So many Canadians have made, and are making, their mark on the world stage in every sector of daily life. And while their names may be known to millions, their Canadian heritage may not. It's time for Canadians, Americans, and the world to understand what makes successful Canadians the people they've become, and what their success means to all of us. Canada Files is a weekly, half-hour interview program hosted by one of Canada’s most respected television broadcasters of the last 50 years, Valerie Pringle.

Canada Files is a celebration of extraordinary Canadians – featuring interviews with the country’s most prominent and successful individuals. From the arts and culture, to politics and sports, business and the environment, these are Canadians that have made their mark on the world. Each half-hour interview is a discovery of a life well-lived: their passions, their journey, and how they have shaped and influenced the lives we all lead. Many guests are well known to American audiences but their heritage may not be.  Canada Files aims to change that and give recognition to those who have contributed not only to their country, but to the world.  

The first season, hosted by veteran Toronto broadcaster Jim Deeks, premiered in 2020.  Season 2 of Canada Files premiered in 2021, followed by Season 3 in 2022, and Season 4 in 2023 with new host Valerie Pringle.  Season 5 premiered April 2, 2024 and concluded in June. Stay tuned for information on Season 6!

Canada Files airs on WNED PBS on Sunday evenings at 6pm.

Find out why Canadians are America's best friends!

Episode 1 | Michael Bublé - A GRAMMY award winning singer.

Episode 2 | Hayley Wickenheiser - Four-time Olympic gold medalist and the first female assistant manager in the NHL.

Episode 3 | Rosalie Abella - Former Supreme Court Justice and the first Jewish woman on the highest court in Canada. 

Episode 4 | Steven Pinker - A cognitive psychologist and best-selling author, and a revered professor at Harvard.

Episode 5 | Rick Hansen - Known as the Man in Motion, he has transformed his disability into a lifelong mission, advocating for accessibility.

Episode 6 | Dr. Tak Mak - One of the most cited Canadian scientists in the world and an active expert in the field of cancer metabolism. His discovery of the T-cell receptor was called the Holy Grail of Immunology and has revolutionized cancer research.

Episode 7 | Katharine Hayhoe - A respected climate scientist and chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy.

Episode 8 | Angela Hewitt - A beloved concert pianist and a famed interpreter of Bach. 

Episode 9 | Wab Kinew- The first First Nations Premier in Canada. An author, musician and journalist, he is also the son of an Anishinaabe chief.

Episode 10 | Wes Hall - Founded one of Canada’s most successful shareholder advisory firms, a Dragons on the reality series Dragon’s Den, and  the founder of BlackNorth Initiative to combat racism in corporate Canada. 

Episode 11 | Dr. Samantha Nutt - A physician and humanitarian,  Dr. Samantha Nutt founded War Child Canada after witnessing the horrors of war and its effects on the most vulnerable.  She has been on the front lines of war around the world and is author of Damned Nations, a powerful treatise on war and her experiences helping its victims. 

Episode 12 | Jean Chrétien - 20th Prime Minister of Canada, leading his Liberal Party to three consecutive majority governments, from 1993 – 2003. And after more than 40 years in public office, he is only the 4th Canadian ever to win the highest honor from the Queen, the Award of Merit. 

Episode 13 | James Cameron - A groundbreaking director in his use of technology and sheer scale.

Episode 1 | Louise Penny- Best-selling author who writes the beloved Armand Gamache mystery series set in rural Quebec (18 best sellers and counting!).

Episode 2 | Moshe Safdie - Acclaimed international architect who has built some of the most spectacular buildings in the world.

Episode 3 | Margaret Macmillan - Best-selling historian and Oxford professor who has won many prestigious awards for her books on key chapters in history.

Episode 4 | Howard Shore - Oscar-winning composer and former music director of Saturday Night Live.

Episode 5 | Roberta Bondar- The first Canadian female astronaut in space (1992) and the first ever neuroscientist. She now advocates for the environment and is a renowned nature photographer.

Episode 6 | Eugene Levy- Iconic comedian and actor.

Episode 7 |Michaëlle Jean -The Right Honorable was a child immigrant from Haiti and the first Black Governor General of Canada. 

Episode 8 | Clara Hughes- The only Olympic athlete to win multiple medals in both the Summer and Winter Games and an advocate for mental health issues across Canada. 

Episode 9 | Mark Carney - A renowned economist and the former Governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England. 

Episode 10 | Suzanne Simard – Renowned forest ecologist who has redefined our relationship with trees.

Episode 11 | Louise Arbour - The UN’s Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and a Justice in the Supreme Court of Canada.

Episode 12 | Cindy Blackstock – A member of the Gitxsan First Nation and a tireless advocate for Indigenous children in Canada.  

Episode 13 | Randy Bachman - A legendary musician and co-founder of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, he is synonymous with Canadian Rock and Roll.  

Episode 1 | Ashleigh Banfield - Canadian-American journalist and host of Banfield.

Episode 2 | Cameron Bailey - CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Episode 3 |Ted Barris - Broadcaster, historian, author of 20 books including The Great Escape – A Canadian Story.

Episode 4 |Stacey Allaster - Chief Executive, Professional Tennis for the U.S. Tennis Association.

Episode 5 |Michael Ignatieff - International scholar, broadcaster, author of 20 books, and former national Canadian politician.

Episode 6 | Zita Cobb - Former high-tech executive who returned home to Newfoundland and built the famous Fogo Island Inn.

Episode 7 |Daniel Lanois - Musician, songwriter, and renowned recording producer for such artists as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel and U2.

Episode 8 | Brian Greenspan - Renowned Canadian criminal lawyer.

Episode 9 | Silken Laumann - Former Olympic rowing champion, now a life coach, public speaker, mental health and children’s advocate.

Episode 10 | Bob Rae – Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations, former national political leader.

Episode 11 | Joanna Griffiths - Woman entrepreneur, founder of KNIX women's clothing, and author of a book on postpartum motherhood.

Episode 12 | Barry Avrich - Marketing executive, author, award-winning documentary filmmaker.

Episode 13 | Brian Mulroney - 18th Prime Minister of Canada, from 1984-1993, architect of NAFTA trade agreement.

Episode 1 | David Frum - U.S. Political Commentator and staff writer for The Atlantic. He is also the author of several books, including TRUMPOCALYPSE: Restoring American Democracy.

Episode 2 | Larry O’Reilly - CEO of ARHT Media, a pioneer company in holographic technology. This episode will be the first long-form broadcast interview done by hologram!

Episode 3 | Wade Davis - An anthropologist, global social commentator, author, photographer, and ethnographer, Davis has had the opportunity to explore the globe, focusing on the natural world in his research.

Episode 4 |Edward Burtynsky - a world-renowned photographic artist, his works have been featured in the MOMA, Tate Modern, and the Reina Sofia Museum.

Episode 5 | Dr. Joe MacInnis - an undersea scientist and leadership expert who is known for his work on the first polar undersea station and leading the crew that conducted the first scientific dives at the North Pole. While also having worked with NASA, the US Navy, and the Canadian government, MacInnis is a presentation speaker and one of the first to dive to the Titanic.

Episode 6 | Patrick Moore - co-founder of Greenpeace and former President of Greenpeace Canada and Director of Greenpeace International, and now a climate change skeptic, Moore has spoken at conferences for governments and businesses about topics such as the environment, energy, and sustainability. 

Episode 7 | Arlene Dickinson - most known for her role as Dragon/Venture Capitalist on the television series “Dragon’s Den”, Dickinson is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and board member for numerous groups that seek to serve the community.

Episode 8 | Mike Weir - Canadian professional golfer and former Masters Champion, Weir is known for his creation of the Mike Weir Foundation, which seeks to help families in need.

Episode 9 | Nancy Southern - Chair & CEO of ATCO, Southern is a business leader and philanthropist, serving on multiple business organizational boards. Southern is also an advocate for women in business and the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Episode 10 | Jean Charest – the former leader of the federal Conservative Party of Canada, and former Liberal Premier of the province of Quebec, from 2003-2012.  His election in 2003 helped to diminish the popularity of the separatist movement in the province.

Episode 11 | Graydon Carter - Canadian-born journalist and writer, former editor of Vanity Fair magazine (1992-2017), and founder and co-editor of AIR MAIL.

Episode 12 | Kristen Hillman - Canadian Ambassador to the U.S., and former lead negotiator for Canada in the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement.

Episode 13 | Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian icon and music legend.

Episode 1 | Margaret Atwood - Booker Prize-winning author.

Episode 2 | Dr. David Suzuki - environmentalist and Host of The Nature of Things.

Episode 3 | Jimmy Pattison - Self-made Vancouver billionaire.

Episode 4 | Peter Mansbridge - Former CBC National News anchor and documentarian.

Episode 5 | Cassie Campbell - Former two-time Canadian Olympic Women's Hockey team Captain, and gold medal winner.

Episode 6 | Stephen Lewis - Former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.

Episode 7 | Robbie Robertson - Legendary musician and former leader of The Band.

Episode 8 |Rick Mercer - Revered Canadian satirist and former television series host.

Episode 9 | Calin Rovinescu - President and CEO of Air Canada.

Episode 10 |  Beverley McLachlin - Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Episode 11 | Susanne Craig - Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist with the New York Times.

Episode 12 | Chris Hadfield – Former test pilot, astronaut, and Commander of the International Space Station.

Episode 13 | Best of… A compilation of clips from the first season of Canada Files.

Canada Files

Sundays at 6pm

As CANADA FILES enters its fourth season, the popular series that features prominent and successful Canadians adds a new host -- one of Canada’s most respected television broadcasters of the last 50 years, and a former host of CTV’s Canada AM and CBC’s Midday, Valerie Pringle.  Pringle succeeds the founder and Executive Producer of CANADA FILES, Jim Deeks, as host of the series. Deeks will remain with CANADA FILES, as Executive Producer and head of Primary Counsel Productions. 

A former television journalist and news anchor at CTV Toronto, Jim Deeks most recently co-hosted a program on RogersTV Toronto called Toronto Files. He’s also well-known to WNED viewers as one of its regular, on-air Pledge Drive hosts.

One of the underlying purposes of Canada Files is to give American audiences the opportunity to become aware of and appreciate Canadian heritage through the many guests they already know. As well, Canada Files will provide a better understanding of the role so many Canadians play on the North American stage.

“The last couple of years have seen a bit of strain in the unique and harmonious 200-year relationship we’ve had across our 5,500-mile border,” said Jim Deeks. “We thought this would be an interesting and entertaining way to reinforce our presence and goodwill with America, as well as reminding Canadian audiences of the importance of so many of our prominent people.”

Canada Files is produced by Primary Counsel Productions

Production of the series has been underwritten by private Canadian donors and the Central Canadian Public Television Association (CCPTA), a registered Canadian charitable organization. CCPTA’s mission is to advance education through the production, distribution, and promotion of non-commercial television programs, films and other communications that are educational in nature.