Special Guests
George Stroumboulopoulos
George Stroumboulopoulos is the host of The Hour, Canada's late night talk show. Now in its fifth season, the program has won six Gemini Awards (Canada's equivalent to an Emmy Award), two for best talk series in Canada; three for best host in a talk program or series; and a Gemini for the production design of The Hour's set. The Hour has also won a 2009 Gracie Award. It is the first international award presented to The Hour for Outstanding TV Show – Public Divsion, by the American Women of Radio and Television. The Gracie Award will be presented to the show in June 2009 at a ceremony in New York City.
The Hour is unlike any program on television. It is a hybrid of news and celebrity, reflected through in-depth conversations and dynamic production. It covers politics, the arts, entertainment, the environment, human rights, sports and more. George is one of the most respected journalists in Canada, equally comfortable speaking with a world leader as he is a rock star. He has interviewed many of the most influential and recognized people in the world. including:
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Tom Cruise, Bono, Sarah Palin, Ricky Gervais, Barbara Walters, Jesse Jackson, Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, Bob Geldof, Dr. Jane Goodall, Sir Richard Branson, Dr. David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Matt Damon, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Tony Bennett, Adrien Brody, Bill Maher, former Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien, Nobel Peace Prize winners Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Shirin Ebadi, former Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney, June Callwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tim Robbins, Lee Thomas, Russell Peters, Sean Avery, Foo Fighters, LeBron James, Coldplay, John Cusack, Spike Lee, Alan Alda, Jamie Oliver, Samuel L. Jackson, Gordon Ramsay, Kings of Leon, Iman, Danny Glover, Valerie Bertinelli, Bob Newhart, Chris Bosh, The Smashing Pumpkins, former President of Mexico Vicente Fox, Nigella Lawson, Paul Anka, MafiaBoy, Jenny McCarthy, NATO spokesperson James Appathurai, former White House Press Secretary, Scott McClellan and former President of the United States Jimmy Carter.
George is a broadcast veteran with more than 15 years of experience in radio and television. He began his journalism career in 1993 at a radio station in Kelowna, British Columbia. He has worked at Toronto sports radio station 'The Fan 590,' at rock radio station 'The Edge 102.1, and at MuchMusic - Canada's music video station - as producer and host of The NewMusic, and MuchNews. In 2007, George returned to radio, with a three hour, weekly and nationally syndicated, music and talk show, called The Strombo Show.
Prior to joining The Hour, George participated in a special feature series on CBC, 'The Greatest Canadian' in history. More than 1.2 million votes were cast over six weeks, as each of 10 advocates made their case for the Top 10 nominees. George made a personal and passionate case for Tommy Douglas, Canada's 'father of medicare,' and Douglas won. That passion has guided George's career, taking him around the world on a wide range of assignments. He has traveled to the Arctic for a special on literacy, youth culture and the loss of Inuit identity. He has been to Sudan with War Child Canada, and Zambia for a World AIDS Day special documentary.
Emmanuel Belliveau
Emmanuel Belliveau is best known as the funny, handy and handsome designer & host of HGTV’s “World’s Greenest Homes” & “My Parents House.”
Emmanuel spent most of his childhood in the East Coast of Canada. After high school he went to Dalhousie University where he earned a BSc. While studying theatre in his last year, he was approached to host an entertainment show. After graduating he moved to Vancouver, did several commercials and independents films. It was during that time that he decided to submit to his lifelong passion for architecture and design. Once he gave in, his career took off as Emmanuel honed his creative instincts while working on an international set of projects with Vancouver-based firm FNDA Architecture. There he learned all sides of his trade and refined his distinctive personal vision while collaborating with top-tier professionals on commercial and residential buildings at home and as far afield as Dubai.
Emmanuel first encountered the world of sustainable design while working on a project for his highness the Aga Khan. Since then, his introduction to some of the world’s greenest homes and their industry leading owner has embarked him on his own home renovation business. He and his team are proving you don't need to have a million dollars to have an energy efficient home that is gentler on the planet.
This fall Emmanuel begins filming WFN Green with Emmanuel Belliveau, a half hour series created to inform its viewers of the relationship between the fishing industry and the environment.