CEO's Message

For TVO, as for all Ontarians, 2020-2021 was a year unlike any other. It was a year of challenges that inspired ingenuity, created historic opportunities to make positive contributions to learning in Ontario, and marked major milestones that made us all proud.

We celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2020, recognizing five decades of contributions to learning in Ontario and honouring the thousands of donors who help make it all possible. Legislation was passed to expand our mandate, opening the door for a tremendous opportunity to play a more significant role in delivering online education to students across the province. We rose to the challenges presented by the pandemic, providing unmatched current affairs coverage and curriculum-linked learning tools and programming for families across the province. And we began the process of developing a new strategic plan to lead TVO into the future. 

I joined TVO midway through this momentous year, so while I didn’t share in all these successes, I certainly share the pride we have in them. I extend my sincere congratulations and thanks to the TVO team, including Jennifer Hinshelwood who so ably led the team during our leadership transition, the board of directors and its Chair Chris Day, for all they’ve accomplished. It’s a team I am thrilled to have joined and am excited to be a part of.  

This year has served as confirmation that—thanks to the talent and commitment of our people—TVO can adjust and adapt quickly to meet the needs of Ontarians. It proved, unequivocally, that we are nimble, dedicated to going above and beyond to keep Ontarians informed, and we are prepared and poised to play a central role in the online learning space in this province.  

While it was a historic year for TVO, history of a very different nature was also being made across North America. The killing of George Floyd catalyzed a movement that brought about a new, heightened level of consciousness concerning the treatment of racialized communities and marginalized groups. At TVO, it re-energized and elevated the importance of the on-going conversations we were having about issues related to racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We came together to discuss, debate, and decide what additional action we can take as individuals and as an organization to effect meaningful change.    

As an organization, TVO excels at encouraging this kind of discourse. This is evident in our diverse programming and current affairs coverage, our leadership team’s commitment to the core values of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the increasingly high levels of participation in DE&I-related activities and development opportunities. There is still a long road to travel on our DE&I journey, but TVO is well on its way, and our commitment is only getting stronger.    

Our new strategic plan will help guide us on that journey. When completed and finalized in the coming months, the new plan will be an exciting refresh of our vision for TVO’s future. It will bring all of TVO together as we work towards our common goal: To inspire learning that changes lives and enriches communities.   

Sincerely,  

Jeffrey L. Orridge

Chief Executive Officer, TVO