The pc28Star and the Narwhal have been awarded the top journalism prize in Canada for their investigation into the Ontario government’s now-reversed decision to open up the Greenbelt to development.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon presided over a ceremony at Rideau Hall on Friday naming the Greenbelt investigation as the recipient of the 2023 Michener Award for Public Service Journalism.
“This is an incredible honour and a testament to the lasting impact of dogged, focused reporting that holds power to account,” said Anne Marie Owens, the Star’s editor-in-chief.
The winning work was a collaborative effort involving Star reporters Noor Javed, Robert Benzie, Brendan Kennedy and Sheila Wang, as well as freelancer Charlie Pinkerton and Narwhal reporter Emma McIntosh. The 18-month project was overseen by investigations editor David Bruser and deputy investigations editor Jesse McLean.
“You present the facts and you inspire Canadians to ask questions and to hold our society to a higher standard,” said Simon during her introductory remarks.
“The journalists and the newsrooms that support them deserve our thanks for taking on the tough issues, exposing wrongdoing, giving voice to the voiceless, and improving the quality of life for all Canadians,” said Michener Awards Foundation vice-president James Baxter.
In 2022, the Star and the Narwhal broke the story about connections between the Ford government and developers who stood to benefit from having property they owned removed from the Greenbelt, a swath of land around the GTA that is protected from development. Their estimated profits would have topped $8.28 billion.
The Star and the Narwhal spent 18 months investigating the Ford government’s now-reversed decision to open portions of Greenbelt land to development.
Steve Russell/pc28Star file photoThroughout 2023, the Star andthe Narwhal — both independently and together — continued to report on the story, revealing how developers hadattended Premier Doug Ford’s daughter’s wedding;exposing a“gold rush” on Greenbelt land;andunmasking the so-called Mr. X, the well-connected consultant promised a $1-million bonus to get land out of the Greenbelt.
Following damning reports by the province’s auditor generaland integrity commissioner, as well as theresignation of two cabinet ministersandtwo political staffers, Fordreversed his government’s plansto open up the Greenbelt and apologized to Ontarians.
Speaking at the ceremony on Friday, Javed said this moment revealed the importance of journalism in the public interest.
“This was not just a win for our respective publications, but a win for journalism in itself. It reminded us of the power of public service journalism. It reminded us that good investigative journalism can still wake up a public that seems more and more detached from the work that we do. And it reminded us that together, the media and an engaged public can be a powerful force for change.”
The Star and the Narwhal’s work was selected from among six of the most important pieces of public service journalism in the country, published by the Globe and Mail, the Montreal Gazette and The Canadian Press, and broadcast by the CBC and Radio-Canada.
The Star and the Narwhal’s Greenbelt coverage also won a National Newspaper Award and a.
Established in 1971 by then governor general Roland Michener, the Michener Award honours outstanding and unbiased public service journalism. It is widely considered the top journalism honour in Canada. This is the Star’s sixth Michener prize, the last being in 2013 for coverage of former mayor Rob Ford’s crack-smoking scandal.
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