Steve Paikin

Early life and education

Steven Hillel Paikin was born on June 9, 1960, in Hamilton, Ontario, to Lawrence Sidney Paikin, a steel manufacturer and owner of Ennis-Paikin Steel Ltd., and Marina Suzanne (Marnie) Sibulash. His mother, Marnie Paikin, was a prominent figure in education and health policy, serving as chair of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and the Ontario Council on University Affairs, and was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1999. Paikin is Jewish and grew up in Hamilton, where he attended Hillfield Strathallan College, graduating in 1978. He then pursued higher education at the University of Toronto's Victoria College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981. During his undergraduate years, Paikin was deeply involved in campus media, serving as sports editor for the independent weekly The Newspaper and providing play by play commentary for Varsity Blues hockey and football games on the university's radio station. He later honed his professional skills by obtaining a master's degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University, which provided the formal training for his subsequent career in journalism.

Broadcasting career at TVO and CBC

Steve Paikin's broadcasting career began in print and radio, with reporting roles at the Hamilton Spectator and Toronto radio station CHFI, where he was the Toronto City Hall reporter from 1982 to 1985. He transitioned to television as an anchor and Queen's Park correspondent for CBC Television's Toronto station, CBLT TV, and also hosted a daily news program on CBC Newsworld. In 1992, Paikin began his long association with TVOntario (TVO), Ontario's public educational broadcaster. His initial role was hosting the political series Between the Lines until 1994. That same year, he began co hosting Studio 2, first with Mary Hynes and later with Paula Todd, a role he held until the program's conclusion in 2006. Alongside this, Paikin co created and hosted the Queen's Park magazine show Fourth Reading for 14 years and launched the weekly foreign affairs commentary program Diplomatic Immunity in 1998. The culmination of his work at TVO came in 2006 when the network launched The Agenda with Steve Paikin as the replacement for Studio 2. Paikin anchored this flagship current affairs program for 19 seasons, establishing it as a premier platform for in depth discussion of provincial and national issues until his retirement from full time hosting on June 27, 2025.

Documentary work and public debate moderation

Beyond daily journalism, Steve Paikin has built a significant body of work as a documentary producer, focusing on historical and political subjects. His documentary credits include Return to the Warsaw Ghetto (1993), A Main Street Man, Balkan Madness, Teachers, Tories and Turmoil, and Chairman of the Board: The Life and Death of John Robarts. His 1993 film Return to the Warsaw Ghetto earned critical acclaim, winning the Silver Screen Award at the U.S. International Film and Video Festival, as well as awards at the Yorkton Film Festival in Saskatchewan and the Shanghai Film Festival in China. Paikin is also widely recognized for his role as a neutral moderator in Canadian political debates. His repeated selection by broadcast consortiums confirms his reputation for fairness and deep understanding of political issues. He has moderated the following televised leaders' debates:

• Federal Election Debate (2006)
• Federal Election Debate (2008)
• Federal Election Debate (2011)
• Ontario Election Debate (2007)
• Ontario Election Debate (2011)
• Ontario Election Debate (2014)
• Ontario Election Debate (2018)
• Ontario Election Debate (2022)
• Federal Election Debate (2025)

In 2026, Steve Paikin was announced as the director of an upcoming documentary film titled Frozen in Time: The Bill Barilko Story, about Canadian hockey player Bill Barilko. This project adds to his established filmography of feature length documentaries. His previous documentary work includes films such as Return to the Warsaw Ghetto and Chairman of the Board: The Life and Death of John Robarts. For his 1993 documentary Return to the Warsaw Ghetto, Paikin won the Silver Screen Award at the U.S. International Film and Video Festival.

Post-2025 career and current roles

Following his retirement as full time host of The Agenda in June 2025, Steve Paikin has maintained an active career across several media platforms. He continues his association with TVO as the co host of the weekly political podcast #onpoli and as a contributing columnist for the TVO website. He also hosts the periodic town hall series TVO Today Live, which convenes community conversations on issues such as food independence, and the YouTube history series Ontario Chronicle. A major new venture is The Paikin Podcast, which he hosts independently, featuring interviews with figures such as former BlackBerry CEO Jim Balsillie and political panels with former MPs like Martha Hall Findlay and Tony Clement. This podcast is also distributed in cooperation with Village Media, airing on local news sites every Saturday morning. In March 2026, Paikin expanded his reach by joining Citytv's Breakfast Television as a contributor. On July 1, 2026, he began a three year term as chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto, a role that recognizes his contributions to education and public life. His recent writing for TVO and other outlets frequently explores themes of economic policy, agriculture, and technology, such as columns on indoor farming and Canada's preparedness for artificial intelligence.

Honours and recognition

Steve Paikin's contributions to journalism and public service have been recognized with numerous honours. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and invested into the Order of Ontario in December 2013. In 2025, he received the Hyman Solomon Award for Public Policy Journalism from the Public Policy Forum, which honours an outstanding Canadian journalist. Paikin has been awarded multiple honorary degrees from Canadian universities and colleges, reflecting his stature in the academic community. The institutions that have conferred these honours include:

• Honorary Doctorate, McMaster University
• Honorary Doctorate, Victoria University
• Honorary Doctorate, Laurentian University
• Honorary Doctorate, York University
• Honorary Diploma, Humber College
• Honorary Diploma, Centennial College
• Honorary Diploma, Mohawk College
• Honorary Diploma, Fanshawe College

Steve Paikin was appointed chancellor of Laurentian University in Sudbury in October 2013. This position was terminated in 2021 following the university's restructuring amidst financial difficulties. In February 2012, a study conducted by the public relations agency Hill and Knowlton Strategies named Paikin as the Queen's Park journalist with the most Twitter influence. Paikin holds honorary doctorates from several universities including Laurentian University, McMaster University, Victoria University, and York University.

Published works

Steve Paikin is the author of several books that explore the personal and political dimensions of Canadian public life, with a particular focus on Ontario politics. His publications blend biographical insight with political analysis, often drawing on his deep access to political figures. His body of work provides a detailed record of Ontario's political history over several decades. His major authored and co-authored books are listed below.

• The Life: The Seductive Call of Politics (Viking Canada, 2001)
• The Dark Side: The Personal Price of a Political Life (Viking Canada, 2003)
• Public Triumph, Private Tragedy: The Double Life of John P. Robarts (Viking Canada, 2005)
• The New Game: How Hockey Saved Itself (Viking Canada, 2007)
• Paikin and the Premiers: Personal Reflections on a Half Century of Ontario Leaders (Dundurn Press, 2013)
• I am a Victor: The Mordechai Ronen Story (with Mordechai Ronen, Dundurn Press, 2015)
• Bill Davis: Nation Builder, and Not So Bland After All (Dundurn Press, 2016)
• John Turner: An Intimate Biography of Canada's 17th Prime Minister (Sutherland House Press, 2022)

Steve Paikin contributed the introduction to the 2017 book Without Walls or Barriers: The Speeches of Premier David Peterson by Arthur Milnes and Ryan Zade. This is one of several books he has authored or contributed to on Canadian political figures. His other publications include biographies of John Turner and Bill Davis, and The Dark Side: The Personal Price of a Political Life. These written works complement his long career in broadcast journalism and documentary production.

Personal life and family

Steve Paikin is married to Canadian health care policy expert and lobbyist Francesca Grosso, author of a book on Canada's health care system. Grosso has held significant policy roles, including director of policy for former Ontario health minister Tony Clement and health policy advisor to former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown, for whom she also ghostwrote memoirs. The couple has two sons. Their son Zach Paikin is a former Liberal Party activist, and their other son, Henry Paikin, has worked for Senator Frances Lankin. Paikin's family has a notable history of public service in Hamilton and beyond. He is a cousin of the late Dr. Harry Paikin, a Hamilton school trustee for 30 years and a Labor Progressive Party candidate in the 1945 Ontario election. Another cousin, Harold Paikin, served as mayor of Waterloo from 1958 to 1959, and a third cousin, Carol Paikin Miller, was a Hamilton school trustee married to former NDP MPP Paul Miller. In his personal time, Paikin is a known sports fan, supporting the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Red Sox, and Hamilton Tiger Cats. His mother's recognition with the Order of Canada and his wife's career in health policy illustrate a family deeply engaged with Canadian public institutions.

Recent journalistic focus and themes

In his post-Agenda work, Steve Paikin's journalism has frequently centred on economic sovereignty, agricultural policy, and technological change. His podcast and columns in 2026 have featured interviews with business leaders like Jim Balsillie, who argued Canada is sabotaging its own economy and consigning itself to being a low value-added petro state. Paikin has convened political panels to discuss issues such as Pierre Poilievre's response to U.S. actions in Venezuela and what the biggest story of 2026 might be. He has written extensively on food security and Ontario's agricultural economy, noting that while agriculture once represented 35 per cent of Ontario's GDP a century ago, it now involves less than 1 per cent of the workforce directly. In a March 2026 column, he profiled indoor farming ventures like Growcer, exploring whether they can solve Canada's food insecurity. Another August 2026 article highlighted a Hamilton area farmer, Drew Spoelstra, who aims to educate the public on where their food is grown, addressing the conundrum that most Ontarians no longer have a direct connection to farms. These themes reflect Paikin's ongoing commitment to explaining complex policy issues that affect Ontario and Canada's future.

Questions about Steve Paikin

What is Steve Paikin doing now in 2026?

As of 2026, Steve Paikin maintains a busy portfolio of media and academic roles. He hosts his own independent program, The Paikin Podcast, and co hosts TVO's #onpoli podcast. He writes columns for TVO's website and hosts occasional series like TVO Today Live and Ontario Chronicle. He also joined Citytv's Breakfast Television as a contributor in March 2026. On July 1, 2026, he began a three year term as chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto.

How many election debates has Steve Paikin moderated?

Steve Paikin has moderated a total of nine televised leaders' debates at the federal and provincial levels. He served as moderator for federal election debates in 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2025. For Ontario provincial elections, he moderated the leaders' debates in 2007, 2011, 2014, 2018, and 2022. His repeated selection for this role confirms his perceived neutrality and mastery of complex political issues.

What awards has Steve Paikin won?

Steve Paikin has received several major national and provincial honours. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and invested into the Order of Ontario in December 2013. In 2025, he was awarded the Hyman Solomon Award for Public Policy Journalism. For his documentary work, his film Return to the Warsaw Ghetto won the Silver Screen Award at the U.S. International Film and Video Festival and awards at the Yorkton and Shanghai film festivals.

Is Steve Paikin related to other notable Paikins?

Yes, Steve Paikin has several cousins who have been involved in public life. The late Dr. Harry Paikin was a Hamilton school trustee for three decades and a political candidate. Harold Paikin was the mayor of Waterloo from 1958 to 1959. Carol Paikin Miller served as a Hamilton school trustee and is married to former NDP MPP Paul Miller. His immediate family is also engaged in policy work, as his wife, Francesca Grosso, is a health care policy advisor and author.

What university did Steve Paikin attend?

Steve Paikin received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, graduating from Victoria College in 1981. While pursuing his BA, he served as sports editor for the University of Toronto's independent weekly, The Newspaper. He later received his master's degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University. Paikin also holds honorary doctorates from several institutions, including the University of Toronto's Victoria University, where he was appointed chancellor in 2026.

When did Steve Paikin retire from The Agenda?

Steve Paikin retired as the full time host of TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin on June 27, 2025. That date marked the final episode of the program after 19 seasons on the air. He has continued his association with TVO by co-hosting the weekly political podcast #onpoli and writing columns for the TVO website. Paikin also hosts the periodic town hall series TVO Today Live and the YouTube history series Ontario Chronicle. In March 2026, he joined Citytv's Breakfast Television, expanding his media presence beyond TVO.

Sources and further reading

• Steve Paikin (Wikipedia)
• This Hamilton-area farmer wants to teach you where your food ... (stevepaikin.com)

Checked by the Novello Desserts desk. Last updated 2026-10-29.