Publisher John Honderich, representing the Toronto Star, accepts the 1998 Michener Award from His Excellency, the Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada.
The Toronto daily newspaper won the award for two series of stories on the health care system in Ontario. The judging committee cited the stories as important works of journalism that achieved a change in public policy.
The Toronto Star was honoured during a ceremony held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, April 19, 1999.
The Michener Award for meritorious and disinterested public service in journalism is the only Canadian journalism award bearing the name of a governor general. It is unique in its emphasis on the degree of public benefit generated by an entry and by its weighing of the news-gathering resources available to the competitors.