Toronto, March 3, 2025 – In an unprecedented effort to bridge Canada’s linguistic divide, Ontario’s two public broadcasters, TVO Media Education Group (TVO) and TFO, announce “Where do the two solitudes stand in Canada?”, a joint bilingual special aimed at bringing together the country’s anglophone and francophone communities. Inspired by Hugh MacLennan’s iconic novel Two Solitudes, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, this bold initiative promises a unique experience in Canada’s media landscape.

The bilingual special was pre-recorded on January 31 at TVO’s William G. Davis  Studio in Toronto and will air on March 20, International Day of La Francophonie, at 8:00 PM EST on:

Television: TVO, TFO
Digital: TVO Today YouTube Channel, X, Smart TV app, TFO.org, the TFO app, TVO

“Where do the two solitudes stand in Canada?” is hosted by Steve Paikin, journalist, author and most, notably as the host of The Agenda With Steve Paikin, and Sandra Padovani, journalist and parliamentary correspondent for TFO’s ONFR news franchise.

The program will feature four bilingual panelists from diverse backgrounds:

• Tasha Kheiriddin, national political columnist for Postmedia, commentator in both anglophone and francophone media, and speaker
• Yann Martel, philosopher and francophone who writes in English, best known for his award-winning novel Life of Pi
• Stéphanie Chouinard, Associate Professor of Political Science at the Royal Military College of Kingston. She does research in the fields of language rights, minority and Indigenous rights, and law and politics
• Serge Dupuis, expert in the social, political, and intellectual history of francophone minorities in North America and associate member of the Chaire pour le développement de la culture d’expression française en Amérique du Nord (CEFAN) at Université Laval

The hour-long special will facilitate an open and inclusive dialogue, where both English and French will be used interchangeably. Subtitles will be available to ensure accessibility for all viewers, regardless of their language proficiency.

Xavier Bédard-Brassard, CEO of TFO, stated: “The joint special ‘Where do the two solitudes stand in Canada?’ provides an opportunity to celebrate our official bilingualism and encourage greater mutual understanding. It is time to break down communication barriers and foster a truly national conversation.”

Jeffrey L. Orridge, CEO of TVO Media Education Group, added: “As public broadcasters, we have a responsibility to reflect Canada’s diversity and build bridges between different communities. This joint project reflects our commitment to connect communities.”