Journalism Homecoming Reunion

Debra Arbec is the host of CBC Montreal News at 6, bringing viewers the local news of the day. Debra’s passion lies in politics and hearing and sharing people’s stories. The program brings a good mix of both, including interviews with newsmakers, politicians, and interesting Montrealers with great stories to tell. From the anchor desk and in the field, over the last few decades, Debra has covered many of the biggest news stories in the province. At CBC, that includes the election-night shooting at the Parti Québécois victory rally, the devastating Lac Megantic train disaster, the floods of 2017 and 2019 and of course, the pandemic. After a months-long investigation, Debra broke the story about how the Montreal-based UN aviation agency ICAO, tried to cover up a 2016 cyberattack. The story won her a nomination for a CAJ award, which recognizes the best in Canadian investigative journalism. Debra has won several RTDNA awards for her reporting and has been nominated several times as best local anchor by the Canadian Screen Awards. 

Jean-François Bégin, GrDip 97 – La Presse

Jean-François Bégin graduated from Concordia's Graduate Diploma in Journalism program in 1997, after completing a law degree at Laval University and passing the Québec Bar exam. He started at La Presse as an intern the same year and was officially hired in January 1998, in the early days of the ice storm crisis. He covered health care before spending three years on leave in London as a freelancer, along with his wife, then-UK correspondent and now columnist at La Presse, Isabelle Hachey. Back in Montreal, he was a sports columnist for La Presse from 2003 to 2010, covering three Olympics and countless disappointments from the Montreal Canadiens along the way. His last assignment was the World Cup of soccer in South Africa, in 2010, after which he became the sports editor, and two years later, the general news editor. After a stint as a national correspondent in 2015-16, he returned to management, eventually becoming La Presse managing editor in 2018, a position he still holds.

Sean Henry, BA 01 – CBC Montreal

Award-winning journalist Sean Henry is the host of Daybreak, CBC Montreal's weekday morning radio show. Sean is a veteran journalist and broadcaster. In his different roles at CBC, from TV news anchor to VJ to newsreader to reporter, Sean has delivered journalism that Montrealers and Quebecers count on. He is a Montrealer through and through, with an extensive knowledge of and connection to the many parts of the city and the people in it. 

Sean joined the Montreal newsroom in 2012 after seven years at CBC Windsor. While in Windsor, Sean regularly anchored for both CBC-TV and Radio, worked as a court reporter and video-journalist. One of the highlights of Sean's time in Windsor was covering the funeral of civil rights activist Rosa Parks in Detroit. Prior to moving to Windsor, Sean reported from the Quebec City courthouse and the National Assembly for Global Quebec.

Sean has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Concordia University. He also has a law certificate from Université de Montreal and has completed coursework with TELUQ and Algonquin College. Sean has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, studies ballet and has trained in circus aerial silks and straps. He grew up in LaSalle, and now calls the city's east end home.

Aalia Adam, BA 12 – Global News

An award-winning journalist, Aalia Adam is a multi-market anchor for Global News in Montreal, Halifax and New Brunswick.

Born and raised in Montreal, Aalia discovered her passion for storytelling at 16 years old, when she travelled to southern Africa and was inspired to create a documentary on HIV-AIDS. By 17, she was interning at Global Montreal and got hired as a reporter just shy of completing her journalism degree at Concordia in 2012. While working at Global Montreal, she covered major news stories such as the Lac-Megantic train derailment, federal and provincial elections, and Nelson Mandela’s funeral in South Africa. 

Looking to diversify her experience, she spent a year reporting on live breaking news for Breakfast Television Montreal and then went on to work as a reporter for CTV Montreal. After moving to Toronto, she reunited with Global News as an online video journalist and the host and anchor of Global News Weekend. 

Katelyn Thomas, BA 20 – Montreal Gazette

Katelyn Thomas is a general assignment reporter and occasional copy editor at the Montreal Gazette, where she has worked since early 2021. She previously interned at the Gazette as well as CJAD 800 and worked as a digital reporter at CTV Montreal. She also served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper The Concordian. Katelyn began her professional career the very same week COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, forcing her to dive head first into one beat that lasted several years. Among other things, she reported on daily COVID-19 updates, ever-changing government guidelines and infectious disease specialists’ opinion on them, the coroner’s inquest into deaths at long-term care homes and, later, on how at-risk Quebecers felt abandoned by their government. Katelyn has a particular interest in social issues and human-interest stories. At Concordia, Katelyn worked on “Tainted H2O,” an award-winning investigation into the presence of lead in Quebec drinking water, and “From shore to sky: a reconciliation story,” an award-winning documentary about a remote Indigenous community making an innovative transition to clean energy.

Andrea Hunter, associate professor and chair, Department of Journalism

Andrea Hunter has worked for CBC Radio on national and regional shows for over a decade. She was a producer, on-air contributor, and fill-in host of The Roundup, a daily national arts and entertainment program on CBC Radio One. She has also been a producer, reporter, and host on morning and afternoon shows on CBC Radio One in Prince Rupert, Halifax, Vancouver, Victoria and Ottawa. She has contributed to Definitely Not the Opera on CBC Radio One, The World at Six, and has been an associate producer on Studio Sparks, a national classical music program on CBC Radio Two. She began her career in private radio and television, working in Northern Manitoba and Northern B.C.