Longtime Ontario Today host Rita Celli retires | CBC News
Ottawa
Rita Celli is retiring after 32 years at the public broadcaster.
Celli has also worked as reporter, TV anchor and producerCBC News
· Posted: Nov 23, 2023 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours ago
Rita Celli is retiring after a 32-year career at the public broadcaster.
Celli began her career at CBC Radio in her hometown of Sudbury, Ont. She has worked on the front lines as a reporter, TV anchor and producer, and made her biggest mark as the longtime host of CBC Radio's Ontario Today.
Never shying away from debates, Celli provoked, comforted and brought people together on the noon hour phone-in show, five days a week, for 15 years.
She has led thoughtful conversations on just about everything: political crises, drug epidemics, Renaissance art, gardening, the #MeToo movement and violent attacks.
Margot Wright was Rita Celli's producer on Ontario Today for 15 years.
"Rita always challenged the show to dig deeper and hear from people whose voices are rarely heard. She earned the trust of callers who often shared their secrets and even tears. It was thought-provoking radio. I often heard people in the community talking about a caller or debate they'd heard on Ontario Today," said Wright.
Award-winning careerWhen a shooter attacked Parliament Hill, Celli marshalled breaking news. CBC broke into network programming, and Celli delivered the news to Ottawa.
Celli interviewed a panicked journalist hiding under a desk on the Hill. The next day, she hosted a live special carried on the BBC.
Celli's journalistic powers shone after winning the prestigious Michener-Deacon Fellowship for Investigative Reporting. Her multi-platform investigation looked into Canada's mining industry.
Joan Leishman, retired CBC foreign correspondent, worked alongside Celli in the final stages of the investigation.
"Rita is fierce. She has courage and tenacity. She took on mining giants. They were angry but not one ever disputed what she figured out," Leishman said.
The mining investigation exposed how little multinationals pay in taxes and royalties on Ontario's precious metals and diamonds. It received global attention.
In 2018, Celli received an award of excellence for a series called Daring to Ask about Abortion: Men and Women Talk.
A three-time winner of the Gracie award for Outstanding Talk Show, Rita has led Ontario Today to top spots in Toronto and Ottawa.
On Nov. 24, listeners will have a chance to hear Rita say goodbye on a special episode of Ontario Today.
