The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) announced December 9th that Peter Steinmetz has come to the end of his term as Chairman of the CSHF and will be stepping down.

During his tenure, both as pro bono legal counsel since the creation of the CSHF and in recent years as Chairman of the board of directors, Peter drew upon his invaluable expertise as one of Canada's leading entertainment lawyers and his sixteen years' experience with CARAS, first as pro bono legal counsel and for ten years as CARAS President and Executive Producer of the Juno Awards (1983-1992), to help develop and shape the CSHF into the rare, truly bilingual and relevant cultural organization it is today.

These TV specials were acknowledged with a total of 8 Gemini nominations and 2 Awards: the first for k.d. lang's heart wrenching performance of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah from the 2006 Gala, and the other for Measha Breuggergosman's breathtaking interpretation of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides, Now from the 2007 Gala.

Executive Director and Co-Executive Producer Dominic Denny said, "Peter's legacy to the CSHF is secure. His capacity to help navigate and interpret the complex and at times deeply unsatisfactory rules governing funding for show's like ours has been an inspiration. I will miss him both as a Chairman and mentor; we owe him a significant debt of gratitude for his dedication over the years."

The CSHF Board of Directors will announce a successor and new board in the coming weeks.

visit www.cansong.ca for more information