Manitoba broadcast icon Sylvia Kuzyk signed off to viewers on Sept. 2.

After almost 38 years, she's decided it's time for her to move on and pursue new adventures.

On television, Sylvia has made the work seem straightforward, but the path to becoming a broadcast icon was anything but easy.

"Believe it or not, when I first went on air, I got calls from the occasional viewer who would say, ‘Why aren't you home cooking supper for your family? You're taking a job away from a man,'" says Sylvia.

The humour, warmth and skill she displayed on air each night eventually won over even the most skeptical of viewers.

Family members say what the persona the public sees on television is the same person they know in person.

"She's exactly how she appears to be on TV. She's as warm and loving and genuinely sweet," says Vanessa Kuzyk, Sylvia's daughter.

"What you see is what you get," says Glen McCabe, Sylvia's partner.

Sylvia's family says she has a genuine interest and empathy for others.

Friends, family and current and former colleagues gathered in the newsroom Friday night to send best wishes to Sylvia as she completed her last newscast.

"I just want to thank all the wonderful people I work with, my family, my friends…and for you who have welcomed me into your living rooms for so many years, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me part of your family," said Sylvia.

- for more on her career, please go to CTV Winnipeg's Sylvia section