![]() |
| Laurier LaPierre, Dinah Christie and Patrick Watson |
In a strange turn of events two key figures from a landmark CBC public affairs show have died within days of each other. On December 17, Laurier LaPierre who served as a co-host with Patrick Watson and Dinah Christie for
This Hour Has Seven Days died and two days later the co-founder of the program with Watson, Douglas Leiterman suffered the same fate.
![]() |
| Douglas Leiterman |
Originally aired on October 4, 1964, the one hour program was a hybrid of satire and hard news which courted controversy by ambushing politicians whether at home or work while also profiling cultural figures such as Leonard Cohen. LaPierre was criticized for unprofessional behaviour for wiping away tears on the air after an interview with mother of Steven Truscott, a 14 year old boy who was later discovered to have been wrongfully sentenced to death for murder. Other polarizing television moments included an interview with Ku Klux Klan members which resulted in an unannounced black civil rights activist being brought in to join the discussion and coverage of the Munsinger Affair that led to documentary filmmaker Larry Zolf being hit in the head with a cane by former Minister of Defence Pierre Sévigny who was embroiled in a sex scandal at the time. The forerunner for
60 Minutes and
The Daily Show,
This Hour Has Seven Days was cancelled on May 8, 1966.
Laurier LaPierre openly declared himself to be gay at a public rally during the 1980s and was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2001 while Douglas Leiterman formed Hobel-Leiterman Productions where he continued to make documentaries. LaPierre is survived by his long-time partner Harvey Slack. As for Leiterman, he leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Beryl Fox, his daughters Lachlan, Catherine, Julia and Barbara, and sister Phyllis King.
