TAKAHASHI HONOURED
Order of Canada for anchor
Typical Mutsumi Takahashi: In the midst of ruminating about a damning book on the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, the state of Mount Royal and our respective mutts at a small dinner last weekend, she nonchalantly drops: “Oh, get this, I got the Order of Canada. Can you believe that?” Then she quickly moves on to talk about the upcoming provincial election.
Whoa! Actually, yeah, Montrealers will have little trouble believing Takahashi has received the Order of Canada.
Takahashi is a pioneer, one of the few women — not to mention one of the few visible minorities — to have made such a mark on the broadcast scene in this country. She has been a CTV Montreal news anchor for 31 years, bringing a reassuring measure of calm credibility. She has so dominated the supper-time news ratings in this city that they ought to impose a mercy rule in lieu of pointing out the dramatic disparity between her station’s numbers and those of her competitors.
In addition, Takahashi, who was honoured last year with a lifetime achievement award by the Radio Television Digital News Association, is also heavily involved in an array of social and cultural causes.
Takahashi is among a group of 22 Montrealers who have just been appointed Officers and Members of the Order of Canada. Novelist/journalist Lise Bissonnette, McGill University principal and vice-chancellor Suzanne Fortier, and architect Julia Gersovitz are among those selected, while Air Canada president and CEO Calin Rovenescu, former Member of the House of Commons Lucienne Robillard, and McGill University professor Dr. Yvonne Steinert are among those joining Takahashi as members.
“I really think I’m more excited about this than she is,” says Michel Cayer, Takahashi’s husband.
Takahashi, as always, is initially reluctant to talk about herself, let alone to trumpet her achievements. She is quite probably the most recognized member of the anglo media here, but without question among its most private. She can’t be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat.
“I’m thrilled, of course,” says Takahashi, who is involved with the MUHC, West Island Palliatiive Care Residence and, her alma mater, Concordia University. “It’s just that I was so surprised. But I don’t want people to think I’m playing games with some kind of weird, false modesty thing. It’s not that. The way I’ve always thought about people getting the Order of Canada is for outstanding contributions to society.”
Takahashi cites Teresa Dellar, the co-founder and executive director of the West Island Palliative Care Residence, as someone who makes that kind of outstanding contribution.
“I have such profound respect for everything Teresa does. I look at others, like Order of Canada recipient Father John Walsh, who have also devoted their lives to doing such noble things. Sure, I have some causes that are important to me, but I just do what I think anybody should be doing for their community, if you love your community.
“I’m just your classic immigrant who came here as a young child with my parents,” says Takahashi, who was born in Shiroishi, Japan. “We had three suitcases, and we started off our life here. Canada has been very good to me.”
One of the benefits of making it to the Order of Canada is that members can preside over citizenship ceremonies.
“I think that for an immigrant like myself to have that role is incredible. I will probably break down and cry doing that.
“I remember taking that citizenship ceremony when I became a Canadian decades ago,” she recalls. “But would I have ever dreamed that one day I would be in a position to do that for others? Never. I am truly humbled with this honour.”
Takahashi’s parents were academics and had hoped their daughter would follow in their career path or become a doctor or lawyer. They weren’t so wild about her landing a job on TV.
“If I have any regrets, I’ve got to say I’m really sorry that my parents are not alive for me to tell them about my Order of Canada. Yet they’d still probably scratch their heads and go: ‘Really?’
Takahashi’s interest in journalism began at Concordia where she received an honourary doctorate degree in 2013. After graduating, she moved swiftly up the chain until becoming a reporter for CFCF-12 (now CTV Montreal) in 1982, and then five years later, an anchor on the news desk.
“What I do for a living is really just an extension of my curiosity. I’ve been most fortunate. And because of my profile, it has allowed me to lend my name to causes that are dear to me.