In a two-page spread in Saturday’s Globe and Mail, the dispatch signed by a who’s who of Canadian arts, business and politics—including former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, singer Anne Murray and BlackBerry co-founder Jim Balsilie—said LaFlamme it was a prize.  -She earned leading ratings for the company “until she changed one thing: her hair color.”
“In making their ‘career decision,’ Bell confirmed a sad truth: even after all the progress women have made, they continue to face sexism and ageism at work every day in ways that are unacceptable,” it said. the letter addressed to the board of directors and management of BCE and Bell Canada;
He said LaFlamme’s firing has destroyed confidence in Bell Media, the parent company of CTV News and CP24, and questions how the company will “make things right.”
The letter, published on the front page of the national newspaper’s weekend edition, was also signed by former New Brunswick Lt. Gov. Margaret Norrie McCain, Indigo CEO Heather Raisman, singer Jan Arden, retired Lt.-Gen.  Romeo Dallaire, former federal politicians Lloyd Axworthy and Catherine McKenna and author Louise Penny, among many others.
Bell Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.
The open letter is part of the backlash that has engulfed Bell Media since LaFlamme was fired earlier this month.
Its publication came a day after Bell Media executive Michael Melling took a leave of absence from his job amid the ongoing fallout.
The controversy is raising questions among media observers about whether sexism and ageism played a role in the upset and has sparked a reckoning with the ongoing gender discrimination women face in the workplace.
LaFlamme, who has covered stories ranging from wars and natural disasters to elections and the Olympics, announced in a video shared on social media that her contract had been terminated.
In the video shared nearly two weeks ago, the longtime CTV National News anchor said she was blindsided by the company’s decision.
Bell Media said terminating LaFlamme’s contract after 35 years was a business decision, adding that the company wanted to move the lead news anchor role in a “different direction.”
Bell Media said it takes the discrimination allegations “very seriously” and is taking steps to launch an internal, third-party workplace review of the newsroom in the coming weeks.
An internal memo Friday said Melling’s decision to take a leave of absence “reflects our desire to support the newsroom and do our best to help the team overcome the current circumstances.”
Richard Gray, currently regional general manager of the eastern region, will assume the role of associate vice president of news, supported by Karine Moses, senior vice president of content development and news, the memo said.
LaFlamme has garnered strong support on social media since announcing her retirement.  Brands including Wendy’s, Dove and Sports Illustrated have publicly supported the 58-year-old journalist, who has been open about not dying her gray hair.
Wendy’s changed its red-haired mascot’s signature hair to gray, while Dove announced it would donate $100,000 to Catalyst, a Canadian organization that helps create better workplaces for women.
Sports Illustrated retweeted its cover featuring 74-year-old model Maye Musk.
LaFlamme’s departure and her replacement were both announced on August 15, disappointing viewers who thought she should have had a proper signing and retrospective career.
Bell Media said it “regrets” the way LaFlamme’s departure was handled, as it “may have left viewers with the wrong impression” that her career story was underappreciated.
LaFlamme said in her video that she found out in June that Bell Media was ending its contract with CTV National News, but kept the decision under wraps until the details were finalized.  Omar Sahedina was appointed as her replacement.
In a town hall meeting with staff last week, Moses said LaFlamme declined the chance to say goodbye on air.
In a recording of the meeting obtained by The Canadian Press, he told employees that LaFlamme wasn’t just being kicked out of the company.
“She was offered a lot of options to come back and do a lot of things, which she turned down, and I respect that,” Moses said, without offering details about the other job opportunities Bell Media presented to LaFlamme.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 27, 2022.