Lorraine thomson

From Wikipedia

Lorraine Thomson studied dance in Toronto with Gwyneth Lloyd and Betty Oliphant. While continuing her studies in New York City, Lorraine was offered a job with The Rockettes but chose to return to Canada and was the first dancer hired by CBC television. She danced on all the major Variety shows in the 1950's including "Wayne & Shuster", "The Barris Beat" and "The Denny Vaughn Show." She became a frequent guest on current affairs programs such as "Open House", "Tabloid", "701", and "Front Page Challenge". In 1963, Lorraine auditioned to host a daily CBC radio show, "Audio", and was chosen from amongst 20 contenders. Lorraine was invited to NYC for a two week audition for "The Today Show" but she again chose to stay in Canada. In 1972, Lorraine returned to Variety to be the story producer on "Front Page Challenge". She began an interview series "V.I.P.[Very Interesting People]" for which she conducted over 70 interviews. Over 20 years, Lorraine did more than 4000 interviews: highlights include Prince Phillip at Buckingham Palace, Lord Thomson of Fleet, Martha Mitchell, Harrison Salisbury, Eric Bruhn, Clare Booth Luce, Sir Edward Heath, and Patricia Neal. Lorraine created television programs about the women who founded three major Canadian ballet companies, Celia Franca of the National Ballet of Canada, Gwyneth Lloyd of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Ludmilla Chiriaeff of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.Lorraine co-produced, wrote and hosted these programs for CBC television. Lorraine became the first woman to produce Variety specials on television for Juliette, Gordon Pinsent and others. Lorraine also co-founded the ACTRA Awards celebrating the best in radio and television. She produced these for 8 seasons for ACTRA in co-operation with CBC television. Lorraine was nominated as Best Host Television, Best Host Radio for an Actra Award, and for a Gemini as a writer and co/producer of a Variety special. Her career included elected positions on the ACTRA board as a member, national treasurer, and vice president. In 1975, International Women's Year, she was chosen as a delegate to attend meetings in England , Germany, and the USSR. In 1982, she was elected to the Actra Fraternal Benefit Society as its first female Governor. When she retired, she was awarded a life membership. With the support of AFBS she created the Oral History Project to preserve and celebrate the history of the Canadian broadcast industry. In 1989, Lorraine accepted an appointment to the Federal Immigration and Refugee Board to judge refugee claims, a post she held for five years. In 2000, she persuaded AFBS to begin efforts to create the first Broadcast Museum in Canada. Lorraine is currently a founding member of the Canadian Broadcast Museum Board. Lorraine was married to Julius Mallin, the father of her two children, Francesca and James. In 1982, she married Knowlton Nash, journalist, foreign correspondent, television executive, and former CBC National News anchor. They have 3 grandchildren, Jesse and Robert Parker and Daisy Mallin. They live in Toronto.