2013 Pioneers for Change - Suhana Meharchand invitation SfCarchive (cropped)

Suhana Meharchand is a Canadian retired journalist who was most recently a

CBC News Network CBC News Network (formerly CBC Newsworld) is a Canadian English-language specialty news channel owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. As Canada's first all-news channel, it is th ...

anchor and host of ''

CBC News Now ''CBC News Network'' (sometimes listed in program guides under its former title ''CBC News Now'') is the self-named rolling news program on CBC News Network. The show is broadcast weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p ...

''.

Early life

Meharchand was born in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, and raised in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, Canada. Meharchand is a graduate of broadcast journalism from

Ryerson University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...

. Her career in journalism was inspired by an uncle who ran an underground newspaper in her native South Africa.

Career

Meharchand's first jobs as a journalist were at

CHCH-TV CHCH-DT (channel 11) is an independent television station in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Channel Zero, the station maintains studios on Innovation Drive in the west end of Hamilton; prior to 2021, it was located near the corner of Jack ...

, a TV station in Hamilton, Ontario and at CBET in Windsor, Ontario. She later moved to Ottawa, where she spent three years as a general reporter and weekend anchor at CJOH-TV, a CTV affiliate. From September 1987 to July 1989, Meharchand was host and producer of ''

What's New What's New may refer to: Entertainment Music * What's New? What's New?" is a 1939 popular song composed by Bob Haggart, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was originally an instrumental tune titled "I'm Free" by Haggart in 1938, when Haggart was ...

'', CBC-TV's national news and current affairs program for young people. She subsequently became the anchor of the Saturday Evening News broadcast in the Toronto-London-Windsor region. In September 1995, she was appointed anchor of the ''CBC Evening News'' on

CBLT CBLT-DT (channel 5) is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the English-language service of CBC Television. It is part of a twinstick with Ici Radio-Canada Télé outlet CBLFT-DT (channel 25). B ...

. Meharchand replaced Bill Cameron who had moved to Halifax to anchor

CBC Newsworld CBC News Network (formerly CBC Newsworld) is a Canadian English-language specialty news channel owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. As Canada's first all-news channel, it is th ...

's morning telecast. In September 2000, following the cancellation of ''CBC Evening News,'' Meharchand moved on to anchor news broadcasts on CBC Newsworld. She later became the host of ''

Saturday Report ''Saturday Report'' (officially titled ''CBC News: Saturday Report'' from 2001 to 2009) was the primary Saturday newscast aired on CBC Television and CBC Newsworld from 1982 to 2009. Jacquie Perrin was the program's most recent regular anchor, alth ...

'', CBC's national weekend news program. Meharchand has received two

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

nominations for her work, and has won several international awards for documentary work, including awards from the

Columbus International Film & Video Festival The Columbus International Film + Animation Festival is a Columbus, Ohio, United States annual film festival which is designed to encourage and promote the use of film and video in all forms of education and communication. It is the first and ol ...

and the New York Film and TV Festival. She is the recipient of a Paul Harris Fellowship awarded by

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

and an Honorary Member of the Canadian Women's Foundation. She retired from CBC News on September 30, 2022, after a 36-year career.

Personal life

Meharchand is of Indian ancestry. She was married to federal politician and former broadcaster

Adam Vaughan Adam G. Vaughan (born July 3, 1961) is a Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2014 until 2021. Vaughan represented the Toronto area riding of Spadina—Fort York as a member of the Liberal Party. He previously sat o ...

, and she had one of her three children with him. In 2016, she announced she was diagnosed with

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

. Meharchand actively supports Performers for Literacy, Gems of Hope, the Redwood Shelter for Women and Children, the Canadian Paraplegic Association, The Hospital for Sick Children and the Princess Margaret Breast Cancer Centre.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meharchand, Suhana 1962 births Canadian television news anchors Canadian people of Indian descent Living people Toronto Metropolitan University alumni South African emigrants to Canada South African people of Indian descent CBC Television people Canadian women television journalists 20th-century Canadian journalists 21st-century Canadian journalists 20th-century Canadian women