Article on John Dimon from a CBC Newsletter
(This article was originally written for and appeared in the August 2026 CBC Newsletter Livewire. )
by Bonnie Hewitt
Not many people can say their career started in the CBC mailroom and ended in the executive suite. But then, not many people are like John Dimon.
Born in Toronto, Dimon grew up in a tough neighbourhood. In his words: “I was a wayward youth with no goals, little hopes and a doubtful future. According to my parents, teachers and buddies, I was destined to amount to nothing special.”
He changed that destiny when he walked into the CBC Radio Building at age 17 and landed a job. Dimon knew it was just the beginning. “I was fortunate not only to get employment, but perhaps, more importantly, to meet, work with and learn from talented and creative individuals from all areas of broadcasting, television and the performing arts.”
Delivering mail, Dimon became a familiar face in every office. Soon, he was rubbing shoulders and sharing coffee in the cafeteria with an impressive list of CBC legends, including Lorne Green, The Four Lads, Juliette, Robert Goulet, Earl Cameron, Paul Anka, Paul Soles, and Joyce Davidson. Dimon describes them as heady days: “I was turned on by fame and glamour. I was starstruck! I was in show business!”
Still, he realized that being a so-called office boy was a dead-end job, so he went to night school, then university. All that hard work paid off and propelled his career. Dimon was determined to move closer to production and programming, and through a combination of luck and talent, he became a unit manager in Network Television, then production manager, producer, and eventually area head of TV Variety.
In that job, Dimon worked with many high-profile CBCers, including Allan Thicke, David Susskind, Jim Henson, Anne Murray, Wolfman Jack, Chita Rivera,
Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Tommy Hunter, Wayne and Shuster, and many more. Years later, he still can’t believe his good fortune.
“How did I ever earn the right to work alongside these broadcasting legends and cultural leaders?” he asks. “This exposure nurtured my love for the performing arts, show business and world of entertainment. The CBC shaped my future.”
One of those collaborations led to international recognition. John was the producer on Jim Henson’s highly acclaimed CBC series Fraggle Rock. Along with co-producer Duncan Kenworthy, he won a coveted International Emmy Award for Best Children’s Television Series.
Dimon also played a key role in developing and overseeing Toller Cranston’s cutting-edge TV special Strawberry Ice, one of the CBC’s largest and most expensive productions at the time. Cranston was an outstanding figure skater, an Olympic medalist, and a creative artist. “Strawberry Ice” blended skating with imaginative choreography, elaborate costumes, music, and theatrical storytelling. The two-hour program gained global accolades, including multiple ACTRA nominations, six Anik Awards, and the San Francisco Film Award. It was also sold in dozens of countries, including the U.S.
Dimon has carried his love of entertainment and production into retirement. He really hasn’t retired at all. He has written two novels and the screenplay for a TV series called Megan’s Law. He was editor, writer, and publisher of the music and entertainment magazine Music World for more than a decade. He has produced more than 300 music-based stage shows in major venues, two of which, Black Gold and Unforgettable, are currently touring.
He left the CBC with fond memories and a ton of experience. Dimon continues, to this day, to appreciate and depend on what he learned during his many years with the public broadcaster. “The Corp gave me a lifetime of opportunities, stories to tell, people to thank and rich memories to fall back on, ” he says. “Every so often I look back at the past. More often, I look forward to future self-fulfilling challenges.
