Anchor who brightened Vancouver mornings leaves CTV after 22 years
A popular anchor with CTV News in Vancouver revealed he’s leaving after 22 years of broadcasting with the company.
Jason Pires’ last day on air with CTV Vancouver was August 17, and he tells Daily Hive he’s grateful for all the fun he’s had on the job — and for being able to connect with viewers.
“It’s a different relationship with the viewer in the morning,” Pires said. “It’s funny when you get stopped on the street, like, ‘Jason, when I’m brushing my teeth I love you guys doing the Morning Smile’… it’s part of their rhythm of the day.”
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Pires hosted CTV Morning Live for six years alongside colleagues Keri Adams and Marke Driesschen, and loved the mix of serious news paired with fun banter that allowed countless Vancouverites to start their day on a positive note.
Clocking in at three hours of live television, the morning show is a “marathon” — but it’s one Pires loved.
“You get to have a little chat with the weather person, you get to have a little moment with your co-host. And if feels like you could be more yourself.”
If you’re curious how early Pires woke up, it was at 2:45 am — and he doesn’t even drink coffee.
“It’s a massive sacrifice to your life… but you have to really love the job to commit to those kinds of hours.”
Pires has worked for CTV since 2001, first on Vancouver Island before coming to Vancouver in 2008, where he covered the Vancouver Olympics and Stanley Cup Playoffs (and riots that followed).
“We were covering so much… We were doing 15-hour days, but it didn’t feel like work because we loved it.”
Earlier this year, Pires took over CTV’s noon news show after a round of layoffs at CTV Vancouver by parent company Bell Media.
He’ll still be working in media going forward and says more details on his next move will be coming soon.
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From meeting penguins to interviewing celebrities to posing as Bruno Mars, Pires has certainly had fun on the job. Aside from broadcasting, Pires is involved with the BC Cancer Foundation’s Tour de Cure and other charity initiatives, saying the mix has “been amazing in terms of life, relationships with teammates.”
“I’m super grateful,” Pires said. “It’s a crazy changing business, but we still get to do what we love, and we just keep on grinding away until someone says we can’t do it anymore.”
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