Leanne Cusack
| Leanne Cusack | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 6, 1968 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Canadian |
| 🏫 Education | Carleton University |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Wayne Rostad (m. 1989; div. 2009) |
| ❤️ Partner(s) | Joel Haslam (2013–present) |
Leanne Cusack is a Canadian television presenter and visual artist. She is presently the host of CTV Ottawa's News at Noon on CJOH-DT.
Background[edit]
Cusack was born in Halifax. She attended Carleton University, studying Journalism.[1], before joining CTV in 1989.
Career[edit]
Cusack started working at CTV Ottawa (CJOH-DT) in February of 1989, while still a student at Carleton University. Since 1995 she has been the principal lifestyle host of the live program, The News at Noon. The show was formerly a two-hour production called Midday Newsline. The current program highlights human interest stories, featuring individuals and organizations making a difference in the community. She also covers food, art, gardening, wellness and news.
Cusack hosted together with CJOH personality Michael O’Byrne from 1997 until his retirement in December, 2019.
In April of 2015, Cusack was in Nepal during the April 2015 Nepal earthquake[2] that killed nine thousand people. She was travelling with an Ottawa team on a fundraising climb to Everest Base Camp, raising funds for the Ottawa school breakfast program [3]. When the group returned to Ottawa, about the experience in Nepal, Cusack stated, "The people of that country need our help.”, “I thought we were going to be swallowed up. It was terrifying."[4]
Cusack has also been featured in media for her art [5],
Combining an exciting career with artistic pursuits helps Leanne attain a healthy work-life balance which allows her to unwind, exhale and create. Nature grounds and fuels her, while also providing the creative motivation to generate artwork which she hopes people will enjoy as much as she loves the personal process of creative expression.
— Vera Cody, Art Fuelled by Nature, OttawaAtHome.ca
Personal Life[edit]
In December of 1989, at the age of 21, Cusack first made Ottawa headlines for her Christmas wedding to 42-year-old, Wayne Rostad, a famed country singing star and host of CBC television’s On The Road Again[6]. The wedding was described as “one of those wonderfully kept secrets”. Rostad’s son, Josh, was his best man [7]. Rostad met Cusack at a Peter Gzowski charity golf tournament in Carp. About Cusack, Rostad stated "I was smitten...[Cusack is] the kind of woman you want to write songs about."[7] Rostad and Cusack were often featured together in local media.[8]
Leanne now lives her partner Joel Haslam[9] in Chelsea, QC[10].
Community Work[edit]
Cusack has been an active community icon as a key telethon host, helping raise tens of millions of dollars for various charities, including The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and The University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
In October of 2012, Cusack participated and took first place the Easter Seals Dancing with the Stars gala, which raised $50,000 for the charity [11]
The Paediatric Palliative Care Facility, Roger Neilson House has been an important cause for Cusack, through her work as a founding member of The Ottawa Senators Foundation, the former charitable arm of the hockey club.
Cusack has been a long-time ambassador for the Ottawa Humane Society and has hosted events with Jane Goodall and her institute [12]. Cusack is also very supportive of Bruyère Continuing Care in Ottawa, often hosting fundraising breakfasts.
Recognition[edit]
- St. Joe’s Women’s Centre’s “Quality of Life” Award[13]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Leanne Cusack". Ottawa. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ↑ "CTV News Channel: Signs 'something was happening'". CTVNews. 2015-04-25. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
- ↑ Wilson, Janet (March 23, 2015). "Reaching new heights". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ↑ Kirnishni, Tanya (April 30, 2015). "Share on Twitter Open more share options Breadcrumb Trail Links Local News 'I thought we were going to be swallowed up': Ottawa hikers return home after Nepal quake". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ↑ Cody, Vera. "Art Fuelled by Nature". Ottawa at Home. Ottawa At Home. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ↑ "Wayne Rostad ties the knot at private ceremony". Ottawa Citizen. December 26, 1989.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Atherton, Tony (April 13, 1997). "Countryman: Just Plain Folk: Canadians across the land have claimed Rostad as one of their own". Ottawa Citizen.
- ↑ "Wife made Rostad honest author". Ottawa Citizen. November 30, 1996.
- ↑ "Ottawa's Art and Soul". SCIO Community Magazine. Winter 2019.
- ↑ "Leanne Cusack". CTV News Ottawa. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ Phillips, Caroline (October 13, 2012). "Ottawa stars dance for kids with disabilities, and do it with flair". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ↑ Phillips, Caroline (May 18, 2014). "Vibrant scenes from the North". Retrieved September 14, 2021.
- ↑ Ottawa, C. T. V. (2014-11-14). "CTV's Leanne Cusack recognized with Quality of Life Award".
External links[edit]
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References[edit]
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