Tony Grace says goodbye to CTV Kitchener
After four years in Kitchener, and 22 years with CTV, Tony Grace is taking his talent to CTV National News.
On his last week at CTV Kitchener before embarking on a new adventure, he sat down with CTV’s Leighanne Evans to look back at some of his memories in Waterloo Region.
Tony has been in the industry for 26 years and said there’s always been something extra special about telling local news stories.
“The family environment in the newsrooms, in the communities where you live, you see people who watch on a regular basis. You meet them at the grocery store and at the gas station – just living out in the community. And there’s something that’s always been so fulfilling about that,” Tony said.
He said he’s grown to love Waterloo Region, and it’s difficult to leave such a great local news team, but he’s also up for a new challenge.
“I feel ready,” he told Leighanne.
In addition to his duties at CTV Kitchener, Tony has also been occasionally filling in as a backup anchor on CTV News Channel since 2021.
He says delivering breaking news to a national audience is an incredible responsibility which he’s grown to enjoy.
While he’s excited about the new chapter, he says saying goodbye to Waterloo Region and the connections he’s made isn’t easy.
“We show up for each other every day. We show up for one another. This is a team sport. We’re part of each other’s lives,” he said about his coworkers at CTV Kitchener. “This is a family.”
“You made this newsroom whole. We’re going to miss you so much,” said Leighanne.
Leighanne also asked some bucket list question to lighten the mood that included his dream interview, favourite food and places.
ON TO NATIONAL NEWS
Tony said he’s looking forward to being a part of the national team, sharing the day’s news to the country, at a time when accurate, credible information has never been more important.
“The opportunity to be part of a team that delivers that on a national level is going to be an incredible privilege.”
Tony starts his role at CTV National News on Sunday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Widow takes Ontario police to court over declaration misconduct in her husband's death was 'not serious'
A grieving widow is taking the Ontario Provincial Police to court as she challenges its decision to call the misconduct of an officer that contributed to her husband’s death 'not of a serious nature.'
Federal government to announce details of dental insurance plan
Several government ministers are expected to launch today a new federal dental insurance plan that will provide benefits directly to eligible Canadian residents, though the first claims won't be processed until May.
Year in search: What did Canadians Google in 2023?
From the Women's World Cup and Jeremy Renner to the Titan submersible, deadly earthquakes and the war in Gaza, Canadians searched far and wide on Google this year. These are the top queries in Canada for 2023.
Nearly half of Canadians think carbon tax is ineffective at fighting climate change: Nanos
A new survey has found that Canadians are feeling slightly more confident in the carbon tax’s effectiveness at combatting climate change than they were a few months ago—but uncertainty is still high.
Several seriously injured when construction site elevator crashes to the ground in Sweden
A construction site elevator plunged to the ground in Stockholm on Monday, seriously injuring five people, Swedish authorities said.
Israel battles militants in Gaza's main cities, with civilians trapped in the fighting
Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants in Gaza's two largest cities on Monday, with civilians still trapped in the fighting even after hundreds of thousands have fled to other parts of the besieged territory.
'Barbie' leads Golden Globe nominations with 9, followed closely by 'Oppenheimer'
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” dominated the Golden Globe Awards nominations with nine nods for the blockbuster film, including best picture musical or comedy as well as acting nominations for Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and three of its original songs.
BlackBerry appoints new CEO
BlackBerry said on Monday it appointed John Giamatteo as CEO, effective immediately.
Buckingham Palace releases this year’s Christmas card
Buckingham Palace released an image of the Christmas card that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be sending out this year.