Rosemary Thompson
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Thompson is the Director of Communications for Canada's National Arts Centre
, located in Ottawa. She is the former deputy bureau chief of the parliamentary bureau for CTV
News. She was a reporter and frequent guest host on CTV programs including Question Period
and Mike Duffy Live. She is a veteran political correspondent who has covered election campaigns in the United States, Quebec and Ottawa.
's School of Journalism in 1987 she was hired by the CBC in Winnipeg
as an editorial assistant. She quickly climbed the reporting ranks at CBWT
's 24 Hours program in the late 1980s. Thompson met her husband, Pierre Boulet, in Winnipeg. He worked as a reporter for Radio-Canada, the French language services of the CBC.
They married on 16 June 1990, just a week after the Meech Lake Accord
was signed in Ottawa. But when that political accord began to unravel, Thompson wanted to move back to her home province of Quebec, to cover the political situation.
Thompson was hired by CBC Montreal
's news program NewsWatch in 1991. Her mentors included the legendary assignment editor there, Bernard St-Laurent
, and anchor Dennis Trudeau
.
In 1995, just six months before a potential referendum, Thompson left the CBC for CTV, because she wanted a seat on the referendum campaign bus
. Her life had been marked by Quebec politics and she wanted a front row seat to history. CTV News gave her that chance, when she was named "Montreal Bureau Chief" in March 1995.
Thompson's favourite political campaign was the 1995 referendum. Her favourite story was an investigation into how the Ontario Government handled the Dionne quintuplet's trust fund. Thompson's documentary resulted in a $4 million settlement paid to the surviving Dionne sisters by the Ontario Government.
In 2000, Thompson was named the first ever woman correspondent for CTV News in Washington. She covered the end of the Clinton Presidency, the cliff-hanger election of George W. Bush
against Al Gore
. She was in Washington on the morning of September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon were attacked. She covered the initial attack and its aftermath, and was on the south lawn of the White House when secret service agents warned her to leave the area because another plane was heading to Washington. That plane eventually crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Thompson comes from a family of successful broadcasters, her sister, Virginia Thompson is the executive producer of Corner Gas
a top-rated sitcom on CTV. Her cousin, Shelagh Rogers
is the Host of Sounds Like Canada
on CBC Radio. Her brother owns several restaurants in Vancouver.
Thompson is a member of the Board of Research Canada, volunteers for the Ottawa Chapter of The Famous Five Foundation and is a member of Equal Voice. She has served as a Director of the Parliamentary Press Gallery
, and served for three years on the Board of the Children's Bridge Foundation.,
In 2002, Thompson and her family moved to Ottawa for her to take up the post with CTV News. Her husband is a teacher at a private school in Ottawa. She is a mother of three children, two boys and a girl adopted from China.
Since joining the National Arts Centre in 2009 she has worked as the lead organizer of the Royal Visit to the NAC in June of 2010, when the Queen unveiled a statue of jazz great, Oscar Peterson, in front of a live audience of 10,000 people. She has re-introduced the tradition of screening great Canadian films at the NAC, including Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Barney's Version, Starbuck and Breakaway. She brought the Genie Awards for the first time to the NAC in March, 2011 which was broadcast nationally on the CBC. She also produced a 9/11 requiem concert with the National Arts Centre Orchestra that was covered by all major media outlets in Canada.
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
, located in Ottawa. She is the former deputy bureau chief of the parliamentary bureau for CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
News. She was a reporter and frequent guest host on CTV programs including Question Period
Question Period (TV series)
Question Period is a Canadian television newsmagazine which airs weekly, currently excluding the summer months, on CTV at 11:00 AM ET in Ontario and east, and 4:00 PM local on stations in Western Canada. It also airs on the CTV News Channel at 5:00 PM EST...
and Mike Duffy Live. She is a veteran political correspondent who has covered election campaigns in the United States, Quebec and Ottawa.
Life and career
Thompson began her career as a summer intern at the MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour on PBS in New York City in the 1980s. After graduating from Carleton UniversityCarleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
's School of Journalism in 1987 she was hired by the CBC in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
as an editorial assistant. She quickly climbed the reporting ranks at CBWT
CBWT
CBWT is the CBC's television station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the only CBC station in Manitoba, since Brandon's CKX-TV closed on October 2, 2009....
's 24 Hours program in the late 1980s. Thompson met her husband, Pierre Boulet, in Winnipeg. He worked as a reporter for Radio-Canada, the French language services of the CBC.
They married on 16 June 1990, just a week after the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
was signed in Ottawa. But when that political accord began to unravel, Thompson wanted to move back to her home province of Quebec, to cover the political situation.
Thompson was hired by CBC Montreal
CBMT
CBMT-DT is the CBC's television station in Montreal, Quebec. Programming on CBMT is seen on a network of more than 50 rebroadcasters throughout Quebec and in three communities in northern Manitoba: Brochet, Poplar River, and Shamattawa.-History:...
's news program NewsWatch in 1991. Her mentors included the legendary assignment editor there, Bernard St-Laurent
Bernard St-Laurent (broadcaster)
Bernard St-Laurent is a Canadian radio personality, currently heard on CBC Radio One in Montreal.He hosts the regional Quebec noon hour call-in show Radio Noon and the national weekly program C'est la Vie....
, and anchor Dennis Trudeau
Dennis Trudeau
Dennis Trudeau is a Montreal broadcaster. From 1987 to 2005 he was the anchor of the supper hour local news show on CBMT in Montreal.-Career:Trudeau worked with the CBC from 1979. For eight years he hosted the local show Daybreak on CBM before becoming a national radio host fronting As It Happens...
.
In 1995, just six months before a potential referendum, Thompson left the CBC for CTV, because she wanted a seat on the referendum campaign bus
Campaign bus
A campaign bus is a bus used as both a vehicle and a center of operations in a political campaign. The modern use of campaign buses is often calculated to bring to mind whistlestop train tour tours that political candidates had historically used to reach large numbers of voters while campaigning...
. Her life had been marked by Quebec politics and she wanted a front row seat to history. CTV News gave her that chance, when she was named "Montreal Bureau Chief" in March 1995.
Thompson's favourite political campaign was the 1995 referendum. Her favourite story was an investigation into how the Ontario Government handled the Dionne quintuplet's trust fund. Thompson's documentary resulted in a $4 million settlement paid to the surviving Dionne sisters by the Ontario Government.
In 2000, Thompson was named the first ever woman correspondent for CTV News in Washington. She covered the end of the Clinton Presidency, the cliff-hanger election of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
against Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
. She was in Washington on the morning of September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
and the Pentagon were attacked. She covered the initial attack and its aftermath, and was on the south lawn of the White House when secret service agents warned her to leave the area because another plane was heading to Washington. That plane eventually crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Thompson comes from a family of successful broadcasters, her sister, Virginia Thompson is the executive producer of Corner Gas
Corner Gas
Corner Gas is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada; it formerly aired on WGN America in the United States....
a top-rated sitcom on CTV. Her cousin, Shelagh Rogers
Shelagh Rogers
Shelagh Rogers, OC is a Canadian radio broadcaster. She is currently the host of CBC Radio One's The Next Chapter.Rogers grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. She was the "Head Girl" at her high school, Lisgar Collegiate Institute. She played in the Ottawa Youth Orchestra and was a spare on the Reach for...
is the Host of Sounds Like Canada
Sounds Like Canada
Sounds Like Canada was a Canadian radio program, which aired weekday mornings on CBC Radio One from 2002 to 2008. Until the end of May 2008, the program was hosted by the award-winning broadcaster Shelagh Rogers, and in the summers by a rotating series of guest hosts...
on CBC Radio. Her brother owns several restaurants in Vancouver.
Thompson is a member of the Board of Research Canada, volunteers for the Ottawa Chapter of The Famous Five Foundation and is a member of Equal Voice. She has served as a Director of the Parliamentary Press Gallery
Parliamentary Press Gallery
The Parliamentary Press Gallery is an association established to oversee rules and responsibilities of Canadian journalists when at Parliament Hill. The organization was formed the same year as Canada's Confederation in 1867, by The Honourable Thomas White. During the early years of the...
, and served for three years on the Board of the Children's Bridge Foundation.,
In 2002, Thompson and her family moved to Ottawa for her to take up the post with CTV News. Her husband is a teacher at a private school in Ottawa. She is a mother of three children, two boys and a girl adopted from China.
Since joining the National Arts Centre in 2009 she has worked as the lead organizer of the Royal Visit to the NAC in June of 2010, when the Queen unveiled a statue of jazz great, Oscar Peterson, in front of a live audience of 10,000 people. She has re-introduced the tradition of screening great Canadian films at the NAC, including Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, Barney's Version, Starbuck and Breakaway. She brought the Genie Awards for the first time to the NAC in March, 2011 which was broadcast nationally on the CBC. She also produced a 9/11 requiem concert with the National Arts Centre Orchestra that was covered by all major media outlets in Canada.