Her Excellency Adrienne Clarkson, presents the 2002 Michener Citation of Merit to Gilles Toupin representing La Presse (Montreal).
The newspaper won the award for a series of reports that examined the plight of the homeless, helping to mobilize political will in Montreal to implement innovative solutions.
The award was presented during a ceremony held at Rideau Hall, Ottawa, April 10, 2003.
The first award covered the calendar year 1970. Since then, a rich variety of news organizations have had their names inscribed on Michener trophies — print and broadcast, large and small, French and English, East and West. The Michener was also the first national journalism award open to both broadcast and print media. The award goes to the news organization itself, rather than the individual journalists involved in the story.