From a media release:

It’s Not a Sitcom, It’s Not a Drama, It’s Not a Reality Show – It’s a Project

• New Series Life Story Project Encourages Canadians to Share their Stories on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada)
• Series premieres with back-to-back episodes Wednesday, January 2 at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET

Corus Entertainment’s OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada) announces, Life Story Project, a new series that explores the human condition through the real-life experiences of ordinary Canadians plucked off the street. The series shows that everyone has a story to tell – sometimes, all it takes is the right question. Produced by Dockside Productions in association with OWN (Canada), the series premieres with back-to-back episodes Wednesday, January 2 at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET, and airs regularly on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Hosts Andrea Syrtash and Dale Curd show how we are all connected in our shared experiences in this emotionally-charged 10×30 documentary series. Filmed in public areas and on display, Dale and Andrea invite passersby to sit on their purple couch in the middle of a park or a busy street corner, and encourage them to share candid and deeply personal life stories on topics from love and regret; loyalty and betrayal; and examine the significance behind key events in their lives.

In the first episode, which premieres Wednesday, January 2 at 9 p.m. ET, Dale and Andrea talk about falling in love and broken hearts and how intimate affairs of the heart have shaped identities, including a couple whose mixed cultural marriage of Irish and South Asian has lasted 43 years; a woman who lost her husband four years ago but followed through on his dying request for her; a man who recently tried to make a amends for losing the trust of his girlfriend; and friends who share a platonic relationship but only after he professed his love for her.

Andrea Syrtash is a relationship expert, author and on-air personality. She has contributed to over a dozen relationship-advice books and is the editor of How to Survive the Real World and How to Survive Your In-Laws. She is the author of He’s Just Not Your Type (And That’s a Good Thing) and Cheat On Your Husband (With Your Husband). Syrtash is an advice columnist and contributor to numerous lifestyle sites including OPRAH.com, MSN and Yahoo!, and she frequently appears on shows as a guest expert. A graduate of The Coaches Training Institute, Syrtash has worked with clients as a relationship coach since 2004. She regularly speaks about effective relationships at events and conferences and is passionate about helping people live authentically – in love and in life.

Dale Curd is a trained psychotherapist specializing in Individual, Family and Group Psychotherapy as well as an experienced communicator reaching audiences across North America. Dale specializes in decoding men’s issues and de-mystifying male behaviour. He’s been dubbed the “go-to guy on men” for CBC’s Steven and Chris, and hosted a weekly national call-in radio show called GuyTalk, on Toronto’s Newstalk 1010. Curd authored a national advice column for the daily newspaper 24 Hours, and he is on the Advisory Board of North American health magazine, Maximum Fitness. Curd operates a private practice in Toronto and is Director of The Mens Program; a network of emotional support groups for men. He co-founded and launched Changebullying, an experiential workshop for students to reduce the frequency and severity of bullying in schools.

From Rob Salem of the Toronto Star:

• Mikey McBryan on Ice Pilots NWT
  It’s been a particularly eventful year for Buffalo Airways and the Ice Pilots NWT crew. It still is. It always is. Ceaseless work, forbidding weather and bleak isolation aside, the unexpected is also an inevitable fact of life. Read more.

Ice Pilots NWT, History – season premiere
This docu-series follows the adventures of the maverick Arctic airline, Buffalo Airways. Full of white-knuckle missions and in-your-face personal stories, Ice Pilots NWT promises to enthrall viewers with tales of Buffalo’s extraordinary vintage warplanes servicing remote communities in the extreme conditions of Canada’s North. Season four of the hit series includes special visits by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ice Road Trucker Alex Debrogorski and rock legend Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden.

The Bachelor Canada, Citytv
Brad and the bachelorettes embark on a week of fantasy dates that take them all across Canada’s picturesque east coast. As blossoming love outshines dwindling passion, one bachelorette gives Brad an ultimatum that may sabotage his chances at finding the right girl. Then, it all comes crashing down at a rose ceremony that leaves everyone in shock and disbelief.

Match Game, Comedy
Darrin, Seán, and Debra are joined by Kevin McDonald (KIDS IN THE HALL), Scott Thompson (KIDS IN THE HALL), Eddie Della Siepe (VIDEO ON TRIAL), and Leah Miller (SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA, Host of E!) as things get downright rowdy in the studio.

From a media release:

LASALLE, ON’S, DANIELLE WADE, WINS THE COVETED RUBY SLIPPERS AS CANADA’S TOP DOROTHY ON CBC’S OVER THE RAINBOW

• Danielle will star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new stage production of The Wizard of Oz

Who will wear the ruby slippers? Canada’s votes are in and LaSalle’s Danielle Wade has captured the title of Canada’s Top Dorothy in CBC’s OVER THE RAINBOW. Danielle will play the iconic role of Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, opening this December at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, in Toronto, ON.

After being presented with the coveted ruby slippers, Danielle closed the show with “Over The Rainbow.” At 20, Danielle recently completed her second year at the University of Windsor, where she studies acting. She has more than 10 years of vocal training and recently played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, The Musical, Cinderella in Into The Woods and was part of the cast in Carner & Gregor’s Barely Legal Showtune Extravaganza in New York City. Her previous stage credits include playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Sandy in Grease.

“I am thrilled with the outcome, Danielle is an extraordinary talent. We have been blessed with three really great girls in the final who will all have careers in musical theatre, but I know that tonight we have found a Dorothy who Canada can celebrate,” said Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The Top 3 Dorothys performed “Sing” as part of a special group number accompanied by Andrew Lloyd Webber and a children’s chorus to open the show. Fan favourites followed including “Big Spender” by Danielle Wade and “Buenos Aires” by Stephanie La Rochelle.

OVER THE RAINBOW not only discovered Canada’s next big star, but has also gained CBC acclaim for its digital innovation. “The CBC made history with its first ever foray into a synchronized second screen experience; for the first time ever the audience got to interact and rate performances live, in every time zone, and then see their feedback back on the TV screen in real time,” said Jennifer Dettman, Head of Factual Entertainment, CBC Television. This was a remarkable success, as the audience rated the Dorothys’ performances more than 118,000 times via the magical crystal ball.

Starting in June, Dorothy hopefuls from across the country ran to auditions during the national casting tour. Following the national call backs in Toronto in June, the field was whittled down to 20 contestants who then endured hours of rigorous training, and auditioning for musical theatre legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Finally, the Top 10 Dorothys were debuted during OVER THE RAINBOW’s first live performance on September 16, hosted by Daryn Jones. The contestants performed a variety of Broadway, standards and pop numbers in front of a live studio audience each week as well as judges Arlene Phillips, the famed UK TV judge, dance choreographer and director, Louise Pitre, Canada’s first lady of musical theatre, and one of Canada’s most popular leading men, Thom Allison. On the weekly half-hour results episodes airing on Mondays, the bottom two Dorothys, as determined by a public vote, went head-to-head in a live sing-off, with the judging panel determining who was sent home.

About AJ Bridel – 18, Kitchener, ON
AJ graduated from Eastwood Collegiate Institute’s Integrated Arts Program, where she trained in vocals, drama and dance. Her theatre credits include playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Rusty in Footloose, Mimi in RENT, and Pepper in Annie. She is also a solo vocalist in the KW Symphony Orchestra and has sung the National anthem at various functions across her city.

About Stephanie La Rochelle – 18, Ottawa, ON
Stephanie is a recent high school graduate, a musician/songwriter and the 20th most viewed musician on YouTube (Canada). She is trained in singing, dancing, acting, guitar and piano. Her theatre credits include playing Anne in Anne of Green Gables and parts in Willy Wonka and Annie Warbucks.