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Wednesday, September 13 at 9 p.m.
On CBC Newsworld: Thursday September 14 at 10 p.m. ET,
and Sunday September 17 at 6 a.m. ET
When Adrienne Clarkson became Canada’s first immigrant Governor-General
in 1999, it was only the latest in a lifetime of groundbreaking roles. She
came to Canada as a refugee and rose to become a leading journalist. From
Chatelaine Magazine to The Fifth Estate to Rideau Hall, she broke through
barriers, shattered stereotypes and forged a succession of brilliant careers.
But she also endured criticism, personal attacks and family losses - areas
of her life which, until now, she has refused to discuss. In this intimate
biography, Adrienne Clarkson reveals the private woman behind the public
persona.
The cameras follow Adrienne on a stroll through the Ottawa neighbourhood
where she grew up, the daughter of Hong Kong immigrants who escaped the
Japanese invasion. Adrienne’s father, Bill Poy, was determined his
children would succeed and gave his only daughter a precious gift - boundless
self-confidence. An outstanding scholar, Adrienne abandoned plans for an
academic career when the media beckoned.
As host of CBC’s Take 30, she soon became a household name.
Archival footage shows a glamourous, mini-skirted Adrienne cavorting on-camera
and interviewing such celebrities as Leonard Cohen and Germaine Greer. In
1975, she broke through gender barriers in broadcasting when she was named
co-host of CBC’s new investigative series, The Fifth Estate.
Television’s "it" girl transformed herself into a hard-hitting
globe trotting journalist – albeit one with a taste for 5 star restaurants.
Married to Stephen Clarkson
and the mother of three girls, Adrienne seemed to have it all. But after
the death of her infant daughter to SIDS, the marriage began to unravel.
“In my career I’ve never made too many mistakes,” she
says. “In my personal life, I’ve made quite a few.” A
bitter divorce and years of estrangement from her daughters caused her “great
suffering, great hardship.”
In 1982, Adrienne left broadcasting behind to assume the role of Ontario’s
first Agent-General in Paris. Following a brief stint as CEO of publishing
house McClelland and Stewart, she returned to the CBC to host the arts series,
Adrienne Clarkson Presents. Her designer clothes and love of highbrow
culture made her a juicy target for satirists, but after her appointment
as Governor-General, the attacks turned nasty and personal.
The
press depicted her as a cold, arrogant woman who had abandoned her children
for her career. “Adrienne had a very brilliant way of dealing with
all of this,” says friend Cynthia Scott. “ She would not speak
about it.” Throughout her term as Governor-General, Adrienne was criticized
for her perceived lavish lifestyle. When a storm of controversy erupted
over her five million dollar circumpolar trip, the government who’d
sanctioned the travel wouldn’t defend her. Adrienne was left to answer
the critics alone, and concedes it was “an enormous disappointment”.
Despite the criticism, many consider her the best Governor-General Canada
has ever had.
Adrienne and husband John Ralston Saul now divide their time between their
Toronto home and their cottage at Georgian Bay. Now reconciled with her
daughters, and a proud grandmother, Adrienne has written a memoir, Heart
Matters, which will be published in September.
Links
The
Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
Profile:
The Canadian Encyclopedia
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