CHEO's new therapeutic clown received quite the welcome parade Wednesday as he made his way to different locations lifting spirits of patients, their families and staff.
"Oh wow, where to start," Zedd said. "It means a lot. I'm honoured."
Zedd takes over from Mollypenny, who retired last year.
"Having the support of the therapeutic clown, having the support of therapeutic arts things that which children can bond with…to use the word imagination it explores that, it explores creativity of what the child can do on their own within those boundaries of the hospital and the empowerment associated with it," Zedd said.
He likes to juggle, play the ukulele and his costume includes overalls that are made up of 527 individually cut patches—one of his favourites was a gift from Mollypenny, who was on hand for a symbolic passing of the rubber chicken, one of her signature accessories.
"The entire legacy that came before with Mollypenny has been something that has offered me so much to build upon."
Zedd! is the new therapeutic clown at CHEO. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)
The therapeutic clown program at CHEO is made possible through donor dollars.
"We often say at CHEO we've got everything from A to Z and now we actually have a Zedd, we've got this clown," said Alex Munter, CHEO's president and CEO. "Even when they're in hospital when they're sick, maybe especially when they're in the hospital and sick we need to do everything we can to give them a chance to be kids and the clowning program is one part of that."
Zedd said he's up for the challenge.
"Bring some fun and levity and light back into lives of people, their families, especially these kids who are dealing with what they're dealing with."
Photos show smoke-filled skies in cities across Canada and the U.S. as air quality warnings were issued in wake of the hundreds of wildfires from Quebec and Ontario.
With the latest hike bringing Canada's key interest rates to levels not seen since 2001, one mortgage broker is warning that it may be 'the last straw' for some homeowners with variable mortgages.
Canadians are twice as likely to support a formal inquiry into foreign interference, as opposed to public hearings, according to new polling from Nanos Research for CTV News.
It's been a busy, tumultuous few days for Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex as he took his place on the witness stand in his trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers. Here are royal commentator Afua Hagan's top takeaways from his two-day grilling.
The man who was found not criminally responsible in the stabbing deaths of five people at a house party in Brentwood more than nine years ago is seeking more freedoms.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing no interest in compromising with Meta and Google over a Liberal bill that would make them pay for Canadian journalism that helps the companies generate revenue.
The Bank of Canada raised its overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase since pausing hikes in January.
World Wrestling Entertainment legend The Iron Sheik has died. He was 81.
Some flights into the New York City area on Wednesday were delayed and some briefly halted because of reduced visibility from wildfire smoke from Canada.
It is still not safe for some evacuated residents whose houses were spared from wildfire damage to return home, officials from Halifax Regional Municipality and the District of Shelburne said.
The chief of the Shelburne Volunteer Fire Department says the blaze near Barrington Lake, which is now classified as “held,” is unlike anything he’s ever seen.
The ransomware group behind an attack on a file-sharing service that resulted in the theft of personal data from as many as 100,000 Nova Scotians claims it has deleted the stolen information.
The air quality in Toronto has become so polluted due to forest fires in Quebec and Ontario that strenuous outdoor activities could leave you coughing and with an itchy throat.
Indigo founder Heather Reisman announced she is retiring as almost half of the book retailer's board of directors steps down.
Toronto police say the deaths of two people in North York last month have been deemed a murder-suicide.
Police have made an arrest in the killing of Claudia Iacono, the daughter-in-law of Mafia associate Moreno Gallo, after she was gunned down at the wheel of her car in Montreal last month.
Quebec's wildfire season is the worst on record, officials said Wednesday as the number of evacuees rose to more than 11,000.
Quebec provincial police have lifted an Amber Alert for a one-year-old girl who was allegedly abducted earlier Wednesday after reporting the toddler was found 'safe and sound' in the Saint-Hyacinthe area.
A northern Ontario forest fire that started west of Sudbury on Sunday morning has grown to more than 1,000 hectares and has prompted officials to issue an evacuation order for the immediate area as the number of active fires in the region grows.
Two lucky lottery ticket holders in British Columbia and Ontario will split the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot.
A northern Ontario doctor has been stripped of his medical licence for conduct described as “disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.”
Students at Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School in London, Ont. are being investigated after a video was posted online showing students tearing down a LGBTQ2S+ pride flag.
A lifejacket and a swift response by the community are credited with saving the life of a swimmer who had drifted from shore near Grand Bend last weekend.
Smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Northern Ontario is finding its way into the region. While the London, Ont. area has escaped the extreme haze seen over parts of Eastern Ontario, a special air quality advisory is in effect — anyone looking up Tuesday evening could see why.
A section of Main Street is closed on Wednesday morning following a car crash in the area.
The recent heat warnings in Manitoba have resulted in new temperature records being set in several Manitoba communities.
A warrant has been issued for a 26-year-old man RCMP say is armed and dangerous following a homicide in Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation on Tuesday.
High levels of air pollution have developed in Waterloo region and Wellington County as smoke plumes from wildfires burning in Quebec and northeastern Ontario continue to blow into the region, Environment Canada says.
One unified city – that’s what six Region of Waterloo councillors say they want when it comes to the future of the region’s municipal governance.
The plan to build what would be the tallest towers in Kitchener came under the scrutiny of those who would be living nearby.
The man who was found not criminally responsible in the stabbing deaths of five people at a house party in Brentwood more than nine years ago is seeking more freedoms.
Re-elected Premier Danielle Smith will announce her new cabinet and take questions from reporters on Friday, nearly two weeks after winning Alberta's election.
The National Music Centre is celebrating its seventh birthday in the best way possible on July 1. They're letting in everyone for free.
A Saskatoon man wants to play matchmaker for the unloved homes in the city.
A willingness to hire newcomers to Canada has brought new business to Nestor’s Bakery.
There were no injuries reported after a car crashed through the front of a Saskatoon laundromat.
Re-elected Premier Danielle Smith will announce her new cabinet and take questions from reporters on Friday, nearly two weeks after winning Alberta's election.
Drivers are being asked to find another way or prepare for delays on the Henday this weekend, because crews need to close a bridge over the North Saskatchewan River.
A pedestrian was seriously injured in a hit-and-run in northeast Edmonton Tuesday night.
An air quality advisory is in effect for parts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley as wildfire smoke and high temperatures create hazy, potentially hazardous conditions.
Surrey Memorial Hospital will be expanded, Health Minister Adrian Dix announced Wednesday, with more details to come in the next five months.
Mounties in Coquitlam are asking for help identifying a suspect in an unprovoked assault that left an 85-year-old man with serious injuries nearly three months ago.
The dwellings of around a dozen Regina residents experiencing homelessness were bulldozed after calls from the property owner.
With no air conditioning available at their kids' schools, some Regina parents are opting to keep their children home as temperatures rise.
At 57 per cent, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has the highest approval rating in Canada, according to a poll from Angus Reid Institute released on Wednesday.
