Outrage and scepticism have been sparked by the claims that the Canadian news anchor lost her job as a result of "turning grey", shaking one of the country's leading media organisations and shedding light on the rigorous standards women face in the workplace.
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LaFlamme has covered terrible natural catastrophes and war zones for CTV News for the past 35 years.. Most recently, she was named Best News Anchor in the Canadian Screen Awards. Several noted people in Canada were shocked to learn of her departure, and business and political figures entered the discussion.
LaFlamme, who started hosting the main programme in 2011, was one of numerous women who stopped colouring their hair during the pandemic and allowed their natural hair colour to stand out. LaFlamme called the decision "liberating" and admitted to regretting that she had waited so long to take action.
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“I’m still shocked and saddened," she said. “At 58, I still thought I’d have a lot more time to tell more of the stories that impact our daily lives."
On the other hand, according to a report in the Globe and Mail from August 18, Michael Melling, a senior executive at CTV News, had "asked who had approved the decision to ‘let Lisa’s hair go grey". Melling and LaFlamme argued over issues of journalism before finally telling LaFlamme that her contract was being terminated, according to the Globe and Mail.
LaFlamme has been referred as "a massive voice in Canadian media" by the former premier of Alberta, Rachel Notley, and as "appallingly sloppy" by the former environment minister, Catherine McKenna.
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Others made references to sexism and ageism stereotypes. A well-known investor named Arlene Dickinson lauded LaFlamme for "gracefully" ageing on national television and serving as an example to others.
The reason for LaFlamme's termination as an anchor, according to Bell Media, the parent company of CTV, was "changing audience behaviour."
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When contacted for comment on the allegations that LaFlamme's termination was influenced by the colour of her hair, it remained silent.
