Betty Thompson

Betty is a native of Walkerton, Ontario and received her elementary education in Peterborough, Ontario.

While she was a co-hostess on a radio program called “Keyclub Capers” in Peterborough, Canadian Broadcaster Paul Reed suggested that she seek a career in broadcasting. She attended the Radio and Television Arts course at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto and after she graduated, was hired as a copywriter by CKCO-TV in Kitchener. She also worked in various capacities in southern Ontario in Television.

In 1968, Betty entered Teachers College, graduating with the McGraw-Hill award for leadership. Her career as a teacher consisted of two years at Otonabee Valley Public School in Peterborough, where she taught grade one children.

In the fall of 1971, Betty retuned to CKCO-TV in Kitchener, where she was hired as hostess for CTV’s “Romper Room”, then seen on twenty major CTV stations across Canada. She held that position for three years. In 1976, she created a new program “Flower Spot” which was syndicated across Canada. Her daily program “Betty and Friends”, which ran until the fall of 1980, was replace by “Tempo Ontario”. After a two year stint on this show, Betty was assigned her own program “Be My Guest” in the fall of 1983. She is currently hosting a program “Morning Magazine” weekdays at 11:00a.m.

In 1977, Betty won the coveted “Person of the Year” Flowers Canada Award. That same year, she was chosen Professional Woman of the Year for her professional success as well as community involvement... and Betty is involved in the community.

She was the first woman director on the Board of Oktoberfest Inc., and past chairwoman and originator of the Oktoberlest Women’s Committee. She chaired the Special Events Committee during the Ontario Summer Games in August 1977 and is chairperson for the same committee for the 1990 Ontario Summer Games.

Still involved in community services, Betty is Past President of K-W Big Sisters, on the Board of the K-W Art Gallery and Past President and Charter Member of Zonta - a professional organization for Women. She has also served on the boards of V.O.N., Salvation Army, Parents Are People Too, and the John Howard Society. This past year, she formed a new auxiliary, promotion arm of the K-W Big Sisters, called “Best Friends of Big Sisters”. Its mandate is to raise funds for Big Sisters on an ongoing basis.

Betty and her husband Ken love to love to travel - Greece, Scandanavia, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Barbados.

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