Hannah Thibedeau – Alumna of the Year 2025
Executive Communications Officer, Global Public Affairs, award-winning journalist and former National News Anchor of CBC News
Broadcasting – Television, 1996
Award-winning veteran journalist Hannah Thibedeau grew up in the small town of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, the daughter of a teacher and a salesclerk. From those humble beginnings, she built a career that would take her to the heart of Canada’s biggest political stories.
Unsure of where her future would lead, Thibedeau first studied political science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After getting her degree, she then took a leap of faith, moving to Ottawa sight unseen to enroll in Algonquin College’s Television Broadcasting program. Driven by a love of storytelling, she bet on herself and never looked back.
In 1994, she stepped off the bus at Baseline Station with stars in her eyes and big dreams. “It felt like home to me. I’m a creative person and Algonquin College really let me spread my wings. The teachers are everything,” Thibedeau reminisced fondly.
Thibedeau sites the news broadcasting course with Rick Seabrook and Leigh Chapel as the class that ignited her spark for broadcasting. The class put together a weekly newscast, rotating each role from on-air host to technical producer, to directing, giving students a trial opportunity in each position before entering their careers.
Thibedeau first put her Algonquin College training to work at Lansdowne Stadium, now called TD Place, where she laid cables for football broadcasts. She was one of the few women on the crew, showing up each day with a yes-mindset, eager to learn and put in the work. She stayed on the technical side of sports broadcasting, working behind the scenes at Montreal Canadiens games and a Grey Cup, handling technical setups, and even stepping in as a studio director for ESPN2.
“By the time I got my own television show, I had done almost every component behind the scenes,” Thibedeau recalled.
Thibedeau landed her first news role working with her former professor Chapel at CJOH-TV (now CTV Ottawa), doing everything from rolling autocue to literally mopping the floors. Working her way up, Thibedeau learned lighting, graphics and producing. Chapel hosted the late-night news, mentoring Thibedeau along the way. “She liked me, she had faith in me, and she treated me like someone who mattered. She gave me great advice, ‘here’s what you do’ and I found the thrill of reporting,” said Thibedeau.
From there, Thibedeau eventually pivoted and applied for a national news producing role at CTV National where she dove into federal politics, working with some of the best reporters in Canada. After mastering production, she pivoted once again to become an on-air reporter at Global National and then CBC.
“It was a lot of hard work. I was the morning political news hitter at CBC, but my goal was to be a full-time host. This industry is brutally competitive, and even tougher for women, so I hired a career coach to help me navigate that. She helped me move to my own beat, stop saying yes if it wasn’t always serving my goals and if it held me back and that shift gave me a newfound confidence,” she said.
Thibedeau covered Parliament Hill for more than 20 years. She most recently served as National News Anchor of CBC News Live on Canada’s most-watched news network. Thibedeau has covered seven federal elections, four Prime Ministers, multiple leadership conventions, yearly Remembrance Day ceremonies, the first official National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Royal Visits and the 2014 shootings on Parliament Hill, among many others. During her tenure, she also reported on important international events such as G7s, NATO meetings, APEC Summits, and Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s visit to Afghanistan.
One of Thibedeau’s proudest moments was in 2023 when she and her team won a Canadian Screen Award (formerly the Gemini) for “Best Live News Special: Ottawa Occupation” for their coverage of the truck convoy in Ottawa in 2022 and sharing veterans’ stories at the annual Remembrance Day ceremony on Parliament Hill.
After a distinguished career in national media, Thibedeau is currently the Executive Communications Officer at Global Public Affairs in Ottawa. In this role, she draws on decades of newsroom experience to help clients navigate the fast-moving political and policy landscape. She works with executives, industry leaders, and organizations across the country to shape compelling narratives, prepare for high-stakes media moments, and build strategies that resonate with government, stakeholders, and the public. Beyond her work in strategic communications, she’s also channeling her storytelling skills and quietly working on her first novel.
Facing rejection and resilience were crucial to Thibedeau’s story, building the foundation of her success. “If you hear ‘no’ and you don’t want that to be the answer, there are always solutions and ways to figure it out—always,” Thibedeau said. “I was told ‘no’ a lot in life and found solutions. If you fail, it’s okay! I’ve learned from my failures, and I try not to do them again. Don’t get discouraged. If this is what your dream is, let your wings soar.”
Discover more 2025 Alumni of Distinction award recipients.