Francine Grimaldi

Francine Grimaldi is a Quebec cultural columnist, actress, and former Radio-Canada broadcaster born in 1944.

Francine Grimaldi is a Quebec cultural columnist and former Radio-Canada broadcaster born in 1944. She spent decades covering arts and culture for the public broadcaster until her retirement in 2019.

Early life and family

Francine Grimaldi was born in 1944 in Laval, Quebec, into a family deeply connected to the performing arts. Her father, Jean Grimaldi, was a prominent theatre impresario and performer, which influenced her eventual career in media and culture.

Career at Radio-Canada

Grimaldi began her career as an actress in the late 1960s and early 1970s, appearing in films such as Après-ski and L'eau chaude, l'eau frette. She then moved into broadcasting, joining Radio-Canada as a researcher and later becoming a cultural columnist in 1975. Her work included regular appearances on the morning show CBF Bonjour and other programs, making her a familiar voice in Quebec arts coverage.

Retirement and recognition

After roughly five decades in media, Grimaldi retired from Radio-Canada in 2019. Her departure was marked by tributes from colleagues and cultural institutions, highlighting her influence on Quebec's arts journalism and her role in bringing cultural commentary to French-speaking Canadian audiences.