His Excellency Edward Schreyer, Governor General of Canada, presents the 1978 Michener Award for Meritorious Public Service in Journalism to Sandy Baird (centre), publisher of the Kitchener-Waterloo Record. Her Excellency Lily Schreyer looks on.
The newspaper received the award for an investigation into conditions at local meat-packing plants. The series of stories prompted the entire re-organization of the Canadian meat inspection system.
The Michener Award, founded in 1970 by the late Right Honourable Roland Michener, then Governor General, goes to a news organization. The judges’ decisions are heavily influenced by the degree of public benefit generated by the print and broadcast projects submitted for consideration.