Leanne Cusack
Known for her warmth, quick, dynamic wit, infectious enthusiasm and unending energy, Leanne Cusack has been making live television look effortless for more than 30 years.
Her ease makes guests on CTV News at Noon feel relaxed, despite the lights, cameras and pace.
Versatility is key. Leanne has been a daredevil adventurer, taking viewers, vicariously, on expeditions and excursions. Never one to take herself too seriously, Leanne candidly shares vulnerabilities with the audience.
With a background in hard news, Leanne has interviewed world leaders and trailblazers like Benazir Bhutto, Gloria Steinem and Jane Goodall.
Whether talking with a big star or a blue-ribbon winner at the county fair, Leanne has a gift for making everyone feel special.
Leanne started at CTV News Ottawa, then CJOH, in 1989 while studying Journalism at Carleton University. After a handful of years as a news reporter, she found her niche in live, lifestyles TV.
Community focused and always ready to give back, she has been 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.
The Pediatric Palliative Care Facility, Roger Neilson House has been an important cause for Leanne, through her work as a founding member of The Ottawa Senators Foundation, the charitable arm of the hockey club.
She has been a long-time ambassador for the Ottawa Humane Society.
Her passions include hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and kayaking near her Chelsea, Que. home she shares with Joel Haslam. If not playing in nature, you will likely find her in her studio, at the easel painting landscapes.
