my mind, maybe it all starts at CTV Newsnet. But then I learned that you actually start as a reporter for CTV Atlantic. for CTV Atlantic. Yeah. So during that time, that news channel time, it was probably the last big hiring across our country because CTV needed to beef up its bureaus and create some right across the country, but beyond. So, you know, the London Bureau, the Middle Eastern Bureau, like all of these different bureaus in order to feed this new beast that would be 24 hours. And so there was this massive hiring. And I was part of that in 1997.

Also part of that was Lisa Laflamme. It was a huge class of us, right? It was Lisa Laflamme, Donna Friesen. There were a bunch of us at that time that were hired for CTV News Channel and CTV News. I remember the executive, the president of news at the time saying, listen, the policy is if you're from somewhere, you're going to start somewhere else because we need our reporters to know this country. So I knew that there was no way that I was starting in Toronto. And so Atlantic Canada, being based in Halifax and covering all of the Atlantic Canadian provinces, was my first stop, but for CTV National. So we actually covered the news for Lloyd Robertson's show,

but from Atlantic Canada. Okay, what can you tell me about Lloyd? Now, happily, Lloyd is still with us. I don't want to speak like he's passed or anything. He's doing well well i understand but oh what a legend in this country like how well did you know lloyd really well and a lot happens that dana will tell you this too a lot happens in the makeup room you know because that's where that's where we all meet up right truth be known i get all the stories but then i'm told that these are not fit for public consumption and I can share them on the podcast. Uh-oh, and here I am sharing some. But Lloyd, I would describe him as generous. I remember

Craig Oliver as well, the two of them. I remember when I filed my first story for CTV National and I was nervous. And getting a note from Lloyd. And even before that note, the intro to the story. So he did the intro. And then before he threw to me, he said, and now to the newest member in that Lloyd voice of CTV's Atlantic team, Marcy Ian. And I thought, oh, my gosh, Lloyd Robertson's just said my name and thrown to this piece. And then after that, getting a lovely note saying, good job, kid. Oh, I love stories like that.

Really, really lovely. Really, really lovely. Amazing, amazing. Now, not lovely, but it's kind of a big, big moment in your career as a reporter. The crash of Swiss Air Flight 111. Yes, yes. That was pivotal for so many reasons, Mike.

I've always thought, you know, and wondered whether I had the goods to be a solid reporter. And the reason I wondered that a lot was because I had the propensity to get involved, to feel the stories. Stories weren't just stories. There were people behind those stories. And I always wanted to know how they made out, whether they were okay.

And that's not something you're meant to do. There's supposed to be a neutrality that comes with news reporting. with news reporting. And with Swiss Air, it was literally the world descending on this tiny little picturesque place, Peggy's Cove, because that was an international flight. And when I say the world descended, I mean it, right? Who came after hearing the news of their lost loved ones and just wanted to be in the place where it happened. But at the same time, I learned so much about community, about, you know, the little churches that kept their doors open, just in case, you know, people wanted to light candles. And the pastors and priests who were there for family members, if they just wanted someone to talk to. who were there for family members if they just wanted someone to talk to and the fishers who opened their doors and said you know come and stay with us if you don't have anywhere to stay

I learned about community but I also learned about covering a story that was continuous I remember clearly the night that plane went down and getting a call from our news desk saying, we're not sure what it is right now, but there could be something happening. I remember I was making pasta for dinner and got this call and I thought, okay, what I didn't realize was in going out there and investigating and finding out what happened that I wouldn't return home for two days because that's what happened. I just stayed there and it was reporting. It was reporting around the clock for News Channel, for Canada AM, you know, Lloyd Show, like all of everything and just pumping out as much information as I could. At the same time, the heartbreak of seeing these families who lost their loved ones was so difficult. I remember in particular, this woman who broke apart from this group of family members, and she just ran into the ocean. Like, Mike,

she just took off. Like, she was just, she just ran into the ocean and almost trying to end it. And she had to be rescued and pulled back you know wanting to just be with her loved one oh my god right like it was just hard chilling chilling mercy and and just the the juxtaposition of such a horrific uh happening in such a picturesque beautiful place yes i've been to Peggy's Cove. And it's just like the most photogenic place on the planet. And then having such a tragedy. Oh, my goodness. Okay.

So, awful tragedy, but it was a very high-profile story that you were reporting on. And did that help lead to you joining the big leagues at CTV Newsnet? Well, yeah. So after that, I returned to Toronto. And again, it was a hybrid shift. But this time I returned to anchor CTV News Channel and then report.

So I anchored on the weekends and then reported for Lloyd's show from the national news, CTV national news. It was downtown at the time for Lloyd's show from the national news, CTV national news, it was downtown at the time, for Lloyd's show. So three days reporting, two days anchoring. Good for you. I think we're going back here 20 years or more than that, I suppose. 25 years, wow. So a lot of people know Marcy Ian from Canada AM. And I'm wondering basically, is it just at some point, how did you end up at Canada AM? So I was doing my news channel shift, which was a weekend shift. It was early

Saturday, Sunday morning. And the anchor at the time that did Monday to Friday decided she was going to give up her Friday and do a four day week. So they said, well, you're already doing early morning Saturday, Sunday. Why not do Friday as well? When that anchor ended up leaving, I was asked to be the news anchor of Canada AM. And that's how it all started. And it actually started with me being separate from the rest of the crew, being in a different news channel studio. And then they said, we kind of like the chemistry here

and brought me into studio. And that's how it started. Okay, so you start anchoring the, I guess, the Canada AM broadcast. And then that's 2003 when that begins. And then it's 2011 when you become a co-host. Yes. And here's a fact that I had to double check when I heard it, and apparently it's true, but you're the first Black woman in this country to co-host a national

morning show. That's right. That's right. And, you know, when you're first at anything, Mike, there is this pressure, and it's mostly innate pressure, but as a black woman, it was, I'm not just walking through this door. I'm taking a whole bunch of people, whole community with me through this door. So it was this whole idea where I didn't have any room in my mind. It was, I thought I have no room for error here.

I've got to get this right. I have to do it well because my whole deal was, I'm not going to be the last. And that means I'm going to do this well so that it creates opportunities for others. And that sounds great, but it also sounds completely unfair to you. It does. It does. But, you know, I've not always been fair to myself.

And that's how it's been. Even in this position that I sit in now, you know, the Honorable Jean Augustine, the amazing Jean Augustine was the first black cabinet minister in our country. years later, here I am as the second one. And again, I'm thinking, I want there to be a third and a fourth and a 10th and a 15th. So I need to do this well and get it right. So yes, it is the pressure we put on ourselves, but it's always been there for me, Mike. Shout out to Jean Augustine, because I bike by her park every day. It's in Mimico, right on the Yes, it is. Waterfront Trail. And I had for a period of my life, I lived in her riding. Tobaco Lakeshore. Yeah.

And tremendous. Like, just, we loved her. And we wish she was still there, to be honest. But she's fantastic. Now, why did it take so long for you to become the second black woman to hold a cabinet position? Like, what's with the 20-year lag there? Listen, I don't know. But no one – listen, it just didn't happen.

Right. And that's systems, Mike. It's systems. It's, you know, wanting to make change. It really has to be something that people want to do. It's not going to happen unless that happens. And here I am. Here I am. But hopefully not another 20 years. When Canada, Canada's men's soccer team yesterday, shout out. Oh my gosh. Huge shout out.

See, I've been following this qualification tournament uh for quite a while watching every single minute and i was sort of like when we did not score in costa rica uh because we can't we hit a couple of posts like if we had tied that game we would have qualified but i know i had that feeling of like oh that's okay let's do it at home let's win at home in at bmo field and have that moment for the, whatever, 25,000 in the stands and all of us who can kind of like at a reasonable hour, watch this thing.

And it was awesome. Uh, fantastic. But right after they won that game, they started playing Drake, uh, started from the bottom, you know,

and now we're here. Yeah. And I was thinking that is perfect for the, the Canadian men's, uh, soccer team off to the world cup. Oh, it's,

it's absolutely perfect. I am so thrilled for them. They put the work in. Their coach as well, John, is amazing. And they did it at a time when, frankly, not a lot of people had faith, but they did. They believed in themselves, and they

showed their mettle on the pitch and so, so very proud. Just really, really proud and I think they could take it all the way. Watch out everybody, here comes Canada. No, absolutely. Qualifying was one thing that hasn't happened since 86 and that's exciting, but we're there to do

some damage. Let's remember, the greatest're there to do some damage. Like this is, and let's remember our greatest, the greatest Canadian men's soccer player of all time, possibly has not been playing these last few matches, of course, because of a heart condition. Yes. So when Alphonso Davies is healthy and joins us in the World Cup, watch out.

Like, don't, don't take us lightly. Watch out, watch out. And I've been watching him and he's practicing again. And, you know, he's doing again and you know he's doing okay says he's not a hundred percent but he's getting there did you see um his reaction i watched that so many times and he was getting teary-eyed i thought oh my gosh this is amazing and one more thing this is again this is toronto mike speaking so marcy will speak for marcy i'll speak for mike but i uh felt for during the the the for during the protests and the truck convoy,

there was a period of time where I would see a Canadian flag. And for the first time in my life, seeing this Canadian flag, I felt like, ugh, like it was like, oh, that's like, it didn't have a positive connotation to it. It had a negative connotation to it. And I didn't like it. So I'm just here to tell you that yesterday

was the first time in a while where I saw the Canadian flag and it was all positive again. Like I feel like we took our flag back yesterday. Yeah. Yeah, we absolutely did. We absolutely did. And it's it was an amazing thing to see. And just to see people come together. You know, we've been through a time and maybe continue to be where people will say well we're divided but you see something like that and you see that that's not the truth people were together they were unified it was a beautiful beautiful thing to see absolutely and we're on the same page there absolutely now uh just i want to point something out so you mentioned uh you're working in halifax for cTV before you come back to Toronto.

And it sounds like you had a cool experience with the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay because you got to go back to Halifax and participate in that. Yeah, it was amazing. So the idea was we all got to go back, we meaning the Canada AM team, to a city that we were connected to in some way, worked in, born in. So Seamus was in St. John's and Bev was in Belleville because that's where

she started her career. I believe that Jeff might have been out west. I kind of remember him being in Calgary for some reason. And I'm not sure if that's because he'd covered the games out there um but either way it was so special to be back in Halifax and I got to bring my family with me it's amazing that is that's awesome so you got to do that that's very cool now uh Canada you might know uh I can't remember if I mentioned to you when we were chatting with Dana that time but uh uh i had jeff hutchinson on toronto mic like fairly recently yes we did like a pretty good deep like i was very curious about because canada am when i was growing up before you got there uh big deal like canada am was this national broadcast it was a big deal and it i guess it came to an end in 2016 it gets gets canceled. And you were, so I'm curious from your perspective, why did Canada AM end?

I think it ended because they wanted to rebrand. I think they wanted something younger, maybe in hipper. And there we were in our 40s and 50s. And that's not what we represented. So they wanted to do things differently. And I guess felt that they couldn't work with us in order to do that. So it was just get rid of the whole thing and start from scratch. So how did you get notified? How much of a heads up did you get? I'm wondering, like, okay, this is the last day or whatever. No, no, no. We had a couple weeks to my recollection, but still not a lot of time. We really felt, though, that we didn't want to drag out a long goodbye.

We didn't want to do that. And so while the public, many members of the public found out the day before, we knew a little bit you know before that time period but we didn't want a two-week goodbye or one like we just didn't want that so we put together what we could and said goodbye to the country and um so emotional but at the same time we were a family and we knew that we gave the country all that we could in those years and speaking of Jeff uh you know he tells me and of course you would know he worked with him, but he had given his like, he was leaving anyway, like he was retiring. He was, he was retiring. Yeah. Jeff was retiring. And what a lot of people

didn't know, and he probably told you, is that he was commuting to Charlottetown all the time and really had given up a lot of time with his wife, with his family, with Heather, because he was back and forth. And he just came to the conclusion that this was the time for him to leave, not knowing, of course, that the show was ending. That was just his plan. Right.

So in 2016, Canada AM ends its run and is replaced with a new show, which is a different show. Like you said, maybe it's a fresher, it replaced with a new show, which is a different show. Like you said, maybe it's a fresher, it's just a different show and they wanted to rebrand. So that's what happened there. But you, what did the people at, you know, CTV decide to do with you, Marcy?

Well, we weren't sure what we were going to do, whether it would be a new show, whether, you know, I'd be producing, so we weren't sure. But I moved to 299. So from news at Aging Court to 299, where Lifestyle Entertainment is, is where I moved. And I started guests co-hosting on the social. Trace, Tracy Melsher, wasn't doing the show at that time. She had taken some leave, and there were different guest co-hosts kind of cycling through, and I started guest co-hosting, and then I became the permanent guest co-host,

and then Trace decided when she was coming back that she wasn't going to come back to both shows. She was doing entertainment as far as e-talk at the time, as well as the social. And that's when I was offered a permanent chair, permanent seat at the table. I have a very brief message from my mother because I told my mom you were coming on. This is real. My mom wants me to tell you that she loved you on the social. She absolutely loved you, Marcy, on the social.

Oh, she's very sweet. What's your mom's name? Mary. Thank you, Mary. That's very lovely. Thank you. I love, listen, I found my voice on the show, Mike. There are so many people that wrote to me and said,

we thought we knew you. We'd wake up, need our breakfast, and watch you every morning on Canada AM, but we're just getting to know you now because it was very much opinion-based. And all of a sudden, it wasn't covering other people's stories. It was telling my own. But how come, so, I mean, that's a big significant shift.

You go from reporter to talk show. How comfortable were you in opening yourself up and sharing, you know, the personal side of Marcy and with the country? At first, not so much. And then it got easier. And it got easier, Mike, because I trusted the women that I was sitting at the table with. trusted the women that I was sitting at the table with. We became fast family and you need to have that and you need to have that kind of chemistry in order to open up that way. If you're not comfortable with the people that you're going into battle with every day, if you don't trust them to the nth degree, it's not going to work. And it worked because we became fast, fast family and they are still my best friends. Well, we want to shout them out. Can we shout out the hosts of The Social?

Yeah, absolutely. So there is Melissa Grello, Cynthia Loyst. There is also Jess, Jessica Allen, and Elaine Louie. Good, yeah. I think when my wife is on maternity leave that my wife and my mom went to a taping of the social.

Oh, did they? Yes. And I took a screen cap because they gave something away to everybody in the audience. And I guess you're told be enthusiastic no matter what it is. Just, I don't know what it was.

I can't remember, but they got something nice. And then they acted like they got a new car. what it was i can't remember but they got something nice and then uh they acted like they got a new car like it was like oh my gosh oh my gosh quite the reaction so we would take pictures with the audience as well i don't know if your wife and mom but um we would take pictures uh every day after every show and get to know the people that came to watch us and thank them for coming and that was one of my favorite things to do well when i looked at uh my calendar and i said

oh good i get to talk to marcy today and i was thinking of the social i was thinking about today a day like today the social's gotta blow up because everybody's talking about something that happened at the oscars last night. And I was thinking, oh my goodness. Marcy doesn't have to bring her take to the... I'm just curious. What would you have said on the social about what happened yesterday? And everybody knows what I'm talking about. I would have got... Well, I get into the psychology of things.

And I just bought Will's book the other day. And he talks a lot about the guilt he felt growing up watching his mom get abused by his dad and that it actually you know led to suicidal thoughts and he's lived with that that he watched his mom endure all this abuse and wasn't there for her so i don't think and i'm getting psychological here i don't i don't think mike that uh taking that that role to play richard williams was an accident the whole idea of this man is protector of his family and his girls was an accident and um he even talked about it after hitting Chris Rock. He went up and accepted his Oscar and talked about being this protector. And I think it's about being what he wasn't.

I do. I think it's about rectifying that situation with his mom and being this uber protector now. Having said that, you know, violence is never the answer. Chris Rock used words. I would have been fine with the words. I wasn't so fine with him strutting up to the stage and slapping Chris Rock. So very interesting, though, your psychology angle there, because it's almost like perhaps this is like a misdirected rage where essentially there is something triggered with Will about what you're referring to. Interesting. I think so.

I really think so. And maybe it's because, you know, I've got his book and everything up, but I really think so. This whole idea of protector and what he wasn't and maybe having a do-over. My worry, of course, a father of four here is the message it sends. That show went on, like nobody took him out of four here, is the message it sends. Like, that was, because, you know, that show went on, like, nobody took him out, took him out,

nobody removed him from the ceremony. No. He sat there. Yeah, and not only sat there, but, like, people like Denzel Washington were kind of, like,

like, as if Will was the victim, and they came up, like, he was the victim, consoling him, and then he was, of course, celebrated, because he won Best Actor, and he got the round of applause, the camera kept going to him when he was laughing at jokes and things. Like, it was, of course, celebrated because he won best actor and he got the round of applause.

The camera kept going to him when he was laughing at jokes and things like it was sort of strange. Like, did that just happen? And where is the consequence of the fact he got up and assaulted this guy on live television? Yeah, well, and Chris Rock said he wasn't going to press charges. LAPD was aware of everything and he wasn't going to press charges. He was aware of everything and he wasn't going to press charges. But the whole time that was happening while he was being, you know, consoled by dental Washington and, and Tyler Perry and others, I was thinking, where's Chris? Is Chris okay? Because he had to present right after that happened and he stumbled a bit.

Like I thought, is he all right? Like he got hit. That's going to be shocking, right? Cause I don't think you're the last thing you're expecting is that and even when will smith comes up you think he because he was laughing and he's coming up and maybe he's gonna you know hug you or pretend to whatever do something and then to slap him yeah kind of a shock by the way i will tell you this personally i couldn't last night i wasn't falling asleep because i realized i i had like uh like i felt like i was in a fight. Like I had this like, like my heart rate was kind of going.

I was thinking, it was like, wait a minute. I had to like remind myself, like I wasn't actually in a fight last night. This is something I saw on the Oscars, but it would kind of riled me up. It riled me up too.

And the other part of this is, it was so shocking because this is not Will Smith's brand, right? Yeah, he's very controlled, right? Right? This is the Fresh Prince. And this is the affable, controlled, you know, guy who made it out of Philly.

Like all of those things. And all of a sudden, they see that kind of aggression and that kind of thing. It just jarred me. I thought it was scripted at first. And then when he started screaming at Chris, I thought, no, this is for real. And that was that angry

rage yell, which I'm sure triggered millions of people. It was just a bad deal, all of it. And as you say, the consoling of him and everything else, I thought, my gosh, where's Chris? Is anybody helping Chris right now? Yeah, like, who is the victim here? But

oh my goodness. So, okay, if you were on the social, that would have been some must-see TV. That would have been the deal. Having said that, Jada has talked about alopecia and having this condition and the reason that her head is shaved. I understand. That's not to be made fun of. I don't know whether Chris Rock

knew that or not. Not a nice joke. I'll say this. Too long to make a right. That is not a nice joke. Chris Rock is a stand-up comic and an edgy one at that. I know. And I started watching a little late. I was actually on a flight to Ottawa. So I watched a little late.

But somebody told me that one of the co-hosts actually made a joke about Will Smith being single or something because of their open marriage and all this stuff that made some joke and, and that they slammed Jada earlier. Right. And, and I thought, okay, but there are no repercussions there,

but Chris Rock got a lot. Yeah. There's some, some bad blood there, but my goodness. Okay. So because I'm worried your work will beckon and we're going to lose you. I,

you know, you just spoke about opening up and sharing a lot more of your personal life and more of Marcy with the audience on the social. And this sort of is something that maybe at the beginning was difficult, but then you sort of embraced it and you, you know, kicked ass, took names. And I'm curious because I read this piece

with great interest, as I will disclose to you, in case people don't know, I'm a white guy. And I'm very interested in when I read this piece with great interest, as I will disclose to you, in case people don't know, I'm a white guy, and I'm very interested in, when I read a piece about the trauma that you as a black woman would experience when you were pulled over on your own street. On my driveway. So in your driveway,

you go, okay, can you please share this story? And then again, there's just a very interesting piece that I've referenced numerous times, by the way, on this program. I find it fascinating because I'm always here to learn. But tell me about what I would call driving while black. So I had just, it was a holiday weekend,

family day weekend. And so a lot of my neighbors were away for the weekend. My nieces had come home from university and I had just dropped off my daughter Blaze to my sister's to spend the night with her cousins. And then we were going to all meet up for a family get together for family day. So I was in a great mood and I was coming back from my sister's on a street really close to my home, turned into my driveway. And it wasn't until I did that, that I saw the flashing lights. And so this patrol car pulled up literally in front of my driveway,

I was parked on my driveway. And I got out of my vehicle, like I thought something was wrong. I thought I wasn't sure what was going on. And I was told to get back into my vehicle. And it was the tone, Mike. And I don't think unless you experience that, and I have to preface this by saying, you know, we talked about Dwight earlier, Dwight Drummond. Dwight is one of my best friends. And Dwight experienced a police stop years ago that, you know, he experienced it, but it traumatized me where he was thrown to the ground and all of these things. My dad has been stopped before. So it's this whole thing where there's already stress associated with any kind of police stop. There just is. And so when I was told to get back into my car, I just, I felt really uncomfortable,

And so when I was told to get back into my car, I just, I felt really uncomfortable, a little bit panicky. The officer approached. I opened my car door and he told me to shut it. I then had to restart my car in order to get the windows down. And the first question that he asked me was whether I lived there. He then asked for my identification and I handed it over and he was looking at my address, you know, looking at everything else. And it took a while for him to let me know why he stopped me. He said that I hadn't stopped at a stop sign.

There's a stop sign located very close to my, my daughter's school. And, and I basically said to him listen um that's fine like give me a ticket if I didn't stop appropriately or whatever like give me the ticket but it was the way I felt and the way that I was treated and the tone I just didn't appreciate it and that was you know I had been stopped two or three times in my own neighborhood. And, you know, Mike, I have to say, it shouldn't matter what you're wearing, right? It shouldn't matter. But when I'm, you know, running errands in my neighborhood, I'm not wearing a business suit. So, you know, whether I'm wearing a hoodie and converse and jeans, like that's usually me. And, you know, the first question, and I asked my other girlfriends, white girlfriends.

I asked Dana. I asked others. Has this ever happened to you? The first question is, is this your vehicle? And the second question is usually, do you live around here? And I take exception with that. And because this was the third time, I just kind of thought, I just can't. So I just said, listen, give me whatever ticket you need to give me or whatever. But after that experience, I walked

into the house and I just, I was a puddle. I just broke down and I cried. I was so stressed out by it. And the stuff that goes through your mind as a black person is, you know, some people don't survive these things. You know, it may be a lot for other people to understand, but some people don't survive these things. And I felt very much alone out there. And, and then I also have to say, um, I decided to write about it because I thought I can be a voice for others who don't have the voice to do that. And I did it. And the vitriol that came with it was something else. Okay. I'm sorry you went through that. I think I often say that like sunlight's the best antiseptic, like shine a light on this because then we can all learn from this. My neighbor,

Kareem is a black man and we will chat and he'll talk about being pulled over by cops. And he calls it DWb uh he's he's pulled over for driving while black is his how he explains it and i'll you know it's for trying to understand and relate it's very you know difficult because uh you don't get pulled over for driving while white in this city so it's uh terrible what you what you're explaining there and i guess when you talk to your white girlfriends about this, I take it they don't have the same experiences. No, not at all. And it's interesting because one of my girlfriends is an auto journalist.

And so she's amazing, but is driving a different car and a very expensive car, you know, depending on the day of the week. And she said, you know, depending on the day of the week. And she said, you know, I'll be speeding here, speeding. Not once has she ever been asked, is this your vehicle? When she's driving, you know, $150,000, whatever it is she's driving. And she said, not once, not once, you know, and pretty young doing that. And not, not once has she ever been asked those questions ever where the first question isn't, here's why I'm stopping you. The first question basically is, you don't belong here, or statement or the way it's framed. Where are you from? Do you live here? Do you live around here? And is this your vehicle? And this trauma that you speak of, because this can be a life and death. We've seen this. We've seen this over and over again where it could be a life and death situation for a black person. Because I thought, this is a black boy.

And what is this going to mean? How am I, what kinds of conversations am I going to have to have with my black son to make sure that he comes home to me at night? I've heard stories from parents who have to have the conversation with their black son about how to act when the police pull you over for any reason in order to keep their son alive. And I did not have that conversation with my white 20-year-old son, James. It's unbelievable that you need to have these conversations. Unbelievable. But as you say, it's important to talk about this, right? And bring it fully into the light.

Because the only time that we're going to rectify things is by doing that. And really, it's a big reason I ran, to have a voice at the table and bring my life experience and experiences to the table. Well, that was my very next question, Marcy. You stole my thunder there. I was going to ask you, what made you decide to leave media for politics?

It was never something that I wanted, Mike, but George Floyd was killed. Ahmaud Arbery was killed and I was looking to serve differently. And I really thought that having having my voice at the table would matter. My experiences would matter. And that I could inform things, policy discussions in different ways and help to shape some policies in this country. I think if we're going to change a system, we've got to be part of that system. So I wanted to be part of the system. Now, great question came in here.

Now, of course, so I guess, like how do you get the Liberal nomination like to run as the member of the Liberal Party of Canada? Like, was it just that they thought you could win? So you got the gig? Like, how does that process work? I got a phone call asking

whether I would consider running for the Liberal Party. And after serious talks with my family and some close friends for quite a while, I decided that I would. Mine was a little different because it was a by-election and it was during COVID, the height kind of of COVID. And so it was a little different. I became the nominee and then ran. Good question comes in from Linda, who's a good FOTM herself. Linda says, hey, Mike, you've probably thought of this one,

but I wanted to get Marcy's thoughts on how she felt running against Anna Mee Paul in the last election and how Ms. Paul was treated by her party. I ran after the by-election in that general, having put in some major work and groundwork. Spending time with community members, understanding the challenges, knowing what kind of changes we wanted to make and things we wanted to help with, spending a lot of time with kids. So when I ran, I was running to win and to keep that riding because there's work that I wanted to do. It was unfinished business for me. work that I wanted to do. It was unfinished business for me. Would it have been great to have anime in government? Absolutely. Brilliant, brilliant woman, brilliant and black and Jewish and a first and all of these things. But, you know, it wasn't to be. I wanted to win.

So it was a competition. I worked really, really hard, and I'm glad that we did. The follow-up from Linda is, have you spoken to Anna Mee since she stepped down as leader of the Greens? I have not spoken to her, sent a note, but I have not spoken to her. Okay, now you have a book, Offscript. I do. Tell me about the book. And then I have a big,

a big question now that you're a practice, an MP, and you're in Ottawa right now, maybe any moment now getting saved by the bell where you have to go do a big vote, but tell me about Offscript. and you're in Ottawa right now, maybe any moment now getting saved by the bell where you have to go do a big vote. But tell me about Offscript. It's a culmination of a lot of the stories that we've talked about during our time together, Mike. So it's all of the things you thought you knew and didn't. The backstories on some of the interviews that I did

during the Canada AM years and beyond. Stevie Wonder being one of them, Lionel Richie being another, different politicians, things that were happening behind the scenes when you were drinking your morning coffee, watching the show and thinking, oh, it's all great. The mayhem sometimes that was happening. A lot of my personal life as well. I document my separation, how that impacted my kids. My daughter, Blaze, gave me permission to talk about her mental health struggles. It's very, very, very personal, but it's a lot of the stories that we touched on today. It's written like a diary.

I need to know right now, Marcy, and how is your French? It's not bad. It's not bad, Mike. I am learning. Not bad, Mike. I am learning. I've got a French teacher, Eden, and I'm contemplating actually going away this summer for a bit and just immersing myself. I was trying to, I've been trying to do that, but COVID prevented that because I wasn't able to go in and, you know, stay with a family in Quebec and immerse myself completely. But now that things are opening up a bit, I am keen on doing that this summer when the house rises. Now, because, and this is in the intro, of course,

but you are the Minister for Women and Gender Equality of Canada. And the fun fact... And you. So, you know what? So, give me the full title here. I need the full one. So it's, I know it's a big,

so basically two ministries came together. So we are now a combo. So I'm the minister of women and gender equality and youth. Oh my goodness. I'm going to have to edit that intro, but there are now, I guess you know this, but there's more,

there's now more ex Canada AM hosts in federal cabinet than there are Albertans. It's true. They called us the Canada AM cabinet when I was sworn in. I was howling because, of course, Seamus O'Regan is the Minister of Labour. Right. That's wild. What's that like, though, when you and Seamus talk? That's got to be bananas. It's amazing but i will share something with you

uh being sworn into cabinet just moments before this past november uh seamus who knows me so well as i was you know looking around and probably looking you know taking everything in and he could read my mind and he said you belong here yes he just looked at me and he said marcy you belong here and i said thank you because he knows me he knows what i was thinking like what am i doing here i'm a kid from scarborough how did i get here and he just looked at me and said you belong you belong mars so you why did i ask you about your french you're probably you probably know what here's where i'm going with this and i know uh i'm wondering what you'll say here. Okay, so, you could be Prime Minister of Canada one day.

Oh, good Lord. Well, you, I mean, of course you could be, and anyone could be, but you're in cabinet, you're now, now that you're an MP, getting some experience in Ottawa. Why the hell not? Like, I know you're working on your French, because it's important you have control of the French language,

to be Prime Minister of this country, this bilingual nation, but why not Prime Minister Marcy Ian? Why not? Listen, I will never say never to anything, Mike, because I would have said never to this and look at me. In fact, I did, right? I

said to you and I meant it, if anyone would have said this is where you're going to be in a couple years, I would have said no, I'll probably be hosting something or producing a doc. I would never have said this. So I have learned, Mike, never to say never. Future Prime Minister of Canada, Marcy. Oh, my gosh. I'll start working that in.

But thanks so much for your time today. A little more about how the cake gets baked is that you're very busy. We might get a notification right now. That's why I tried to make sure I got it all in before that happened. But I think I was told by your... Who is this? The communications?

Yes, he's my communications director, Riyad. Okay. So I was told 45. I asked for an hour. We ended up at 45. I took an hour anyways and you didn't look like you got mad at me. And I want to say I appreciate that and I thank you so much for your time today. I appreciate you.

It was a pleasure to be with you. What a joy. Thank you so much and say hi to your mom again. And that brings us to the end of our 1022nd episode. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. The Honorable Marcy Ian is at Marcy Ian.

Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery are at Great Lakes Beer. Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. Sticker U is at Sticker U. Ridley Funeral Home is at Ridley FH. Canna Cabana are at Canna Cabana underscore. And Ryobi are on Instagram at Ryobi underscore Canada. See you all next week. Well, I want to take a streetcar downtown. See you all next week. from a tin Cause my UI check

has just come in Ah, where you been? Because everything is kind of rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold but the snow wants me to dance

And your smile is fine and it's just like mine and it won't go away Cause everything We'll be right back. It's been eight years of laughter and eight years of tears. And I don't know what the future can hold or do for me and you. But I'm a much better man for having known you. Oh, you know that's true because everything is coming up rosy and gray. Yeah, the wind is cold but the smell of snow won't speed a day And your smile is fine

and it's just like mine and it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and gray Well, I've been told that there's a sucker born every day But I wonder who, yeah, I wonder who Maybe the one who doesn't realize there's a thousand shades of grey

Cause I know that's true, yes I do I know it's true, yeah, I know that's true, yes I do I know it's true, yeah I know it's true How about you? I've been picking up trash and then putting down ropes And they're broken in stocks, the class struggle explodes And I'll play this guitar just the best that I can Maybe I'm not and maybe I am

But who gives a damn Because everything is coming up Rosy and gray Yeah, the wind is cold But the smell of snow warms me today And your smile is fine, it's just like mine, it won't go away Cause everything is rosy and gray Well, I've kissed you in France and I've kissed you in Spain

And I've kissed you in France and I've kissed you in Spain And I've kissed you in places I better not name And I've seen the sun go down on Chaclacour But I like it much better going down on you Yeah, you know that's true Because everything is coming up rosy and green. Yeah, the wind is cold, but the smell of snow warms us today. And your smile is fine, and it's just like mine, and it won't go away. Because everything is rosy now, everything is rosy and everything is rosy and gray. Thank you.