愛污传媒

W5
W5

    • 'The Amazing Race Canada' winner on bringing hope to others, 9 years after devastating diagnosis

    Share

    Catherine Wreford Ledlow is no shrinking violet.

    She studied with the , performed at the Stratford Festival, danced on the stage in Toronto, achieved her life鈥檚 dream of being on Broadway and tasted success in Los Angeles.

    She and best friend Craig Ramsay even won , beating out nine other teams in a gruelling competition. Not too shabby! A triple threat artist: dance, vocals, acting. Catherine鈥檚 motto, she will tell you, is, 鈥淚 can do that.鈥

    Catherine and Craig were crowned champions of 'The Amazing Race Canada' in 2022. Their participation in the show came almost a decade after Catherine was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and had two to six years to live (Photo: CTV The Amazing Race Canada)

    In an interview with CTV鈥檚 W5, Catherine said, 鈥淚 had all this confidence and I just wanted to get better and better.鈥 She did.

    Catherine鈥檚 mom, Diane Wreford, a former radio personality, describes her daughter as having 鈥渟o much energy, we had to make sure there were places to channel it.鈥

    The two women are very close, closer now that 42-year-old Catherine鈥檚 energy is being channeled towards the fight of her life. More than nine years ago, she was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare malignant brain tumour, and she was given two to six years to live. She鈥檚 outlived the prognosis.

    As Diane told us, 鈥淐atherine is one of those people you go to cheer up, and she ends up cheering you up. She鈥檚 very positive.鈥

    Diane is embracing her daughter鈥檚 positivity, but knows time is precious, which is why the extended family is spending time together, living just a few blocks apart in Winnipeg.

    It鈥檚 given Catherine鈥檚 two children, Elliot, 12 and Quinn, 9, a chance to bond with their grandparents, and Diane, a chance to perpetuate her daughter鈥檚 legacy.

    鈥淓very day I will tell them how silly she was, or she used to do that.鈥

    It鈥檚 those stories Catherine wants her mother to share with her kids, because the children know, 鈥渕y time is limited and that I鈥檓 doing my best to stay here as long as I can. 鈥

    Catherine is also paying it forward by bringing hope to others. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 not inspirational, then I鈥檝e lost my way. I want people to see that things are possible, even with a terminal diagnosis.鈥

    Catherine Wreford Ledlow speaks with CTV W5's Sandie Rinaldo

    No one looking at Catherine today will believe she鈥檚 fighting a fatal disease.

    She says, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of the trouble with it. It鈥檚 an invisible disease. And so I have to talk about it. Not so people go, 'oh poor Catherine,' but so people go, 'oh wow, she has brain cancer, but she can still do this and this and this and this.'鈥

    Doctors cannot explain why Catherine has survived this long, but if a passion for life, pushing the limits, and pursuing new experiences is the answer, it will be a mother鈥檚 gift to her children when time moves on without her and memories start to fade.

    Catherine and Craig dancing. They first met at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School over two decades ago (W5)

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    BREAKING

    BREAKING Interest rate drops to 3.75% as Bank of Canada makes another cut

    The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

    A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

    Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    Canada

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING Interest rate drops to 3.75% as Bank of Canada makes another cut

      The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

    • A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

    • An oil salvage operation is underway on the fragile wreckage of a U.S. army transport ship that sank almost 80 years ago off coastal British Columbia in a race to head off an eruption of thousands of litres of oil that a coast guard official says is "near imminent."

    • British Columbia's highest court has weighed in on a dispute over an inflatable hot tub a couple set up on their condo's patio 鈥 potentially bringing a close to the years-long conflict.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    • A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    • The estimated population of North Atlantic right whales increased in 2023, but a group of international marine scientists say human behaviour still poses a significant threat to the critically endangered species.

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors kick off the new NBA season tonight as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers.

    • Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, last season's Vezina Trophy winner, recorded 27 saves to spark the undefeated Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

    • Danton Heinen scored two of Vancouver's four first-period goals, and the Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Tuesday night for their third straight win.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

    • An oil salvage operation is underway on the fragile wreckage of a U.S. army transport ship that sank almost 80 years ago off coastal British Columbia in a race to head off an eruption of thousands of litres of oil that a coast guard official says is "near imminent."

    • Green Leader Sonia Furstenau is set to meet the media for the first time since British Columbia's indecisive election on Saturday, amid speculation about a possible minority government.

    • Danton Heinen scored two of Vancouver's four first-period goals, and the Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Tuesday night for their third straight win.

    • The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) and opposition leaders at Queen's Park are calling on the government to reduce, or eliminate, parking fees at hospitals for staff, patients and visitors.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING Interest rate drops to 3.75% as Bank of Canada makes another cut

      The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

    • A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING Interest rate drops to 3.75% as Bank of Canada makes another cut

      The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      The majority of Monday鈥檚 snow melted on Tuesday thanks to some sunny weather, and road conditions vastly improved in and around Calgary.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING Interest rate drops to 3.75% as Bank of Canada makes another cut

      The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

    • An Orl茅ans property that once belonged to a religious order is now in the City of Ottawa's hands.

    • Popular Kanata restaurant D'Arcy McGee's has suddenly closed its doors. In a post on Facebook Tuesday night, D'Arcy McGee's said, "We will sadly be closing our doors."

    • Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante will not be seeking reelection.

    • The majority of optometrists in Quebec will withdraw from the public health-care insurance program (RAMQ) as of Nov. 22, meaning that patients covered by the public plan will have to pay for services.

    • The death of a woman in her 50s in Montreal's Anjou borough is being considered as 'suspicious' by authorities.

    • The Carolina Hurricanes really turned the tide in the third period on Tuesday night.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      Cool mornings and mild afternoons through the rest of this week in Edmonton and area.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING Interest rate drops to 3.75% as Bank of Canada makes another cut

      The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

    • Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    • The president of a popular New Brunswick potato chip company has been arrested for domestic violence in Bangor, Maine.

    • A special weather statement is in effect Wednesday as Environment Canada warns of possible heavy rain and strong winds in parts of Nova Scotia later this week.

    • An armed man was restrained by customers after he attempted to rob a Winnipeg restaurant on Monday.

    • Folks making the trek to and from Thompson along Highway 6 are once again without a bathroom break鈥 at least for now.

    • The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) has made an arrest in a string of assaults that took place in and near the downtown area across several months.

    • Candidates across Saskatchewan are making their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 election campaign is quickly approaching its end.

    • Emergency crews battled a garage fire in west Regina on Tuesday evening.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING Interest rate drops to 3.75% as Bank of Canada makes another cut

      The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

    • Waterloo Regional Police are investigating a sudden death in Kitchener.

    • Employees at a grocery store in Cambridge had a surprising start to their morning as they walked in to work to find a fire.

    • Ontario Provincial Police are looking for a missing teenager from Goderich.

    • Candidates across Saskatchewan are making their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 election campaign is quickly approaching its end.

    • A Saskatoon family is voicing concerns after paying twice as much PST as expected on a recently purchased truck.

    • Hundreds of voter information cards have landed in the wrong hands.

    • Greater Sudbury has ended the employment of CAO Ed Archer, Mayor Paul Lefebvre announced suddenly Tuesday evening

    • Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    • A man is miraculously alive after driving his pickup truck through the fence and down a 150-foot embankment at Hawk Cliff in near Port Stanley, Ont.

    • Police said the house is believed to be empty and abandoned and it's not known yet if the driver of the truck is injured.

    • On Oct. 18, London police were contacted by Toronto Police Service requesting help to find a Toronto man wanted for multiple robbery and firearms related offences.

    • A 18-yeare-old driver smashed into a well-lit cruiser after evading police.

    • A thriving circular economy extends the lives of products.

    • U.S. sales are down and a once-reliably profitable joint venture in China is losing money, but General Motors still managed to post a third quarter profit of $3 billion Tuesday, slightly less than it made a year ago.

    • Residents living in central Windsor are calling for after-hours construction to expand a commercial development to stop.

    • NextStar Energy is celebrating the official start of battery module production.

    • An oil salvage operation is underway on the fragile wreckage of a U.S. army transport ship that sank almost 80 years ago off coastal British Columbia in a race to head off an eruption of thousands of litres of oil that a coast guard official says is "near imminent."

    • Green Leader Sonia Furstenau is set to meet the media for the first time since British Columbia's indecisive election on Saturday, amid speculation about a possible minority government.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING Interest rate drops to 3.75% as Bank of Canada makes another cut

      The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • A proposed coal mine 鈥 not tourism 鈥 is critical in revitalizing southwestern Alberta communities along the edge of the Rockies, a group in favour of a controversial project maintains.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • The health of honeybees will be the focus of a presentation at the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday evening.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    • An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒