Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Thalia Assuras: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1818

Episode Date: December 15, 2025

In this 1818th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Thalia Assuras about her career in journalism working for CITY-TV, Global Television and CTV before leaving Canada to become a news anchor at CBS. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, RetroFestive.ca and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

I'm standing with my reindeer. For Canada! Oh, ho! Yes, it's me, Santa Claus. I travel everywhere, but I choose to live in the Canadian part of the North Pole. Canada's a most precious place. So, buy Canadian. Shop as if your country depends on it.

Keep your money in Canada, for Canada. Oh, ho, ho, ho, from Toronto. Welcome to episode, 1,000, 8,000, that's 1818, that's 1818, that's 1818 of Toronto miced. Proudly brought to you by Retrofestive.ca.C.A. Canada's pop culture and Christmas store. Save 10% with the promo code

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Visit palmapasta.com for more. Fusion Corps own Nick Aienes. He's the host of Building Toronto Skyline and Building Success. Two podcasts you ought to listen to. Recyclemyelectronics.catech.a.committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past. and Redley Funeral Home. Pillars of the community since 1921. Today, making her Toronto mic debut.

It's Thalia Assuris. Are you there? Yes, I am and have been. I'm sorry. I'm still technologically challenged, simply because, oh, well, wasn't never the fun part for me. but they've made it nice and easy

it's like click here and then everything will figure itself out well that's true because I just noticed I wasn't on camera I'm just like okay all right I'm trying to get myself in a you know decent position I'm jerry rigging everything here so well I can assure you this will be

as painless as possible excellent no pain involved and I'm happy to like I don't know are we meeting each other right now what are the rules when it Thomas did like a Zoom. I don't know. Just one moment, please.

Oh, yeah. You want to go on the other room? Or you want to stay there? We're starting. No, no, this is fine. Just so you don't. Okay. Okay, that's fine.

I like this ambiance. Like, let's... Oh, we're good. It's fine. He says he likes this ambiance. My husband is here. Okay. And we've been...

We're away from home. So I'm jerry-rigging everything and we're heading home soon. So where's home? Thank you. Hey, no problem. Listen. Home is in Alexandria, Virginia now. It was D.C., Washington, D.C. until two years ago, before that, New York.

I gather we're recording. Does this make any difference? We are recording, of course. This is like, what would it be like if I just zoomed with Thalia Assuris and then, you know, found out a little bit about her career? I find you interesting because when I was growing up, and I'm not going to date you here. Okay, well, may go right ahead. Okay, but I'm going to play. I'm going to play something, yeah.

Sure. Am I going to be able to see it? No, but. Okay, so it's audio, got it. Audio only, but this is a city pulse news flash. Here we go. afternoon, I'm Farnasuris, with some of the stories you'll see on City Pulse at 6. A four-year-old Etobico girl may lose her sight after an attack by three youngsters.

The child had a solvent-type liquid poured over her head by three boys in a garage. A police probe continues at Toronto Western Hospital. Mary Garofalo says a near-fatal dose of insulin and the Jocxin is being investigated. Residents of Etobico and Mississauga are in a flap over a new helicopter service. Jeff Ansel zeroes in on the commotion on CityPulse at six. U.S. President Ronald Reagan has formally asked Congress for money to build a new space shuttle. He wants $227 million to replace the Challenger, which blew up during takeoff eight months ago. A Cairo hostage taking has ended without incident.

An Arab holding a diplomat and three co-workers at gunpoint gave himself up peacefully. A sunny day in Metro comes to a close. David Onley will tell us if we can expect an encore for tomorrow. These stories and lots more coming up on CityPulse at 6. I want to know what are you thinking when you hear that CityPulse news flash. Well, first of all, it always scared me when it went on and just scared me now when the initial music started. So always had to try not to flinch. One of my first thoughts is I really never did breathe through that whole minute, did I?

I also remember all of the colleagues, all of my four. former colleagues, and I remember those stories, except one, except the initial one. There was always so much happening in the community that you never knew where you were going to be in any particular day. But things like Ronald Reagan and the space issue and all that kind of stuff, I do remember because they were, quote, the bigger stories. The bigger stories for us at City were about the community. National stories, though, stick in your mind because of, you know, I was thinking about

the space shuttle when I first went live on air for breaking news, that was when the space shuttle exploded. And that was an extraordinary experience. Now, I heard so many names coming at me in that one minute news flash or whatever. And I'm thinking to myself, many of them have passed on. Like a lot of these names are no longer with us. But I'm going to just shout out a few of the names I heard, but one name reminded me, oh, she also left this beautiful country for the United States of America. Mary, right? Mary. So, so, okay, so maybe we, we set the table here by saying that you are not American. Correct. Okay. So maybe, how do we get you to City Pulse? Like, would you mind going back in, like, your origin story, how you end up on City Pulse?

Well, I'll just go back just a tiny bit further, if you don't mind. Of course. I find my journey strange in my own head. I was a science major in university, microbiology and immunology, and I thought I was going to be a research scientist. And I actually walked into the science, and this was at Western, University of Western Ontario. It's called Western University now, but it's not in the West.

It's in London, Ontario, my hometown. I walked into the cafeteria at the science building looking for lunch. It was closed because there was a jobs fair. What are you going to do with the rest of your life kind of thing? And I ended up talking to the folks at the journalism table and that was it. The light ball went off. So all I could say is the two matched for me. In sciences, you start with a thesis, you know, work up your methodology and your experiment,

do the research and the work. and then come up with the result in the story. And that's what happens in news. You shouldn't start with a thesis and you don't start with a thesis, but you start with a question. Why did that happen? Where did, you know, five questions generally.

And the rest was history. So I ended up going to the CBC first, and I didn't realize I wanted to be on air. I did. I love journalism. I knew I wanted the editorial side. But I ended up talking, to a few people and thinking, you know, I really like these stories. I want to get out there

and be on the ground and do it myself. And I ended up talking to the folks at City TV. I had to do an audition tape. And I was, as you know, it was very ethnically representative of Toronto. And I have to say, I believe one, they needed a woman. Two, they didn't have a Greek. And three, I had a different kind of background with the science background. So it all kind of mashed. And we had. We all mesh. And there I was. And it was wonderful. Okay, many questions flooding into my brain right now, Thalia. And by way, am I saying your first name, Thalia? Thalia. It's really close, really close. Don't worry about it. Okay, I'm not going to, good. If you're not worried about it, I won't worry about it here. Yeah, no, most people don't get it. Also with a science background,

David Onley. Yes. And our weather guy. Yeah, like, can you talk a little bit about David onley who became left what is the term for ontario are you a lieutenant governor of ontario or is there a different term or you're not sure uh wait a minute i'm not sure left no i sometimes still let's say lieutenant you know some of those words got uh forced out of me lieutenant you know it's lieutenant here um i'll tell you a story about that later remember canadian i used canadian one whole night in a piece. Oh, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

He was the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. But tell me a little bit about the late great David Onley, who I was lucky enough to get on this show when I had Anne Romer down here talking about the 30th anniversary of Breakfast Television. Let me hear about these city TV personalities. Oh, we were really a family. It was wonderful. And, you know, in some ways, David intimidated me because he was so smart.

And he was so passionate about science and passionate about everything. And he led in a lot of ways. He led the newsroom just by his thinking and by his caring and by his generosity. And that's what I remember most of all about him. I'd like to say, I wish I knew him better. I think I was so engrossed often in what I was doing that my focus was, okay, you've got five hours to get the story, get out there and get it, and I was a home buddy, so I didn't, you know, mix that much, as it were.

But we all worked together, and we were family. And he was a leader of City TV and very, very, as I said, generous, passionate, a real storyteller, a real scientist. And because of that, kind of intimidating. When you used the word engrossed, I was thinking, oh, what a, what a, perfect you know segue to peter gross like do you remember working with peter gross i do i remember well he sat behind me you know our desks were in rows uh the reporters desks generally so when i say behind me it was he was not on the window side i could see out the window on you know i don't remember the guy no queen street we were i didn't look out into queen street whatever that other street

was on the other side on the north side in any i'm sorry on the west side um so he sat behind me, and he was always flitting back and forth. And he was very, very busy, very busy and very, and again, engrossed. He, if I thought I was focused, Peter was really focused, and he just was a sports nut and a lot of fun. So I didn't really have that much. I mean, I eventually, wait, that's not true. I love sports, and I played sports in school, and I grew up with two brothers and male cousins, and we built the skating rink and I got to be goalie because I was the only girl

and I had to not be afraid of the puck. I love sports but not to report them because I wasn't, my mind didn't work that way. Eventually when I did the ABC overnight show, I had to do highlights and figure out a lot of sports and work on that and I loved it. And doing highlights was one of my,

you know, announcing highlights was one of my favorite things to do on the overnight show at ABC. Now, you mentioned hockey, but is it not true that your cousin Yes. Okay, how are you related to Nick Kiprios?

Okay, Nick Kiprios, or Kipreos, as I've always said it, his dad is my godfather. Okay. And our families were, we might as well have been cousins. We're very, very close. And in fact, actually, just, goodness, early October, my husband and I were in Canada for a wedding, and I was lucky enough to go to Toronto.

I didn't get to see Nick. He was, I think he was in the U.S. traveling, was doing something. But I did get to see my godfather and my godmother. And Nick's, one of Nick's sisters is my best friend, basically. And that's how we all come together. and when I was living in New York, Nick was living in New York and playing for the Rangers.

And dating a newswoman, as I recall. Joan London? Who? Joan London? Come on. It's in the book. No, that's got to be a rumor. It's in the book.

It's in the book. Are you serious? I didn't read the whole book. Well, listen. Wait, are you sure it was Joan London. Joan London is 30 years older than he is. It's in the book, Thali. I'm telling you. I'm telling you, this

is a mind blow for you. And he kept this a secret from me? I don't think he kept it a secret. I think you must have selectively dismissed the mind blow. You know, and my brother's read the book. I'm not very good at finishing books. And they didn't, okay,

we're going to have to talk. She's a lovely woman. Although I met her only, you know, twice. I worked on the overnight at ABC. she was there in the mornings and actually she wasn't there during night what a small world though it all connects here this is what we're doing on

Toronto Mike you know I'm connecting all of these dots but I just before we get too far removed from the legend that is Peter Gross who I actually chatted with this morning did you? Yeah okay did he remember me I didn't mention no I so

okay here's kind of a fun exclusive I wasn't going to share this but I was invited to be the Grand Marshal for the Etobico Santa Claus Parade. This is, I know. So I got this invitation, and my first instinct was, we can do better. This is, okay?

So I get the same thing, I go, oh, I'll help you do better. And I have pitched to the committee that Peter Gross be the grand marshal for the Atobico Santa Claus Parade. Wait a minute, we could do better. You're going to give it up? I would give it. For Peter Gross, I would give it up. I feel like this is a, you know, a living legend.

And on that note here, before I forget, you mentioned he was always busy. Can I let you in a couple of secrets? Yeah. Okay, okay, two things. One, it's the home of real talk. So this is what we're doing here. One is he was really busy because he was betting on the ponies at Greenwood. And he was trying to balance his life with the fact he had to, you know, bet on the ponies.

Oh, goodness. So that's why you were so busy, firstly. And secondly, you were. at City Pauls from 85 to 88. So you may have been too late. It might have been ahead of you, the cocaine era of Peter Gross's life at 99 Queen Street East. So, you know, you're telling me a lot of things I didn't know obviously. That one's not in the book. That one's on Toronto Mike

public record because I don't know if you cross paths with John Gallagher. No, I don't think so. You might have come later, maybe. But I produced a show for Peter Gross and John Gallagher called Gallagher and Gross saved the world, and they spilled all the tea. So there you go. Wow. Wow. So now I did know there were discussions, rumors of some extracurricular activities of that substance sort.

But I never saw it myself and, you know, I'm pretty much a nerd. never partook, and it was hidden. So I don't, I, if, if that was during my time, hmm, gosh, I'm assuming he's over it. He's over it, yeah. He doesn't touch it now. Of course, he hasn't touched it since the 80s, actually. But, it was that just, you know, I'm glad you didn't partake. It's bad for your heart.

I'm glad you didn't partake. And you're a serious newswoman. Why would you mess around with that? But absolutely, it was, now, what year does. much, what year does the Moses city much in, what year does the empire move from 99 Queen Street east to 299 Queen Street West? Do you know? No, yes, I do, because it was in the midst of when I was there. We had to move, so it was probably in the middle, right in between. When did the space shuttle explode? 80, 87? It was the year after then. Okay, 88 probably. Okay.

Okay. Just as luck would have it, we're recording this on November 13, but it won't drop today, because it's going to drop next week. But tomorrow, in real time, tomorrow, I'm chatting with the architect who was responsible for implementing Moses Nymer's vision for 299 Queen Street West. So that's, so that's how, so people will have heard that probably before this moment. But I can tell you, every time I see a documentary or read a piece about, let's say, 299 Queen Street West, when I always think, oh, like, this is the made for, this is the safe PG version. They're ignoring the role of drugs in that building. And I think it was, I think it was significant. I'm glad you did not partake. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Although maybe I miss something real fun. I, you know, kids don't take drugs. Don't, well, don't do those drugs. Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris, have you noticed? She's telling kids not to take drugs and is showing off her, her septum, which has a hole in it? I haven't been following this. Okay.

Don't ask me why I know that. Why? But. Well, no, I need to know these things here. So another name I heard referenced in that CityPulse newsflash. And don't wait. We won't spend an hour on this, but I want to find out why you left us and talk about some great things you did in the United States of America.

But Jeff Ansel had passed away recently. Yes. And I would love to hear what you could say about Jeff. because I just want to say that Lauren Honickman came over and paid tribute to Jeff, but what are your memories of Jeff Ansel? Well, in fact, Jeff and I talked a few times, goodness, after I left, and when he left the business and was doing media training himself, which I did later in life too, Jeff was always really intense and always committed to try and find the answer.

to a number of things. Also loved his voice because you have that, you know, kind of marbly deep voice. He was also a real family guy. And so it was, he didn't hang around the newsroom after hours either. So I can't say I knew him really, really well, but I remember, I mean, he sat, let's see, right, pretty much right beside me. So sometimes, sometimes he was annoying because he'd be loud on the phone. You know, in those, in quote, those days, it was an open newsroom and most of the newsrooms I've I've worked in that were open newsrooms but it was kind of louder in there because if you remember the the newsroom was also the studio so it wasn't acoustically the best for when you were on the phone and doing research and calling up people so

he was one of the most vocal let's say um in terms of of listening to him on the phone try not to listen because you know I'm my own work to do but he was he I know I read some of his book he wrote He was very good at what he did and cared deeply about what he was doing, what he was doing, and a lot of the issues. Who were your work buds? I know you were only there a few years, and we're going to get you to global and then get you out of the country here. But who were your buds at CityPulse? Well, you know, Mary, to a certain degree, Anne Romer sometimes. I was, I have to say, I was a home buddy.

a lot. And I didn't partake of big parties or going out. Steve Hurlbutt, who's the executive producer I considered him one of my buds. And it was, and one of those to whom

I felt quite close was Jojo Chinto. Not that we never went out for dinner together. He never went. Partook of any sort of social events in the newsroom. around the newsroom or outside of the newsroom. So that was, you know, I think I would have to say that was pretty much it.

I've been trying very hard to get JoJo Chinto on this program, and I've had people like Lauren Honnickman and Peter Gross intervene because they collect once a year to celebrate the birthday of Bill Antanisoff. And Bill Antanisov was the, this is after your time, but he was the reporter who was run over and became a, paraplegic and became blind and anyway, I'm still working on Jojo, but he's a living legend I'd love to have

on this show. Yes, he is. He used to call me his sister. We were you know, really felt a kinship there. And any relationship? And why is he saying no? I know. He's definitely given a hard no. Like, I don't know why he's saying no. Because all of his colleagues

have been over and nobody regrets it. So I don't know. Well, you know, as I said, he was always a very private person and wasn't part of the social life that's surrounded city. And I guess he's maintained that as his whole life. Yeah, maybe. It's my guess.

Did you have to personally audition for Moses Nymer before you got the gig? I didn't have to personally audition, but I had to personally be in his office and take a lot of questions. He interviewed me, of course, for the reporter position. So I guess you could call it audition and audition. It was an interview. and it was pretty intense. Could you elaborate?

Because I led to believe at this time, nobody got the gig until Moses met the person and blessed the hire. Pretty much. Pretty much. I'd say so. What can I tell you? Well, it was a crazy day I remember.

And as you could see, I wore glasses. And that day, I guess I was so nervous, I forgot my glasses, but I had my sunglasses. So I had to go into his office, which was in a lower level, and very dark with my sunglasses on pretend I wasn't wearing my sunglasses. It was a little hard. Then I had to kind of take them off because I thought it was probably rude.

And that was that. And he proceeded to ask me all sorts of questions, including what I was at the CBC before that as a researcher and associate producer, if I could even go as far as saying that. I wouldn't say that I actually produced more than a couple of pieces before I left. But he asked me, do you think that you could be different than the CBC in that kind of non-edgy, serious style they have? And I said, well, story's a story. It depends on how one does things. And I've seen that you have your characters or excuse me, your reporters as, quote, characters.

I think I could be myself and fill that role. I think journalism is serious and stories are serious. but it depends on what it is. Then we went on from there. And he blessed the hire. I guess so, because I got hired pretty quickly. So I have to say, I must have done something right. Well, I'll tell you what you did right.

I'll let you know now. So the sunglasses was he perceived as a nod to the Corey Hart hit sunglasses at night, which, of course, if you remember the video, yes. It featured a colleague of yours named Lori. Brown. Lori Brown. She was on much.

Yeah. Oh, sure. I'm not sure I ever met her. And why? Lori Brown is, if you go to YouTube after this chat and you go look at the original video for sunglasses at night by Corey Hart. Yeah. Heavily features Lori Brown.

Okay, I'm going to have to look at it and watch it again. Well, I love that song. Yeah. But I was wearing sunglasses in the daytime, but his office. might have well been at night. I remember it was very much like a cave and it could have been the sunglasses but those walls were dark.

Dark gray or some such thing. I probably got the color wrong, you know, because of UV and all the shading that I had. But it was dark in there. So it was pretty much sunglasses. But why was it so dark? I mean, I'm just curious. You know this word intimidating

keeps coming up? I think he wanted he might have. He might have, again, I'm speculating, but he might have wanted to be intimidating. And, you know, his questions weren't mild, and he wasn't gentle with his questioning, I remember. So, I mean, at one point, he said, he said something like, well, I guess you're handsome enough. And I thought, well, that's an odd thing to say, but I didn't think of myself one way or the other. But handsome is not exactly a nice word for a woman, probably. No, I feel like that's the wrong term to use for a woman. Hansom, I don't know.

I don't think that's what a woman wants to hear. You're a handsome woman. And he added enough at the end of it. So he really was intimidating or trying to get a rise out of me for some reason, but I held my Mediterranean temper. Okay. Well, you got the gig. I got the gig.

And a quick tieback is that there was a made-for-TV movie, well, made by City TV for a city-TV airing called Butterball. in the eighth? It was a horse. Like I mentioned Peter Gross loved the ponies, but Peter Gross wrote a TV movie, I think it was called Butterball in the 8th. Butterbump in the 8th? My goodness, Mike. Can't you remember? Okay, but the theme

song was sung by Lori Brown. Like she sang the butter bump in the 8th, I think. You know, probably if I, when I go back to that video, I will see her in my head right away. And I think I have an idea of who you're talking about. But, you know, when you get to my

age you forget names not only from years past but five minutes ago so okay you never ask anyone their age okay and i'm not you can tell me your age or not tell yours i will tell you you don't look like somebody who should be forgetting anything oh well you're very kind and let's put it this way i'm closer to 70 than to 60 there's a mind blow right there mind blow for you right there okay we're going to get out of city pulse but i just to like you know deflate you your tires here. When you do go to YouTube and watch the video for sunglasses at night, immediately

afterwards, watch the video for the Eurythmix. Sweet dreams are made of these. Okay. And you'll realize you'll realize something that it took me far too many years to realize, oh yeah, like, the reason we like sunglasses

at night is because it's essentially the same kind of opening and synth deal as Eurythics, which came first. Wow. You really know how to study this stuff. Well, you know. I'm going to, I'm going to look at it very carefully. But, you know, I like both of those songs a lot.

Yeah. You know, they were part of my life. Yeah. Well, you need a CanConversion of that Eurythmic smash. So there you go. Okay. Okay. Why do you leave City Pulse?

I left, and it was a very hard decision because I almost said no. I left because of the types of stories I wanted to do. And again, I guess I'm more serious-minded than most people think, but at the same time, than a lot of people think, but at the same time, I supposedly have a sarcastic edge and a fairly decent sense of humor. But I wanted to do more broader stories. I wanted to do more outside of just Toronto. And I thought, and I felt that I needed to learn more. and that's pretty much it. And they courted me, so that was kind of nice.

Was it Global that courted you? Yes. Okay, but so you get an opportunity to do some evening anchoring at Global TV, right? This is late 80s, I suppose. Actually, I did. I did mainly morning at first, right? I was the news, I hate this term, news reader, as opposed to one of the, the co-host and I got to fill in sometimes

from Valerie Pringle but then I started doing some later on I started doing some evening news on the weekends okay and again I promised you I'm moving on from City TV but did you have any interaction with Anne

Roskowski or Gordon-Martine? Sure sure they were great when I said David Onley was a leader of you they were too I mean they were the dynamic duo and were very energetic, very much

again devoted to their jobs. They knew what they were doing. They were having fun. And it was just a joy to work with them. Okay, what if I told you that Anne Morskowski sat in this chair right here and told me for three years, this is Anne telling me, it was recorded on the record. She said for three years, Gord only talked to her when the red light was on. Would this shock you?

No. Okay, okay, okay. We'll just leave it there. I'm not sure he talked to me either, except for when the red light was on. Okay, we can leave it there. I just wanted to see if somebody could corroborate the possibility that this is accurate. He was so good. I have at what he does.

Yeah, I mean, a personal level, no real connection. But he could do anything. He could remember everything and speak so spontaneously that it was, it never stopped amazingly. And it was probably one of the first times that it ever happened. Sorry, there's a doorbell going off, so we're going to try to ignore that. I like the ambiance. Remember, I like it. This is just, we're just chatting here.

You're on vacation? As long as, yeah, just time away. I'm retired. I'm on, you know, I was going to say, on vacation every day, but that's not true. I think I'm busier now than I've ever been. You've got to keep busy. I was going to shout out Aerosmith.

They had a permanent vacation, right? Okay. All right. Go ahead. No, no, it's okay. I'm listening to the door. I think we're... Well, if you need to get it, that's okay, right?

We're not, you know... Okay, cool. No, it's okay. It's being taken care of. The butler is here. Oh, yes. Life is good. Life is good.

Okay. I hope nobody believes that there is no butler. You know what? Who did I have down here? A gentleman named Mike Stafford and twice, this was yesterday, and twice he was telling a story where he was going to get to like a joke, but I fell for it twice. Like I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.

Sure. So I get that. I'm going to tell everybody you have a butler. Okay. His name's Mike. Oh. Yeah. I finally got a gig.

Okay. Please tell me about getting the offer to go to Canada AM. Yeah, that was, you know, that I had to audition for, and I remember sending in my tape. I don't remember much more than that. Everything happens so quickly. You know one of those times when you just, everything happens so quickly that it's,

oh, what are the steps? This was, again, a situation which I wanted to do more and to learn more and potentially to travel. And that's what it ended up being, the reason for going there. And again, it was a bit of courting, and that was terrific. And then it was just all out working pretty much 24 hours a day because that's what you're doing more. television. And let's not bury the lead here, which is what a monster national show Canada AM was in the early 90s there. Oh, it really was. I mean, we did everything. And to have Keith Morrison and Valerie Pringle as your co-hosts was really a treat. I know I keep saying

all these things about people being great to work with, but it was true. And I admired their work and what they could do. They were always so full of information, very smooth, very clear in what they were doing, and had a really good banter between them. And, you know, Keith Morrison is a voice that continues to speak at NBC. So it was a really high. high pressure, but at the same time, extraordinarily satisfying type of job to have because you had to be ready for everything. And part of being on the morning show was especially in our little news team, right, you had to do everything yourself. And that was something that was really important to do. Because when you do things yourself, you learn by making mistakes,

and you learn from others all the time because you're in the same boat and it was a point of pride daily to get through our five-minute newscasts. Now, for many a Canadian broadcaster, news broadcasters specifically, like that's top of the mountain stuff.

Like, it's Canada AM. Like, this is peak. Like, you did that in a relatively short period of time, really. Yeah, I guess I haven't thought about it. way, but I suppose so. And thank you. Yes, it was, it was extraordinary. I never, I can't even tell you, I never imagined myself being there. And I think the one thing that maybe kind of drove me is I always believe that if you do the work, put in the effort, you use your head, you try to be good and generous and kind, then maybe that's what helps, as you say,

helps you get to the peak. And I was blessed in many ways with great teams of people. Because remember, and you have to remember, and I think part of it was a large part of it was my attitude. You know, without every single person in the team, and from our producers to the writers, to the camera people, to the floor director, you couldn't do anything. So I personally didn't think, quote, I was better than anyone else as a team. Now, I don't want to put, I want to hear from you, but is it possible that you realize this pond that I was born into is too damn small for me? Yeah, kind of. Again, I think it was one of those, you know, I want to get to bigger stories.

I want to learn something. I've not lived in the United States. And I was asked to audition for ABC overnight. I don't know what they saw, but people obviously in the overnight world at ABC. watched morning television, Canadian television, and we kind of clicked. But part of it was, yeah, I think I should learn some more. I think I should go elsewhere and not be just comfortable. I was comfortable. I was lucky. I was going to do more evening news. I was going to work with Craig Oliver in the mornings on the weekends and partake in the question period show. I probably shouldn't say that.

But those were things that I just did, I know. Those were things that I didn't expect, but I had to weigh, and it felt really good being wanted. And someone saying, please stay. And that was a great feeling. And again, I could have been comfortable. Not that journalism is comfortable. That's not exactly what I mean.

But comfortable meaning kind of secure that I knew I had a job for several years. and it looked like there was quite a strong future for me, why in the world would I want to move and move out of my own country? Well, you're moving to the media center of the universe, right? And then, of course, I'm going to speculate and you're going to confirm or deny, but I can only imagine the compensation would be dramatically larger in the United States. Yeah, well, not dramatically. get, it was just the overnight show. And it was, quote, not just the overnight show. I mean,

ABC had a lot of money to put into broadcasts, including in the middle of the night. So, yes, it was larger, probably significantly larger. No, I'd never hit the millions, you know, ever. So that wasn't part of it. And actually, I have to, I have to say that I really, there were a few articles written about me and why did the thought it was going to the United States, et cetera, is probably the money. No, really. It was nice. I ended up probably making more money than I would have imagined. I thought they were paying too much. But considering my rent, yeah, it was fine. Right. So are you moving to New York? Like, where do you move to? Yeah, I moved to New York City. I moved to Manhattan. And I lived right across the street from

the Museum of Natural History and in fact Nick Capraos ended up moving to my building kind of suggested he might want to live there not that I saw him too much

but a few times I see the whole hockey team but there you go so yeah right in Manhattan right because you I think you'll you'll tell me if I'm wrong but I believe it's like May 93 when you move and Nick

was just June. June, okay. See, you're correcting the record here. I love it. But Nick wins the Stanley Cup in June 94? Yeah. Yeah.

I believe it was 94, yes. Yeah, I feel like 95 was like a short-in-strike season, and maybe the devil's won. I think it was 94 for the Rangers. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And Nick was on my show one night. I got he and Mike Noonan on to the show.

I had to have them on. And do you have to disclose your, relationship? I don't have to. I just did. I mean... Well, I wonder, like, news people... Nothing to hide.

Well, I know, but news people, I know it was a, you know, even lighter fair that I always feel like news people need to, like, disclose that, okay, you know. Yes. Yes, you should. And, I mean, there are high standards, and it should always be done. And, you know, these days, it too often isn't. But there's a lot to talk about as to how journalism has lost. its way in many ways. But yes, so, sure.

So you're at... So much fun. Yeah. Well, like, can you tell me what would be rent in 93 for where you're at in Manhattan? Do you remember? Yeah, it was just about 4,000, almost 4,000 a month. I don't have my inflation calculator here, but I can, I know that sounds like a lot of money in 2025. Sure, except with, you know, cousins and... And other family members and people, I can't believe how much rents are now in Toronto and Ottawa, for example.

It's, ooh, for somebody to be paying $2,500 to $3,000 today for a studio apartment, to me seems nuts. Oh, you and I both, because I mean, in that same year, you're in Toronto. In Toronto, yeah, of course, in Toronto. So, 93, when you're paying the 4,000 American to be in Manhattan, about that time I'm living at Charles Street and Young, and it was a studio apartment. But, no, they call it a bachelor. So I didn't have a bedroom, but pull out couch. But it was $429 a month I was paying. Sure.

I remember those days. I think my first apartment in Toronto was like $750. No, I remember. Isabella Street off of Young. Oh, now I'm thinking of Neil Young's ambulance blues. You can listen to that, the third song, where he shouts out where he lived on Isabella and his building. They tore it down, they tore it down. Your life is mostly about music.

No, I don't know why. These are random things. I don't know what's going on here, but Neil Young's 80th birthday was yesterday. Was it? Oh, I love Neil Young. Say hi to me if you see him. Yeah, never seen him. You Canadians who made it big in the U.S., you all hang out, right?

Yep. Um, kind of. Or at least we all know each other. You all know each other. So, let's, again, a lot of my U.S. news stuff is a bit wonky here, but you're recruited. Like, the fact that ABC wants you, I agree. I mean, you just said it, but it wouldn't be all about the money. A lot of it is like ABC. Sure.

I mean, Peter Jennings, Canadian. Of course. Think about it. This was, this was okay. Wow. Maybe I'll get on his show one day. Wouldn't that be cool? Maybe I'll get to beat him kind of thing.

And he was really terrific. I can't tell you. And what a gentleman he was. Yes, this was. Now, the one caveat to all this is, one, I moved away from Canada. That was kind of rough. Two, it was New York City.

And the culture is very different there, different than Toronto, different than Canada. You know, the first time you go into a. bodega to order something and somebody yells at you kind of is a little bit disturbing you know and three I worked on the overnight show so I you know when I said earlier that I how much I spent time I spent working and were absorbed in the work I was doing at ABC on the overnight I worked overnight so of course I didn't see anybody and during the day I had to sleep which was really hard to do, but I did it. So there wasn't much, there was a, it was like being in the

twilight zone for about three years. And you dropped the name of the late grade Peter Jennings, of course, Canadian, as you pointed out, but also Canadian, Kevin Newman. Yes, and we worked on the overnight show together. Yeah, like that's kind of wild, right? The couple of Canucks. Kind of, three Canucks right there in one place. Right, right. They had a, Canadian fetish going on over there at ABC. Something like that. You know, I didn't realize the other day. I noticed, I discovered that, well, too, Scotty on Star Trek was Canadian.

Yes. And Seth Rogan. Yeah, Seth Rogan. I just had a guy over here. He owns a brewery in East Hamilton. This was just, this is for the Great Lakes Brewery podcast. And he was just here literally like until about an hour ago. And Mike, what's his name?

Brad is his name. And, oh, I have his beer. Brad Clifford is his. name and honestly his voice in the headphones and he was sitting right here for a good hour chat with troy birch but he sounded exactly like set rogan really yeah like this so i just if people want to hear the latest episode of between two fermenters it sounds like set rogans on the show and he actually looked a lot like set rogan too really yeah even that's surprising too well then you've got ryan reynolds and you've got um oh my goodness uh how can i

Ryan Gosling, who's from my hometown of London, Ontario, who, by the way, excuse me, I interviewed when I was at Canada AM with big hair, not him, me. He was 14, 15, and he was one of the Mickey Mouse kids. And the reason I knew that, and I don't, and I admitted this, I didn't remember interviewing him, but NBC, the Today Show, was having an anniversary show of something. some kind. And Ryan came up for some reason. They said, well, would you, would you mind coming on the air and talking to us about him? And I did. Although I had to admit most of it, I thought, really, I asked those questions. And then we kept going back to the hair. So I got away with it. But he's from my hometown, too. So think about it. I think there's been a Canadian infusion,

which is, you know, on the entertainment, Hollywood journalism sides is being. kind of held up by Canadians. Oh, wow. Don't tell anybody. But also in New York City, you got Michael J. Fox, Roman around. Yeah. I never did meet him.

I really admire him, too. He's done some great, great things. It's not too late. I'll make some calls and see if I can broker a summit over there. And then again, I'm not going to buggy of too much politics here. But what is it like to be a Canadian in the USA with the president? threatening to annex us as the 51st state? Well, let's just say I have my Canada's not for sale hat.

I've got my elbows up t-shirt. I wear my red sweatshirt a lot with the big maple leaf on front, on the front, and I focus on it a little bit too much, and I'm very proud of Canadians for saying, hey, wait a minute, this is, it is probably one of the most absurd things I've ever heard, and I find it extremely offensive and demoralizing that a great friend of Canada regards us in that way, meaning the United States and the American people,

excuse me, it's not the American people. We're feeling that way. There's in my neighbor about a block and a half away. I do a lot of walking. And there's one house that has a Canadian flag out. So finally, one day I just thought, okay, I'm going to talk to these folks. and it was I met my neighbor

she happened to be outside not Canadian and said I can't believe what you know this administration or this president is saying about your country and so we had a nice chat and I think it comes really from one person

and it's really sad and I can't take it I try not to take it seriously but when there's so when you see what comes out in terms of tariffs and the so-called negotiations and so on, it is really upsetting to me

because it's not what I grew up with and it's unreasonable. I'm glad to hear you say this. Well, I'm trying to be diplomatic. You know, as I said, I have my T-shirts, my hat. you know i was a little concerned you know about i just drop something oh well um about you know coming back home in october and getting back into this country not that i have anything to be afraid of but this administration isn't a fan of journalists either

so there you have it also like at the border i don't know anyone firsthand who experienced this but there's like secondhand information ticket for what it's worth i suppose but that some border guards have asked like what are your thoughts on President Trump so I always wonder like I mean you've got to like bite your

bite your lip and tell them what they want to hear right I suppose yeah I mean I was worried but I didn't get asked any questions not a one I didn't you know took my picture and said okay

that was it and it was very strange but I do have friends of relatives who have tried, who have thought about coming into the U.S., including, and journalists, too. In fact, I was talking to Kevin Newman recently, texting back and forth, but he wasn't saying anything specific, but there is word out amongst some journalists that they should carry burner phones, for example, instead of their own phones when they're going across the border. I have a friend who, relative, who had a conference in the United States,

a few months ago, it was, it doesn't matter where it was, I think it was in California, didn't go, because they were warned that, you know, there could be issues, and which is, it's a scientific conference, I mean, really, but I personally, gratefully, have not been affected, but there are, you know, there are people who really worry about it, you know, I'm lucky enough to have a cleaning lady. She's always caring. She's a citizen of the United States. She's always carrying her ID with her, her passport.

Some of her friends won't even leave their homes. You know, it's particularly disconcerting. No, absolutely, absolutely. Okay, so back to the 90s, okay? We're the good old days. Okay, so when we were... You know that was 30 years ago, plus. But we're going to...

Because we just said, hey, you're at ABC, but, wow, you know, You leave for CBS, so I'm wondering why did you leave ABC in 97 to move to CBS? Basically, because they asked, and I wanted off the overnight, and it was another exciting change, and it was an opportunity to actually do more reporting and to have a more, a larger anchoring role. although I have to tell you, as much as the anchoring rule was, you know, most people considered the pinnacle, I always had to, I always wanted to get out in the field more than as much as I could. And so that's what was really exciting to me, you know, reporting from the White House or Congress, or I went to Iraq, I went to Afghanistan, and I spent time in

the London Bureau. I traveled with President Bush. Those were the years I was George W. you in in yeah those were the presidential years I was still a journalist anyway um that's why okay I'm gonna play another clip to do there was a lot to do well you did a lot like it's very impressive and you're there I guess you're there about 12 years is that right yeah I think so so I'm gonna play another clip it's only 30 seconds but yeah buckle up here we go this is the CBS evening news Thalia Assurus. Good evening, everyone.

I'm Thalia Assurus, CBS News in New York. Good night, everyone. It's a little, obviously, edited there. It's short newscast. Hey, now did you notice? Did you notice? I sounded a little, a little more timber in the voice, a little older. There we go.

Then my city TV, kind of higher octave, childlike voice. Well, even listening to you now, it sounds like, and I don't, again, I've never, worked in mainstream media. Nobody would ever want me to anchor. Maybe I'll be a good Grand Marshal, but I don't know about anchoring any news programs. But your voice sounds more anchory. Oh, gosh.

No, my husband always made fun of me. Your voice always changed when you were on TV. And I always thought, no, it doesn't. I don't know if I sound anchory. You know what part of it could be. I'm just relaxed. Oh, well, I thought maybe it's because, even though this is just some silly Zoom

with this guy in South Atobico who's been pestering you for a long time like let's have a chat and then you finally although we had it scheduled and then you I forgot to remind you and it never happened but here you are now I thank you so much for being here remember yes but here we are if I may interrupt do you ever leave there

leave where at the basement yeah do you know that I go on a 90 minute or 90 to 120 minute bike ride on Toronto streets every single day, 12 months a year. Wow, good for you. So that's it. So I do leave here for that much time anyways, but also always the kids, I have four kids. There's always something going on.

But I'm here waiting for greats like you to agree to chat with me. So I do spend a lot of time down here. That's true. That's true. Very kind. Now, talk about Anchory calling me a great. Yeah, but thank you. Well, it's just, you're just making this head bull.

balloon, just keep going. Right. This is what you're here for. Now I'm pumping the tires after deflating them on the Corey Hart. Yeah. Mind blow there. So, you do a lot of CBS and you're there till 2009, but I played that clip there. So, and again, that's like, that's, and I had a fun fact here. I think, are you the first Canadian woman to anchor the CBS News? Is that, like, what is the fun fact here? Something like that? I suppose, you know, I never thought about it. Like, it's possible you're the only... That's a good question. I have no idea.

Like, it might be true that you're the only Canadian woman to anchor the CBS news. It would be, you know, J.D. Roberts, John Roberts, he was probably the first Canadian man to anchor the CBS evening news. And you weren't, you worked with, you know, he was gone before you got there, right? Gone from CBS? No, no, no, no, I meant, sorry, not CBS. City Pulse. Like, so, because, yeah, we crossed maybe for a couple of months. Okay, yeah, because he was on much music, and then he was doing some news for, okay, so you overlapped for a little bit.

But that's a good point, bringing up J.D. Roberts. I loved watching the new music with Jeannie Becker and J.D. Roberts. Yeah, yeah. Same. Any relationship with him? I don't think he's got his elbows up. but I shouldn't say that you know because I don't I shouldn't say that

that Mike you might be wrong well but he's still working in the business don't forget and that would be making a political comment right don't you think no you're right and so I'm retired and I can you know wear whatever I want

and you know I I know he's in his heart he is very much still Canadian but you know I think he's an American and he's got a whole you know, a whole family here. He's, he's not going to, you know, you're not going to do that when you're a journalist.

You know, the minute the words escape my mouth, I realize that's not fair to J.D. Roberts. He's, you know, he's, yeah, he's working for Fox now and he's covering the, he's in Washington, covering the president of the United States. He can't have his elbows up. No, you can't. I mean, you can be, you know, Mike Myers, who else? You know, he was on Saturday Night Live. He had his elbows up shirt and who else.

and our sports jerseys. You know, listen, in my household, when the Olympics come along, you know, thank goodness we have televisions in different rooms because then I can wear my Canadian jerseys and my husband and anybody else can wear their American jerseys and we meet after the game is over. Michael Boubley also has his elbows up.

Does he? Yeah, he's got his elbows up. How do you think he's doing on the, which one is, is he on the voice? You're asking the wrong guy. I couldn't tell you he's on the voice. I got to say that's the world, I never see, the only time I turn on like what I would call like regular television now is when I watch live sports. Huh.

I know. Okay. I know. Okay. Well, I mean, I do when I'm flipping around. I don't stand watching unless some, you know, singer contestant catches. my ear. Boy, there are some good ones, but I don't think I've watched it in forever.

I think I saw a commercial or something. But Boo Blay is, like, he's a great host. I saw him host the Juno Awards, like, fairly recently, and he's a great host. Well, see, you can be a grand marshal then. I think Peter Gross would be a better grand marshal, but, okay. Well, why don't you do it together? Well, you know what? It's funny you say that when I was chatting with Peter this morning to see if, like, if I pitch

him, would he do it? Obviously, you know, I'm going to pitch him, he's going to get the gig and he's not going to show up or whatever. And then I did say, and he complained about being out in the cold. And I said, listen, I'll sit beside you and we'll drink hot chocolate from Ridley Funeral Home, which is a sponsor of this particular parade. And he kind of warmed, I think he's going to do it as a favor to me. But, yeah, we might sit beside each other.

So it'll be like Peter Gross and his producer or something like that. Right. that would work and maybe I'll just have my arm around him the whole time and then I'll be telling them about this chat I had with you yeah well let me just throw one thing out to you I'm sorry you're going to have to be in the cold the other day I think it was Monday I was out playing

we were out playing golf and it snowed in Toronto it's all I have to say well we can't compete in the yeah we can't compete on that level but I will say I personally don't mind the snow at all like I'll still I love the snow yeah so I get it like if you you are a golfing person, you know, you can't golf in the snow, but that is an advantage, but, you know, it takes more than warm climbs to get me to enter enemy territory.

Right. Okay. All right, you've been fantastic. So obviously your career doesn't end. So you leave CBS. I guess you had a contract that expired in July 2009 or something. And you don't retire, but that's your exit from a great career at CBS, right? Right. I could have, I decided I also didn't. want to pursue other, quote, opportunities, which mostly would have been reporting opportunities. I think you also get to a certain age when, and I, quote, did this to other women, you replace women at certain points. And it's a disconcerting thing, but the fire had gone out of

the belly, too, pretty much. And so I spent about a year or two trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. And what did you decide you wanted to do with the rest of the? Well, I ended up, I ended up becoming a media trainer. I had some, you know, over the years, you meet a lot of people. I have some folks who said, well, why don't you come and work with me, be a, you know, consultant. I wasn't, you know, being offered jobs as, you know, and PR and thing. And I didn't really think I wanted PR.

Media relations is different for media training and pitching and all of that. were not really my favorite things, but media training I loved and media consulting. And that's what I ended up doing. And I ended up also working with my husband, who's a writer, and he was in politics for many years as well, and in the United States. And I ended up, you know, I'm still his editor on a book, on his column, called The Civic State of Mind in his book, is fixing Congress, restoring powers. to the people, all very timely, and that's what I did for about, I guess, about 10 years.

I did some video production in terms of, you know, with the consulting and with some startups and so on. I worked with a charity. It was all, you know, a lot of fun. I also decided I didn't really want to work that much. Well, you know. You've earned a break. Yeah, yeah.

I mean, and running your own, and I was running my own business, and I discovered, I really don't like running my own business. But at the same time, I like being my own boss. So I was kind of stuck in the middle. I had to do both because I wanted to do both. A couple of toughies here on our way out. One is when your contract expires with CBS, is there even a moment where you consider coming home?

No, no. And the only reason for that is because I had, you know, gotten married about three years before that and, you know, I have a whole new family. And there wasn't coming home would have been if I had wanted to pursue my career, I think, or in some way seriously want to get into, I mean, I did with my own consultancy, but really wanted to seriously hit something hard as a career. No, I ended up essentially becoming a part-time employee as a consultant with, it's kind of hard to describe it. It sounds like it's part-time. It's not really. But it wasn't, I wanted to be devoted to anything for 12, 14 hours a day, which generally had been my life for so many years. When you said your husband writes, so he's a novelist?

I mean, you mentioned the one book on columnist. Oh, no, he writes columns. And his... Wait, what's his name? His name is Mike Johnson. Not that one. Right, right, right.

Actually, there's so many Mike Johnsons. We got a former NHL player here who does analyst works. Yeah, named Mike John. He was a leaf and he does TSN analysis. Oh, nice. Yeah, so he was, he was, actually he was a journalist before he became a, he got into politics.

He worked in the Ford White House. He was chief of staff. to Bob Michael, the Republican leader in the 70s? Let me ask you this. So Mike Johnson. 80s. Yes. It sounds like he's had a great career himself and he scored a

great wife, so kudos to him. But are his elbows up? He's an American. Are his elbows up? I can't speak for him. Can I talk to him? Can you talk to him? Like he's married to a proud Canadian. Well, let's just say he was rooting for the Blue Jays.

Okay, good. Good. But if they Blue Jays were playing the Yankees? Would he still be rooting for the Blue Jets? No, yeah, yeah, yeah. That would, but we did beat them. He knows what's good for him. Okay. Well, this was good for me.

Can I tell you? I, honestly, because I used to see you, I saw you. I used to watch you on CityPulse. And then I'd see you on, you're on Global, and then you're on CTV. And then you disappeared because I don't spend much time with American news. And you disappeared from my life. But I would hear about, oh, yeah, like, you know, like Mary Garaphalo. Like, I would hear, oh, this is, or Russ Salisberg.

Oh, goodness. Yeah. Gosh. Yep. Everybody. Like all these city pollsters. And John Saunders. I don't know what John Saunders. Maybe before your time. Right. But I always wondered, I have questions for you. I've been holding on to these questions for decades. And here you are giving me an hour of your life so I could pester you. Well, you've been pestering me just fine.

No, I really appreciate it. And I'm glad to hear actually that you do get out of there and go for an hour. and a half and, you know, or so on your bike. And you have four kids? Yes, I have four kids. How old? Okay, so there's a 23-year-old who's wrapping up a degree at York. I know, see, all these white hairs.

A 21-year-old is living in Montreal right now, wrapping up a degree at McGill. And there is an 11-year-old who has soccer practice tonight, and I'll be biking with him to soccer practice. And there's a nine-year-old, yeah, two marriages. See, this is how you get. the gap okay the and there's a nine-year-old my youngest who I just biked to school with and she's the the final in this series well isn't it great to have you know I married my and this is my only marriage but my husband has had already had and we have five children and we now have

five grandchildren so there you go I married a guy with five kids we're politically not affiliated we're not from the same country and there he are. As long as his elbows are up, I like the guy. He's great. Okay, good. And you're happy. I'm blessed.

And how many kilometers, I'll speak Canadian since you're Canadian? How many kilometers would you, if you're going for a walk on a nice evening or whatever, what would you consider a long walk for you? More than an hour. So is that like eight? Hours, 20 minutes. That's probably, well, usually it's about six miles. Five-eighths is a mile.

Eight to ten or something? Okay, good for you. Yeah, it's good. I'm not a very good bike right there. I sold my bike years ago. So I was thinking of getting one, but a little dangerous for me. Never too late to get back on the saddle there. But again, thank you so much for this time.

And now you're now an FOTM. That means friend of Toronto Mike. If you need anything, you can slide into my linked in DMs, and then I'm here to serve. And thank you for this very much. My pleasure. Thank you so much. And that brings us to the end of our 1,818th show.

1818. Go to TorontoMike.com for all your Toronto Mike needs. Much love to all who have made this possible. That is a retro festive, Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Nick Ionis. Recycle My Electronic Stuff. and Ridley Funeral Home. See you all Tuesday when my special guest live in the basement. It's Melanie Dome.

We're going to be able to be. You know, I'm going to be.