CBC Thunder Bay today announced that Sean Vanderklis has been named as the new host of SUPERIOR MORNING, weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. ET on CBC Radio One and the CBC Listen App. Vanderklis will assume hosting duties mid-fall.
Vanderklis is Mississauga from Curve Lake First Nation. He was born and raised in southern Ontario’s Niagara region. Vanderklis brings a wealth of experience to the role, including extensive understanding of Indigenous communities. His innate curiosity, leadership roles and strong connections to community and culture have shaped his worldview, and he brings a unique approach that will lead to interesting conversations.
“I am excited to be joining the CBC Thunder Bay team as Superior Morning host and being welcomed into listeners’ homes,” says Vanderklis. “It will be an honour to build on the legacy of Lisa Laco. I intend to serve the Thunder Bay area with the same passion she brought to the role, going above and beyond to bring the stories that matter to my new community.”
“Sean is an adept storyteller, who will help us strengthen community connections, expand our audience, and drive coverage reflecting the diversity of northern Ontario, especially with our Indigenous communities,” says Ron Desmoulins, interim executive producer CBC Thunder Bay. “A natural born communicator at heart, he genuinely enjoys helping people tell their story and I know our Superior Morning audiences will be well served with him in the host chair.”
Vanderklis began his journalism career in 2016, co-founding the podcast “One Dish, One Mic” with Karl Dockstader. Their goal was to tell stories that mainstream media was not covering and highlight issues facing Indigenous people. In 2019, the show moved to broadcast on Bell Media’s Newstalk 610 CKTB.
Vanderklis was awarded the 2020 CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships by the Canadian Journalism Foundation. Since completing the fellowship, Vanderklis has held a number of roles with CBC, including reporting for smaller markets across Ontario and hosting their annual National Indigenous People’s Day program special WE WALK TOGETHER; and working with UNRESERVED, CBC Radio One’s Indigenous program. He has also been a reporter for the Niagara Falls Review.
Vanderklis has a passion and desire for change, reflected in his volunteerism with the Niagara Regional Native Centre Board of Directors; the St. Catharines’ Equity and Inclusion committee; and the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. When he’s not chasing down stories or volunteering, he can be seen on the Pow Wow trail or in a lacrosse arena. Vanderklis is a Grass Dancer and plays in a senior lacrosse league.
SUPERIOR MORNING can be heard weekday mornings from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. ET on CBC Radio One and the CBC Listen App. The show takes a look at the day's news and events from across northwestern Ontario.
CBC Radio One Thunder Bay: 88.3 FM
About CBC/Radio-Canada:
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
For further information, please contact:
Frances Bedford, CBC PR
416-205-7673
frances.bedford@cbc.ca
