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

Two Canadian citizens confirmed dead in Antigua: Global Affairs
Global Affairs Canada has confirmed the death of two Canadian citizens in Antigua.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante collapses during press conference
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is 'doing well' but will reduce the pace of her activities over the next few days after collapsing during a press conference at City Hall on Tuesday morning.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Poilievre keeps scoring into the Liberals' empty net
In his column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says Pierre Poilievre's new 'Housing Hell' video dealt a 'devastating' blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals, whose cupboard seems empty of big ideas.
Here is Canada's unseasonably mild December forecast
December is predicted to be unseasonably mild across Canada, thanks to a "moderate-to-strong" El Nino and human-caused warming. Warming and precipitation trends will be stronger in some parts of the country than others, and severe weather is still possible, meteorologists say.
Israel moves into Gaza's second-largest city and intensifies strikes in bloody new phase of the war
Israel said Tuesday that its troops had entered Gaza's second-largest city as intensified bombardment sent streams of ambulances and cars racing to hospitals with wounded and dead Palestinians, including children, in a bloody new phase of the war.
Financial intel agency hands down $7.4M penalty to Royal Bank of Canada
Canada's financial intelligence agency has levied a $7.4-million penalty against the Royal Bank of Canada for non-compliance with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing measures.
U.S. made offer to bring home jailed Americans Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich. Russia rejected it
The Biden administration has made a new and significant offer aimed at securing the release of American detainees Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich, but Russia has rejected the offer, the State Department said Tuesday.
'Significant increase' in sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces, Statistics Canada reports
Statistics Canada is reporting a 'significant increase' in rates of sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) last year. The report also states instances of sexual assault were more prevalent among women.
Question of Speaker Fergus' conduct a matter for House to decide, deputy defers to MPs
MPs should decide whether House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus has impugned his impartiality by making a video in his traditional Speaker's garb that played at a partisan event, Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont ruled Tuesday.