Joining Radio-Canada in 1982 to host the morning radio show in Edmonton, it was in 1985 that Marie-José Turcotte became the first female sports journalist on local television.
Three years later, she was the first woman to host a sports program in Quebec when she was given the reins of The world of sports. She distinguished herself as much in the daily sports news as by writing human stories while hosting a variety of programs that covered a large number of national and international competitions.
A former high-level athlete, she told Claude Bernatchez, host of First houron the radio station of Radio-Canada in Quebec, that it was by accident that she found herself making a career as a sports journalist.
« I played sports, I was on the Canadian junior track and field team, so I was interested in that thing, but I wanted to be a foreign correspondent. That’s not exactly what I did. It’s really a combination of circumstances. When I was in Edmonton hosting the morning show, the network came to do the Gray Cup game there and I was asked to collaborate. I then offered to do summer relief work, but my boss in Edmonton didn’t want to. So I resigned to accept a nine-week contract in Montreal. That’s how it started. »
It is mainly with major competitions such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games that the public associates it. She took part in the coverage of 17 Olympic Games, including 15 as an anchor at Radio-Canada, namely those of Calgary, Seoul, Albertville, Atlanta, Nagano, Sydney, Salt Lake City, Athens, Turin, Beijing, Sochi, Rio, Pyeongchang and Tokyo, in addition to the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.
Over the years, her work as a journalist, host and anchor has earned her a large number of distinctions, including 15 Gémeaux awards as well as the title ofTV immortal
awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. She also received the René-Lecavalier journalism prize, the Molson leisure journalism prize, the title of woman of the year in communication awarded by the YWCA Foundation as well as the title of the most influential woman of the year awarded by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity.
In 2014, Marie-José Turcotte became member of the Order of Canada for helping to open the doors of journalism to women and for promoting women’s sport throughout her career.
I’m proud of my whole career, she said. What is difficult in this job is to last. I was able to be there for 40 years, including 37 in Sports. When I arrived at Sports, it was not obvious that I was going to stay there for 37 years.
« I was the first wife. Unwittingly, I opened doors and fortunately I was not aware of it because I would have taken to their heels, probably. I was young and innocent and I simply went for it. I didn’t ask myself any questions. »
Marie-José Turcotte looks back on her career.
: we have a lot of women in our department and our director Catherine Dupont makes an immeasurable effort to ensure there is fairness, there were also a lot of women analysts at the last Olympic Games. “,”text”:”It’s still a world of men, she added to Téléjournal midi her role as a pioneer in Quebec sports journalism. Radio-Canada is an exception and I am very proud of it: we have a lot of women in our department and our director Catherine Dupont makes an immeasurable effort to ensure there is fairness, there were also a lot of women analysts at the last Olympic Games. “}}”>It’s still a man’s world, she added to the Midday newscast about Quebec sports journalism and its pioneering role. Radio-Canada is an exception and I am very proud of it: we have a lot of women in our department and our director Catherine Dupont makes an immeasurable effort to ensure there is fairness, there were also a lot of women analysts at the last Olympic Games.
« But it’s still a man’s world. This is explained by the fact that professional sport is very masculine, but that is slowly changing. There are now women engaged in professional teams. It takes a long time to change mentalities. A long way has been done, there is still a long way to go. »
Rain of tributes
At Radio-Canada, as elsewhere, women occupy an ever-increasing role in television sports coverage. Both through her passion and through the excellence of her work, year after year, Marie-José Turcotte has been the spearhead of this evolution and an inspiration for generations of communicators. I thank her warmly for her exemplary career at Radio-Canada.
declared the senior vice-president of Radio-Canada, Michel Bissonnette, who wanted to pay tribute to him.
Many personalities paid tribute to this long career, in particular the former short-track speed skater Isabelle Charest, Minister for Education and the Status of Women and responsible for Sports at the Government of Quebec, for whom Marie-José Turcotte is a sport","text":"grande figure du sport"}}">great sports figure
who has always been able to translate the experience of athletes with accuracy and great respect
.
Former Paralympic champion Chantal Petitclerc, now a senator in Ottawa, wrote on Twitter that Marie-José Turcotte was a of the daring few who made way for Paralympic athletes before it was the norm
.
A great journalist, a pioneer.
And one of the few daring ones that made way for Paralympic athletes before it was the norm.
Thank you Marie-Josée: only beautiful and good for your retirement! ???????? https://t.co/U5L5Nu5yyv
— Chantal Petitclerc (@CPetitclerc) March 11, 2022
For his part, the deputy for Marquette, Enrico Ciccone, spoke of her as a great lady of class of absolute professionalism
.
To this concert of praise, the voices of a few colleagues from Radio-Canada were added. René Pothier, himself retired for a few years, although he continues to work at the Olympic Games.
« In 1988, when Serge Arsenault left, I expressed my desire to replace him, but I wanted Marie-José to get this position. I knew she was going to have an amazing career. In addition to her talent as a communicator, she is a hard worker. She has considerable love for athletes. It is associated with the promotion of women’s sport, but it is a bit simplistic. She has promoted sports across all genres, and she deserves all the praise. »
Journalist Diane Sauvé underlined how much Marie-José Turcotte had inspired her.
drive. Always wanting to learn and do better… for 40 years. Lease. “,”text”:”Hard to find someone more humble and nicer than Marie-José, she said. I remember, she took the time to calm me down when I was paralyzed when I started out in animation. What has always fascinated me over time is its drive. Always wanting to learn and do better… for 40 years. Lease. “}}”>It’s hard to find someone more humble and nicer than Marie-José, she said. I remember, she took the time to calm me down when I was paralyzed when I started out in animation. What has always fascinated me over time is its drive. Always wanting to learn and do better… for 40 years. Lease.
And if there’s anyone capable of turning on a dime, it’s Marie-Jo. I saw her go backstage at the Olympics, she was impressive. You now understand why it quickly became our reference. She will leave a big void in the department.