University of Ottawa apologizes for preventing media from filming Chinese amabassador

The University of Ottawa has apologized less than 48 hours after university officials told accredited media they could not film the Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, during a speech on campus in which he criticized the Liberal government’s newly released Indo-Pacific Strategy.

The Canadian Press and Radio-Canada were not allowed to set up cameras, whereas a photographer from the Globe and Mail was not allowed in the room. The CTV News crew was also told their camera would not be allowed inside the building and had to stay outside.

Although the request was seemingly made by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada, the university did not confirm this information directly. A spokesperson said in a statement that a “speaker’s unexpected refusal to allow cameras jeopardizes the event.”

Window blinds were also lowered by university staff in order to hide protests in support of Uyghurs taking place outside the building. (CP)

Neil Oliver new chief executive of Torstar Corp.

 Torstar Corp. says Neil Oliver will become the new chief executive of the Toronto Star newspaper’s parent company.

Torstar spokesperson Bob Hepburn confirmed the appointment of the Metroland newspaper group president in an e-mail to The Canadian Press.

He adds that the company has “parted ways” with Marina Glogovac, who joined the Star as its president in June.

Ms. Glogovac was previously the president and chief executive of fundraising company CanadaHelps, chief marketing officer at e-reader firm Kobo Inc. and chief executive officer of dating website Lavalife Corp.

Her departure and Mr. Oliver’s appointment come after the company announced Star publisher Jordan Bitove had taken sole control of Torstar on Thursday, following a tense dispute between he and co-owner Paul Rivett.

The two had been in mediation and then arbitration since September, when Mr. Rivett sought a court order to wind up the company, saying his business relationship with Mr. Bitove had sustained “irreparable” damage. (CP)

Vassy Kapelos to CTV

Vassy Kapelos is moving from CBC to CTV, taking up the hosting of "Power Play" and "Question Period," starting December 1. The posts became vacant when Evan Solomon left for the U.S.

Kapelos will also host a new radio program called "The Vassy Kapelos Show" that will air weekday afternoons on iHeartRadio Canada Talk network station.

Before CBC, Kapelos was Ottawa bureau chief for Global News and hosted "The West Block. She has hosted CBC's "Power and Politics" since March 2018.

Pierre Poiliviere not attending the Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner

Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative leader, has declined an invitation to attend the Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner on Saturday night, an event that was on a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

It’s tradition for political party leaders of all stripes to attend the event and deliver a speech, often filling it with jokes at their own expense and getting a few digs in at their critics, too.

A spokesman for Poilievre simply said he’s “not coming” to the gala that will take place at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., and did not give a reason why.

His former boss and Canada’s last Conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper, would also skip the event when he was in power but did attend when he was Opposition leader and showed off his funny bone.

Harper got in on the self-deprecating humour at his first event as leader in 2004.

Rona Ambrose, who served as the party’s interim leader after Harper, revived the tradition of Tory leaders attending.

In 2016, she took aim at the former prime minister in a bit about the party adopting a new tagline. “The Conservative Party of Canada: The bad man’s gone away.” (CP)

Former CP24 weather person files Human Rights Commission complaint

Longtime on-air television personality and CP24 weather specialist Patricia Jaggernauth has filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission against Bell Media, alleging systemic discrimination throughout her 11-year career.

Jaggernauth’s complaint, launched on Wednesday and first reported by CBC, makes allegations of discrimination based on race, gender and disability by Bell, her former employer. The Toronto-based media company owns cable news network CP24. In the complaint, Jaggernauth alleges Bell continually passed her over for promotions and attempted to restrict her ability to freelance outside the company despite never offering her a full-time job.

“She has been used as a token and commodity when it is convenient and beneficial,” the Toronto-based reporter’s complaint reads. Jaggernauth identifies as being of Guyanese and Jamaican ancestry on social media.

“And Bell now wants to own her likeness and her career, despite putting her in a position where she cannot earn a living wage despite giving 11 years of her career to the company.”

In a statement emailed Saturday, Bell Media said it cannot comment on matters involving current or former staff. (CP)