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Former CTV National News anchor Lisa LaFlamme has paid tribute to her predecessor, Lloyd Robertson, who died Tuesday night at age 92.
In a lengthy message posted to Instagram, LaFlamme called Robertson “my friend and mentor” and said her “heart is heavy” after his family announced his death.
“Canada has lost a broadcast legend. I have lost a teacher, a trusted friend, and someone who helped shape both my career and my life,” LaFlamme wrote.
LaFlamme shared a photo of herself and Robertson in CTV’s Toronto broadcast studio in 2010 when it was announced she would succeed the longtime anchor as host of CTV National News.
“This picture is from one of the best days of my career. Lloyd, after 40 years in the ‘big chair’ as he called it, so graciously passed the baton,” she said. “It was overwhelming and yet calming — because he was there.”
Before retiring in 2011, Robertson had worked for the network for 35 years and guided Canadians through some of the most significant events in history, including 9/11, the Quebec Referendum, 14 Canadian elections, the 50th anniversary of D-Day, nine Olympic Games, royal weddings, and more.
Robertson, who was known for ending each of his broadcasts with the signature sign-off “And that’s the kind of day it’s been,” served as CTV’s chief anchor and senior editor from 1984 to 2011. After retiring, he co-hosted W5 for CTV News from 2011 to 2016.
“For me, it’s been a rare privilege to have been able to serve in this position for so long. It’s been a front-row seat to history,” Robertson said in 2011 during his final broadcast. “Most of, all it’s been fascinating to watch our country grow in confidence and stature.”
LaFlamme said his death marked “the end of an era” in Canadian news.
Last December, she uploaded a photo of the pair enjoying Christmas lunch together.
“Lloyd Robertson was a mentor in the truest sense: Generous with his wisdom, honest with his feedback, steady in chaos, and always leading by example,” she wrote on Instagram. “He taught me not just how to be a better journalist, but how to be a better colleague and human.”
More tributes including Sandie Rinaldo
Adrienne Arsenault, co-host of CBC’s The National, commented on LaFlamme’s post, calling the pair “two classy legends.”
TSN’s James Duthie called Robertson “an absolute legend” and praised him for being “a wonderful, kind man off camera.”
“When Vancouver was awarded the Olympics in 2003, I was covering it in Prague. Lloyd Robertson saying my name and throwing it to me live was the coolest thing ever,” Duthie wrote on X.
Longtime CTV weekend anchor Sandie Rinaldo said Robertson was “interested in what people had to say” and called him “truly a genuine, sweet and kind human being.”
“He was beyond a journalistic icon. He was real, raw and had an amazing sense of humour. The two of you were the best Canada ever had in news and in-depth coverage,” one longtime viewer wrote.
“I find it remarkable that he was in the business for so long,” a second added. “He brought comfort and context to so many current events situations. Reliable yet inclusive and supportive of others. He was our guy.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney also offered his condolences, calling Robertson “a calm and steady presence through the moments that shaped our nation.”
“For millions of us, he was a familiar face in our living rooms. A reassuring voice in moments of uncertainty,” Carney said on X.
In addition to a number of awards throughout his career, Robertson was a member of the Order of Canada and the Canadian News Hall of Fame. In 2007 he was the first journalist inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.
‘Lloyd left an indelible mark’
Robertson began his journalism career in 1952 at CJCS radio in his hometown of Stratford, Ont., before joining CJOY in Guelph in 1953.
After moving into television in 1954 with CBC in Windsor, Robertson worked in Winnipeg and in Ottawa in the 1950s and ’60s. He went on to anchor CBC’s national news from 1970 to 1976 before joining CTV News.
“Lloyd left an indelible mark on both CTV News and Canadian journalism,” said Richard Gray, v-p news, Bell Media. “Throughout his illustrious career, he forged a genuine bond with viewers, becoming a reassuring voice while reporting on some of the biggest events happening across Canada and around the world. To those who worked alongside him, Lloyd was a valued mentor and friend. His enduring legacy continues through the standards and values he established at CTV News, and he will be deeply missed by all.”
Speaking with CTV News film critic Richard Crouse in a 2018 interview, Robertson cited the 9/11 terrorist attacks as the most “remarkable” event he covered in his decades-long career.
“I remember thinking at the time, this is something that we have never seen before in my time and covering North American news,” Robertson recalled. “This one was really big because it changed the way people lived. The next thing we knew… security became very important in our lives to an extent that it really hadn’t been before.”
After LaFlamme was ousted in 2022, Robertson came to her defence.
“You don’t go laying off that person the way you laid off Lisa LaFlamme,” Robertson said.