- Kept her illness secret from the public for 18 years. Did not tell her children she was ill for many years (while they were still young), because she did not want them to think "I can't be mad at Mummmy because she's sick.".
- Barbara's nickname at CBC was "Fancy Lady."
- Barbara Frum, a crusader for Canadian Journalism and liberal causes during her lifetime, was also the mother of the right-wing, Ayn Rand follower David Frum. Several years after her death, David Frum - who became an American citizen (as was his mother, by birth) - worked as a speech writer for U.S President George W. Bush in 2001. He is credited with coining the phrase "Axis of Evil".
- So popular that her memorial service, 10 days after her death, was nationally broadcast on the CBC Newsworld cable channel. Was co-anchor of very popular CBC Radio current affairs programme, "As It Happens", from 1972 until she moved over to CBC Television's "The Journal". Said she made the move because she felt she would be a coward if she didn't, "And I didn't want to be a coward."
- She was awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on December 17, 1979 for her services to communications in Canada.
- She and her husband Murray Bernard Frum, dentist, real estate developer and art collector (1931-2013) are also the parents of Linda Frum.
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