Cathy Jones
A razor-sharp satirist who defined Canadian political comedy for nearly three decades on the groundbreaking show 'This Hour Has 22 Minutes'.
Born 1955 (age 71)·Canadian actress, comedian and writer·Birthday: April 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Cathy Jones, a native of St. John's, Newfoundland, crashed into Canada's cultural consciousness with the anarchic energy of the CODCO troupe in the 1980s, helping to forge a uniquely East Coast brand of comedy. But it was her role as a founding cast member of 'This Hour Has 22 Minutes' in 1993 that made her a national institution. For 28 seasons, her face—often hidden behind wigs and outrageous costumes—became a vehicle for incisive, fearless satire. She created indelible characters like the gossipy Babe Bennett and the perpetually outraged 'Ms. Enid,' using them to lampoon politicians, celebrities, and social conventions with equal relish. Jones's comedy was never just silly; it was smart, pointed, and deeply informed, holding power to account with a twinkle in her eye. Her departure from the show in 2021 marked the end of an era, cementing her legacy as a pioneer who proved that Canadian comedy could be both wildly funny and powerfully relevant.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Cathy was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cathy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Cathy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Performed as a core cast member on the satirical news show 'This Hour Has 22 Minutes' for its first 28 seasons, from 1993 to 2021.
- Won multiple Gemini and Canadian Screen Awards for her writing and performing work on '22 Minutes'.
- Was an original member of the influential Newfoundland comedy troupe CODCO, which had a successful run on CBC Television.
- Starred in her own one-woman show, 'Me, Myself and I,' which toured across Canada.
Did You Know?
She is a twin; her sister, Maureen, is also a performer.
She dropped out of high school at age 15 to pursue acting.
Many of her famous '22 Minutes' characters were based on real people from her hometown in Newfoundland.
She is an accomplished painter and has held exhibitions of her artwork.
“I'm not a journalist. I'm a comedian. I just tell the truth, but I tell it funny.”
