First Indigenous host of CBC’s Up North radio program debuts on National Indigenous Peoples Day

By Rick Garrick

FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION—Wasauksing’s Waubgeshig Rice enjoyed his first experience as the new host of CBC’s Up North afternoon radio program during the National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration on Mt. McKay.

“It was very fast paced and a lot of things to do on the fly, but I felt very comfortable,” Rice says. “The nerves were there leading up to it but once we got on air and started rolling, it felt good, felt natural.”

Rice says the Mt. McKay Pow Wow grounds was a “beautiful” location to host his first Up North show.

“As [CBC Thunder Bay news editor] Mary-Jean Cormier said earlier, being able to work from here is like — how could you call it work?” Rice says. “Because it is a great day, you’re meeting people and telling cool stories and just being in this spectacular setting.”

Rice says the show was an Up North special called Champions of Change.

“What we’re doing is highlighting people from different regions across Ontario, Indigenous people who are doing fun and exciting and important things in their communities, with contributions from CBC London, Hamilton, Kitchener, Windsor, Sudbury and Thunder Bay all together,” Rice says. “It’s just a great chance to be live on location and to highlight this beautiful space and take part in the National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations.”

Rice is “very honoured” to be the first Indigenous host of a CBC Ontario program.

“I feel very privileged to have this opportunity,” Rice says. “It comes with great responsibility obviously, and I just hope I do our communities justice throughout northern Ontario.”

Rice adds that Up North is a shared show between CBC Sudbury and CBC Thunder Bay.

“I’m based in Sudbury, but obviously work very closely with our Thunder Bay colleagues every day putting the show together,” Rice says. “So this is a cool opportunity for me to come up here this week and just to get to know everybody and sort of talk about the show and what we want for it going forward.”

Rice was announced as the new Up North host on June 11. The two-hour weekday afternoon program covers the day’s news and events from across northern Ontario. It is broadcast from 4-6 p.m. on CBC Radio One from Thunder Bay and Sudbury.

“I’ve always been interested in pursuing more of a current affairs sort of side of CBC and just recently moved to Sudbury in the fall to work at CBC in another position with syndication doing current affairs producing and reporting,” Rice says. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to highlight some of the great communities in the region and meet some fascinating people and help tell their compelling stories.”

Rice initially joined CBC Manitoba as a TV and radio reporter in 2006 before moving on to CBC Toronto in 2010 and later CBC Ottawa as a video journalist for local TV news.

“I’m thrilled that Waub will be our new afternoon show host,” says Marissa Nelson, senior managing director, Ontario Region. “He’s deeply rooted in Ontario’s north and will ensure the program continues to represent a variety of local voices. As CBC Ontario’s first Indigenous host of a local radio show, I couldn’t be more proud of him. As I’m sure you will learn, Waub is an incredible story-teller, he’s naturally curious and always compassionate. He’ll be juggling a lot over the next short while — a new job as your host and as a new father, but I’m sure he’s up to the task.”