TORONTO—Victoria University in the University of Toronto has appointed award-winning journalist and broadcaster Steve Paikin as its next Chancellor. The Board of Regents approved the appointment for a three-year term effective July 1, 2026.
Mr. Paikin succeeds food activist Nick Saul, whose term concludes June 30, 2026, following dedicated service to the Victoria community.
“It is a joy to return to Victoria University in this role, and personally, a poignant moment to return to the place that played such a formative role in my life as a student,” said Mr. Paikin, a summer resident of Kagawong. “To the extent that I have grown up, I did a lot of it at Vic. I made great friends, many of whom are still in my life. It was also where I first found my footing in journalism, serving as sports editor of The Newspaper, and calling Varsity Blues hockey and football games on U of T Radio. I look forward to celebrating our students’ achievements and supporting a community that continues to value ideas and public service.”
“Steve Paikin’s career, marked by careful listening, disciplined questioning and civic engagement, reflects many of the qualities we seek to nurture in our students at both Victoria and Emmanuel Colleges,” said Dr. Rhonda N. McEwen, president and vice-chancellor. “We are honoured to welcome him home as Chancellor and look forward to the leadership he will bring to our community.”
“The Chancellor plays a vital role in connecting our past, present and future,” said Keith Thomas, chair of the Board of Regents. “Steve Paikin is a distinguished alumnus whose longstanding engagement with Victoria University speaks to the lifelong bonds this community fosters.”
As Chancellor, Mr. Paikin will serve as the ceremonial head of Victoria University, presiding at convocation, conferring degrees, and acting as chief ambassador for the university. He will also serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Regents and chair the Senate of Victoria University.
Mr. Paikin is best known as the longtime host of The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVO, where for 19 seasons he led in-depth conversations on politics, public policy, history and civic life. Under his stewardship, the program became one of Canada’s most trusted forums for thoughtful public dialogue. He now hosts The Paikin Podcast, focused on national and international affairs, and co-hosts #onpoli on TVO, examining Ontario politics. He appears every weekday morning on CITY-TV’s Paikin on Politics.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Paikin has interviewed thousands of political leaders, scholars and changemakers and moderated nine federal and Ontario leaders’ debates. He has written 13 books, including biographies of former Ontario premier Bill Davis and John Robarts and former prime minister John Turner. His work explores leadership, public responsibility, and the human dimensions of political life.
Mr. Paikin was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario. In 2025, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the Public Policy Forum’s lifetime achievement award for excellence in journalism. He has received honorary doctorates from Victoria University in the University of Toronto, Laurentian University, McMaster University, York University and Toronto Metropolitan University.
He has remained closely connected to Victoria University over the decades, including returning to campus for TVO Today Live conversations at the Isabel Bader Theare with guests such as Victoria College alumna Margaret Atwood and New York times columnist Thomas Friendman.
Paikin has long been an advocate for higher education. Drawing on nearly four decades of engagement with universities as a visiting professor, journalist and former chancellor of Laurentian University, he has argued that universities are not simply pathways to employment institutions with a broader civic mission. He has emphasized the importance of critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and public responsibility.
Mr. Paikin will be formally installed as chancellor this fall.
