Nerene Virgin obit

Canadian TV icon Nerene Virgin, journalist and star of Today's Special, dies at 77: 'She helped raise me'

To many Canadians, Nerene Virgin was a comforting presence on television, a wise and caring leader who exemplified the importance of being a good friend

 

She was not on the list.

To a generation of Canadians, Nerene Virgin was a comforting presence on television, a wise and caring leader who exemplified the importance of being a good friend.

She died Monday, Jan. 15, at a Burlington, Ont., hospital. Virgin was 77.

While she left a lasting impact in her role of Jodie, the gentle and kind display designer on the 1980s hit children’s TV show Today’s Special, Virgin also proved to be a trailblazer in the fields of teaching, journalism and social justice in the country.

While Virgin had an undeniable influence on a generation of young Canadians, her talents extended far beyond acting.

She was born Dec. 27, 1946, in Hamilton, Ont. She was an accomplished broadcast journalist and host, with positions that took her to several parts of the country. She hosted the current affairs show Eye on Toronto on CFTO, which was later rebranded to CTV News Toronto, as well as daily national current affairs show Coast to Coast for CBC Newsworld in Calgary.

The multi-hyphenate talent began her career in Hamilton as a teacher, before parlaying into acting.

She managed to meld those passions together when she started in educational television. While Virgin appeared in several iconic Canadian children's shows like Polka Dot Door and The Littlest Hobo, her character Jodie on Today’s Special, which was produced by TVOntario and aired on Nickelodeon in the U.S., is what cemented her in the hearts and minds of many children.

As the great-granddaughter of escaped slave Thomas John (Howard) Holland, Virgin committed to amplifying the legacy of historic Black Canadians.

In 2012, she helped organize a gathering of more than 200 descendants of Holland in Hamilton.

Virgin also contributed to the biographies of surgeon Charles Lightfoot Roman and Rev. John Christie Holland, amongst others, for the Canadian Encyclopedia, and helped Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board integrate Black History into the regular school curriculum.

Virgin was named one of Canada’s 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women in 2016.

In her obituary, Virgin's loved ones say that if they could sum up her message in a Today's Special theme, it would be the theme of "love."

“Nerene believed in making sure her words, and more importantly, her actions, showed the people in her orbit how much she loved them,” it reads. “She was one of a kind, endlessly talented, effortlessly funny, bringing joy to all who embraced her. Nerene will be missed.”

A celebration of life in honour of Virgin will be held on June 15, 2024, in Hamilton.

Popular Instagram account @retrontario posted a tribute to Virgin, featuring clips of some of the shows she'd appeared on. Many in the comments expressed their heartbreak at the loss of someone who had been such a positive mentor in their young lives.

“Today these long forgotten clips help us remember such a kind and important part of our childhood,” user Bigdavekeast wrote on Instagram.

"She helped raise me," donnarunsandwrites wrote. “Such a beautiful soul. Thank you for the wonderful childhood memories.”

 

Filmography

Film and television appearances

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1972–1974            Police Surgeon            Ellie the Dispatcher            17 episodes

1973    The Starlost Valerie            Episode: “Circuit of Death”

1980    Polka Dot Door            Host            10 episodes

1981–1987            Today's Special Jodie            Syndicated

1981    The Littlest Hobo            Miss Watson            Episode: “East Side Angels”

1985    The Undergrads            Polly Harris   TV movie

1985    Murder in Space            Dr. Margaret Leigh            TV movie

1985    Perry Mason            Minicam Reporter            Perry Mason Returns

1985–1988            Night Heat     Judy Burns, Frances, Mrs. Simmons            5 episodes

1986    The Right of the People  Diane Trainor TV movie

1986    A Deadly Business            Reporter         TV movie

1988            Diamonds         Edna Lawrence            Episode: “There`s No Business...”

1988            Garbage Pail Kids            Character Voice            3 episodes

1988            Ramona          Mrs. Larson  3 episodes

1996    Due South            Reporter No. 3            Episode: “Red, White or Blue”

1996    Gotti            Reporter No. 6            TV movie

1996    Mistrial            Reporter No. 4            TV movie