Pamela Wallin, born on April 10, 1953, in Wadena, Saskatchewan, is of Swedish heritage. She spent her early years in Wadena before completing her high school education in Moose Jaw. Wallin pursued post-secondary studies in psychology and political science at the University of Saskatchewan's Regina campus, which later became the University of Regina.

Early in her career, Wallin worked as an officer at the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary. In the 1970s, she briefly aligned with The Waffle, a leftist faction within the New Democratic Party (NDP), active during that period.

Entry Into Journalism

Pamela Wallin began her journalism career in 1974 at CBC Radio’s news division. Four years later, in 1978, she joined the Ottawa bureau of the Toronto Star, where she worked for two years. In 1980, she transitioned to broadcast journalism by joining CTV, co-anchoring Canada AM alongside Norm Perry. In 1985, she became CTV’s Ottawa bureau chief before returning to co-host Canada AM with J.D. Roberts.

Broadcasting Career at CBC

In 1992, Wallin joined CBC Television, gaining broader national recognition. She contributed to the newscast The National and later appeared on The Journal, a program hosted by Barbara Frum that focused on current affairs and in-depth interviews. After Frum’s passing in February 1992, CBC restructured its programming, launching Prime Time News—a format that combined elements of The National and The Journal. Wallin co-anchored this one-hour nightly news program with Peter Mansbridge, airing at 9 p.m.

However, the revamped show struggled with ratings and audience reception. As a result, Wallin eventually returned to a co-anchoring role with Mansbridge in a time slot similar to her previous position. In 1995, she transitioned once again, this time becoming the host of the CBC program The Magazine.