- Born
- Died
- Birth nameBarbara Rosberg
- Barbara Frum was born in Niagara Falls, New York on September 8, 1937, the daughter of a successful local retailer; but she grew up across the river in Niagara Falls, Ontario. She married Toronto dentist Murray Frum at the age of 19, and they had three children: David, Linda and Matthew. Frum began her career as a journalist by writing for such publications as The Globe & Mail, The Toronto Star, and Saturday Night. She later achieved much fame on CBC Radio, co-hosting As It Happens; then on CBC Television, as host of The Journal for nearly a decade. She was also a champion of women's and Jewish causes in Canada. Sadly, her life was cut short by leukemia at age 54. Her daughter Linda is the author of an acclaimed biography of her mother.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Michael Solomon
- SpouseMurray Frum(1956 - March 25, 1992) (her death, 3 children)
- Kept her illness secret from the public for 18 years. Did not tell her children she was ill for many years (while they were still young), because she did not want them to think "I can't be mad at Mummmy because she's sick.".
- Barbara's nickname at CBC was "Fancy Lady."
- Barbara Frum, a crusader for Canadian Journalism and liberal causes during her lifetime, was also the mother of the right-wing, Ayn Rand follower David Frum. Several years after her death, David Frum - who became an American citizen (as was his mother, by birth) - worked as a speech writer for U.S President George W. Bush in 2001. He is credited with coining the phrase "Axis of Evil".
- So popular that her memorial service, 10 days after her death, was nationally broadcast on the CBC Newsworld cable channel. Was co-anchor of very popular CBC Radio current affairs programme, "As It Happens", from 1972 until she moved over to CBC Television's "The Journal". Said she made the move because she felt she would be a coward if she didn't, "And I didn't want to be a coward."
- She was awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on December 17, 1979 for her services to communications in Canada.
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