Governor General Michaëlle Jean with the editorial staff of the Times Colonist, a finalist for the 2009 Michener Award. The photo was taken following the Michener Award ceremony at Rideau Hall on May 27, 2010.
L to R: Debra Brash, photographer; Lindsay Kines, reporter; Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean; Stephanie Coombs, city editor; His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond; Judith Lavoie, reporter.
The Times Colonist received a Citation of Merit for a series about First Nations housing which revealed deplorable living conditions – overcrowding, shoddy construction and threats to health on Vancouver Island.
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.