• Changes were made to protest ageism in Canadian media;

• Journalist Lisa LaFlamme claims she was fired after deciding to stop dyeing her hair;

• The chairman of Bell Media, the media conglomerate, said hair color did not affect the decision.

The iconic red-haired mascot of fast food chain Wendy’s flaunts gray hair on her Canadian social media profile. The move came in protest after a TV reporter claimed she had lost her job after let your hair turn gray.

Last week, the Wendy’s Canada Twitter account shared a photo of its gray-haired mascot and updated its profile picture with the photo. In the post, the fast-food chain says, “Because a star is a star, no matter what color their hair is.” Over 46,600 users liked the tweet.

The tweet supports Canadian TV journalist Lisa LaFlamme, who has worked at Bell Media, one of Canada’s leading media companies, for more than 30 years. In a video statement LaFlamme shared on her Twitter account, she says she was told on June 29 that Bell Media was terminating her contract due to a “business decision.”

“I was taken by surprise and am still shocked and saddened by Bell Media’s decision,” LaFlamme said, adding that she was asked to keep the news “confidential to my colleagues and the public” until further notice. until the details of the decision are resolved.

“At 58, I still thought I had a lot more time to tell more stories that impact our daily lives,” LaFlamme said. “Instead, I leave CTV humbled by the people who trusted me to tell their story.”

In a statement shared on LinkedIn, Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of Bell Media, addressed criticism of the company for firing LaFlamme.

“It is undeniable that Lisa LaFlamme has made a significant contribution to Canadian news for three decades,” said Bibic. “Since Bell Media’s decision to terminate her contract, there has been heavy criticism. The narrative is that Lisa’s age, gender or gray hair influenced the decision. I’m sure it’s not the case and I wanted to make sure you heard it from me.”