It's the end of one chapter for a well-loved member of the CTV Ottawa family, but she'll literally be writing many others.
Kathie Donovan is stepping down as co-host and co-producer of Regional Contact after 24 years with the station, 14 of those on that weekly program.
Her final episode aired Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
"I've taken a lesson from so many of our guests and I'm going to re-invent myself," she said.
"I've been writing this crazy book for about five years called Inspiration in Action: A Woman's Guide to Happiness; I want to finish the book and I want to start helping people to discover their own magnificence."
Donovan was born in Vancouver and raised in Montreal, living in the Ottawa area for the last three decades.
She helped launch two Ottawa radio stations and was an entertainment reporter at CJOH before starting at Regional Contact in 1998.
"I can't even begin to tell you how much we are all going to miss you and how grateful we are that we've had the opportunity to share . . . this wonderful show for so many years together," said her co-host and co-producer Joel Haslam.
"You are the original joy-spreader and I just know you're going to have a wonderful time ahead of you."
Also stepping down after 17 years with Regional Contact is show editor Gerry Wall, who said his goal is to visit every province, territory and state with his wife in their motor home.
Haslam will stay as host of the show, which travels eastern Ontario and western Quebec profiling unique people chasing their dreams and passions.
Regional Contact is expanding to become a nightly part of the CTV News at 6 this fall, with Sunday's 6 p.m. newscast expanding to an hour.
The weekly version of Regional Contact will air throughout the summer.
