CBC Thunder Bay and CBC Sudbury today announced that Waubgeshig Rice has been named as the new host of UP NORTH, weekdays from 4 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET on CBC Radio One. Rice will start at CBC Sudbury today, and will assume hosting duties on June 25.

Rice calls northern Ontario home. Originally from Wasauksing First Nation, he returned to Sudbury to be close to his family roots when he took on a reporter position in the CBC Sudbury newsroom.

“Hosting Up North is a great honour and an exciting opportunity to start compelling conversations with the vibrant communities across northern Ontario,” says Rice. ”This is a region rich with stories and fascinating people and cultures. I feel very fortunate and privileged to be able to share the experiences of northern Ontarians with others throughout the region and beyond. I hope listeners will welcome us into their homes and join in the conversations.”

Rice will be the first Indigenous host of a CBC Ontario program. He brings his Anishinaabe culture into his storytelling along with a desire to highlight voices from Indigenous communities.

"I'm thrilled that Waub will be our new afternoon show host,” says Marissa Nelson, senior managing director, Ontario Region. “He's deeply rooted in Ontario's north and will ensure the program continues to represent a variety of local voices.  As CBC Ontario's first Indigenous host of a local radio show, I couldn't be more proud of him.  As I'm sure you will learn, Waub is an incredible story-teller, he's naturally curious and always compassionate. He'll be juggling a lot over the next short while — a new job as your host and as a new father, but I'm sure he's up to the task.

"We're so pleased to welcome someone of Waub's calibre to our team!” says Fiona Christensen, executive producer, CBC Sudbury. “Waub is a talented, thoughtful and curious journalist with a passion for Northern Ontario and a passion for story-telling. He'll bring a unique perspective to Up North and I'm very excited about the possibilities."

Rice got his first taste of journalism at age 17 when writing for Ontario-based newspapers about his experiences as an Anishinaabe exchange student in northern Germany. In 2006, he joined CBC Manitoba as a TV and radio reporter in the Winnipeg newsroom, where he filed local and national stories. Rice co-produced a television special Right to Health with KPBS in San Diego which was nominated for a regional Emmy award in 2009. In 2010 he moved on to CBC Toronto and then CBC Ottawa to work as a video journalist for local TV news. Rice has produced radio and television documentaries for CBC and contributed to special projects such as ReVision Quest and 8th Fire.

UP NORTH is broadcast weekday afternoons from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The show takes a look at the day's news and events from across northern Ontario.

CBC Radio One Sudbury: 99.9 FM
CBC Radio One Thunder Bay: 88.3 FM
CBC.ca/Sudbury
CBC.ca/ThunderBay
@UpNorthCBC
@CBCSudbury
@CBCTBay
Facebook.com/upnorthcbc

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 are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

For further information, please contact:
Nicola Makoway, publicist, CBC
nicola.makoway@cbc.ca
416-205-7673 (office)
416-526-7626 (mobile)