Legendary broadcasters Leanne Cusack and Joel Haslam signed off from CTV News Ottawa for the last time Friday.
LEANNE CUSACKLeanne Cusack and the News at Noon are synonymous. For 34 years, she's made live television look effortless.
"It's very odd in journalism that you're so close to somebody that you say to them 'have a great weekend, I love you' and Leanne and I legitimately loved each other," O'Byrne said."I was the big brother, she was the little sister. We worked together, we had each other's back and we had an awful lot of fun on air."Leanne started at CTV Ottawa, then CJOH, in 1989 while she was studying journalism at Carleton University.
Leanne has spent decades supporting community organizations including the Ottawa Humane Society, CHEO and Roger Neilson House. "Over the course of his career Joel has been to places we've never seen and met people we otherwise never would've met and just reflected the valley and western Quebec back to us in a way that no one else has done," said CTV News Ottawa at 6 producer John Ruttle."It's just an incredible career in journalism and broadcasting that Joel has brought to us."
The power of his pieces over the years have moved many to tears—and to give. Joel's work highlighting the life-saving care at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute has raised money and awareness.