The Michener Awards, a prestigious recognition of excellence in public service journalism, were presented at a ceremony hosted by Governor General Mary Simon at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Thursday.
Vancouver Sun’s Recognition
The Vancouver Sun received a citation of merit for its work on the overdose death of University of Victoria student Sidney McIntyre-Starko. McIntyre-Starko collapsed in a UVic dorm in January 2024 and did not receive life-saving medical care after the overdose was mistaken for a seizure by the 911 call-taker and first aid attendants at the scene. Lori Culbert, a longtime Postmedia journalist, reported on these circumstances.
Culbert’s reporting earned The Vancouver Sun one of six nominations honored at this year’s Michener Awards ceremony.
Award Winners
La Presse was named the winner of this year’s Michener Award for its stories exposing abuse, dysfunction, and systemic failures in Quebec’s youth protection system. Other finalists included:
- Global News
- The Toronto Star
- The Globe and Mail (which had two entries)
Acceptance Speech
During her acceptance speech, Lori Culbert expressed gratitude to Sidney McIntyre-Starko’s family, particularly her mother, Caroline McIntyre, an ER doctor who has fought tirelessly alongside Culbert since day one. Culbert praised the family’s courage, stating, "Their incredible courage is what drives all journalists."
She also acknowledged that more families like McIntyre-Starko’s will face similar tragedies due to lack of access to medical care during emergencies across Canada. Culbert committed to continuing her investigation into this issue, emphasizing the need for further work: "But we know there will be more families like Sidney’s whose loved ones die because they didn’t get help when it mattered most."
Michener Awards Overview
The Michener Awards are presented annually by Canada’s governor general to recognize excellence in public service journalism. They are considered among Canada’s most prestigious awards for journalistic achievement.
La Presse won the award last year and three years ago for exposing widespread corruption within Quebec police forces. Their investigative reports detailed police officers’ involvement in organized crime groups, including gangs involved in cocaine trafficking.
Recent Investigations
Last week, La Presse published another report revealing how former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre used his influence over city hall officials during his tenure from 2013-2017. Coderre denied any wrongdoing, stating he never used his position for personal gain but admitted he may have made mistakes.
La Presse also reported on former Liberal MP Marc Miller’s interventions on behalf of companies, including SNC-Lavalin, between 2019-2022. Miller denied any wrongdoing, asserting he followed the rules set out by Parliament.
Globe and Mail Achievements
Globe and Mail reporter Robert Fife won two awards, including one for best investigative story. Fife spent three years investigating allegations against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding whether he improperly pressured then-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould into intervening politically in cases involving SNC-Lavalin. Fife found no evidence supporting those allegations despite having access to court documents obtained through access-to-information laws.
Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet just before Christmas Day, citing concerns about interference from PMO staff regarding political intervention. Several other senior cabinet ministers resigned following her resignation.
Fife won an award for best investigative story along with colleague Tonda MacCharles, who worked alongside him throughout their investigation. Their editor-in-chief, Mitchell Thompson, accepted their award and credited their dedication and professionalism throughout the investigation.
I’m Mark W. Lamplugh Jr., a visionary Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, and best-selling Author with over 25 years of experience driving significant revenue growth and optimizing ROI across the healthcare, wellness, and media industries. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently transformed underperforming operations into thriving ventures by building top-tier marketing organizations, implementing data-driven strategies, and leading transformational change. My empathetic, collaborative, and adaptable leadership style has allowed me to cultivate inclusive cultures of innovation, develop and retain top talent, and forge strong partnerships that fuel organizational success.
Adept in executive leadership, strategic business planning, and brand and marketing strategy, I have a proven track record of boosting annual revenues—achieving up to $1.3B in oncology over three years and generating $360M in mental health initiatives. My approach combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, as evidenced by my success in launching innovative facilities, expanding services for addiction and mental health care, and enhancing organizational brand visibility. As author of “The AI Marketing Playbook,” I contribute thought leadership on the integration of artificial intelligence in marketing, a role that showcases my commitment to staying at the forefront of industry innovation.
I also bring my insights and expertise to a broad audience as the host of cable tv & global streaming of “Street Level Marketing Show,” while my writing has been featured in major publications such as Entrepreneur, Business.com, The Startup, and Kivo Daily. Whether I’m implementing targeted digital marketing campaigns that engage over a million individuals monthly or overseeing multi-million dollar budgets to maximize return on investment, I approach every challenge with a combination of strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and unwavering dedication. Above all, I am passionate about expanding access to high-quality addiction and mental health care through innovative solutions that drive both patient outcomes and organizational growth.
Mark serves on the board of One World for Life, National Fire Heritage Center, and the Institute for Responder Wellness.
Mark (https://marklamplugh.com) is one of the top marketing executives in the United States and has revolutionized how companies reach potential clients thru influence, SEO, social, PR, and traditional marketing. His expertise in Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Public Relations has generated millions of dollars in revenue for several national companies. Mark documents many of his techniques in his book “Beginners Guide to Social & Digital Media.” and “Marketing Playbook for Social Media,” which was named the top 100 social media marketing books of all time by Book Authority. He’s also a professional advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders. Marks articles have been published in Better Marketing, Startup Magazine, Social Media Today, Kivo Daily, Biz Catalyst 360, Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, and several others.
One of his companies, niches, are marketing products and services to the public safety industry and their employees, specifically mental & behavioral health services. He can be reached for comment at ceo@influencemediasolutions.com
23,000 #1 Connections, 40,000,000 US B2B Contacts and 300,000,000 B2b/B2C email contacts as well as 1,000,000+ monthly social media reach. https://marklamplugh.com
