Join us on October 12 as we welcome back entrepreneur, producer, and alumna Linda Schuyler (BA ’74 Innis, Hon LLD ’16), CM, OOnt. Linda will discuss her memoir, The Mother of All Degrassi, with Innis Principal Charlie Keil.
Linda, the co-creator and executive producer of the long-running Degrassi franchise, reflects on the grit and determination necessary to make it as a woman entrepreneur in the bourgeoning independent Canadian television industry of the early 1980s.
The Mother of All Degrassi will be available for purchase on site courtesy of Queen Books. Linda will sign copies of her book following the event in the college lobby.
Linda Schuyler has been an independent producer and entrepreneur for over forty years. She is best known for co-creating and executive producing of over 500 episodes of the multi-award winning Degrassi franchise, comprised of The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, School’s Out, Degrassi Talks, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Degrassi: Next Class. The internationally recognized franchise has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award, two International Emmys, over 25 Gemini Awards, two Prix Jeunesse International Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, and has been nominated four times for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Dedicated to the art of storytelling, Linda is best known for work that explores the human experience, breaks stereotypes, and encourages communications. As a former schoolteacher, Linda is a strong supporter of the mentoring process. She always encourages professional and personal development for those within her company and has seen many writers, directors and actors go on to contribute to the industry worldwide. She has guest lectured at numerous universities, including Yale, U of T, TMU, Trent U, and Wilfred Laurier.
Linda was a founding member of the Association for Media Literacy (AML), past chair of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), and served as vice chair of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). She has been a member of WIFT-T and Canadian Women in Communications and a volunteer for UNICEF, Big Sisters, and Free The Children. With her husband and partner, Stephen Stohn, Linda embraces philanthropic work, through their Skystone Foundation, supporting such charitable organizations as MusiCounts, Camp FYrefly, and Kids Help Phone.
Throughout her career, Linda has been honoured with a number of awards. In 2010 she received the Academy Lifetime Achievement Award for her “exceptional, outstanding [and] ongoing contribution…to the Canadian television industry”. In 2006, she was awarded WIFT-T’s inaugural Crystal Award for International Achievement; and, in 1994, was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada citing… “Her candid productions of real-life dramas have touched millions of viewers around the world, opening lines of communication between adults and youth.” In 2012, Linda was appointed to the Order of Ontario, and she has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from both Wilfrid Laurier University (2015), and the University of Toronto (2016). Her memoir, The Mother of all Degrassi, was released in November 2022.
