Book this speaker: Chantal Hébert

About This Speaker: Chantal Hébert

Chantal Hébert is a Canadian political columnist, journalist, and author. She delivers sharp analysis of national affairs in both French and English. Audiences know her from the weekly political panel At Issue on CBC’s The National and from co-hosting Peter Mansbridge’s Good Talk podcast on SiriusXM.

Her journalism career began in Toronto in 1975 as a reporter for Radio-Canada’s regional newsroom. From there, she joined the Radio-Canada team on Parliament Hill and later became parliamentary bureau chief for Le Devoir and La Presse. She eventually moved to the Toronto Star, where her columns continue to shape national debate.

A graduate of Glendon College at York University, Hébert also serves as a Senior Fellow at Massey College at the University of Toronto. Over a dozen Canadian universities have awarded her honorary degrees. She expanded her global perspective through Asia-Pacific media fellowships in Malaysia and Japan.

Recognition for her work has come throughout her career. In 2005, Hébert earned the APEX Public Service Award. The following year brought two more honors: the Hy Solomon Award for excellence in journalism and public policy, and York University’s Pinnacle Achievement Bryden Alumni Award. In 2012, she became a member of the Order of Canada. Her second book, The Morning After, analyzed the 1995 Quebec referendum and was published simultaneously in English and French in 2015.

The Parliamentary Press Gallery presented Hébert with the Charles Lynch Award in 2019 for her longstanding coverage of Canadian politics. Further recognition followed in 2024 with the Michener-Baxter Award for excellence in journalism. In 2025, she was appointed to the National Order of Quebec / l’Ordre national du Québec.

Chantal Hébert remains one of Canada’s most respected political voices, offering in-depth commentary that bridges language and cultural divides.

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