Congratulations to our 2024 Canadian honorees! The Globe and Mail led all outlets with six gold awards and nine silvers, which include an award for Report on Business Magazine. Bloomberg News was honoured with three golds and one silver, while the Toronto Star earned two gold prizes and three silver. The Logic earned two gold awards. Other winners included BetaKit, and The Canadian Press.
Thanks to this year’s esteemed judging panel:
Deborah Aarts, Barbara Balfour, Divya Balji, Mark Brown, Rob Csernyik, Justin Dallaire, Pranav Dixit, David Fielding, April Fong, Robert Gerlsbeck, Kevin Hamilton, Lisa Hannam, Laura Hensley, Kate Hopwood, Karen Howlett, Josh Kolm, Jaclyn Law, Nicole MacAdam, Lauren Malyk, Sandra Martin, Chelsea Mes, Alex Mlynek, Vipal Monga, Alli Nathan, Claire Neary, Jim Nelson, Brooklyn Neustaeter, Cassidy Norton, Jessica Patterson, Rob Price, Sarah Prince, Kristene Quan, Rosa Saba, Paula Sambo, David Scanlan, Marina Strauss, Renée Sylvestre-Williams, Chris Taylor, Brigitte Ayerves Valderas, William Thomas Watson
Here’s the complete list of this year’s BIB Canada winners:
Beat Reporting
Gold: Vanmala Subramaniam – Labour and immigration, The Globe and Mail
Subramaniam’s reporting on Canada’s temporary foreign worker and student visa programs exposed the shoddy treatment that foreign workers and students experience in the system. Her stories on how Canadian Tire dealers use temporary foreign workers and the involvement of one recruiter in particular, Allison Jones, were standouts. They revealed government investigations already underway into the company’s use of temporary foreign works and, importantly, prompted Canadian Tire to modify its internal policy by barring its franchisees from using recruiters or immigration consultants who charged fees. Adding to the impact of the stories, the writer was able to speak to the people affected, foreign workers and students, who tell their stories about what these immigration programs mean in their lives.
Silver: Sean Silcoff – Technology, The Globe and Mail
Honourable Mention: Jake Edmiston – Business of Food, Toronto Star
Breaking News Coverage
Gold: TD will pay $3 billion in fines after pleading guilty to money laundering – Tim Kiladze, Stefanie Marotta, James Bradshaw, Andrew Willis, Rita Trichur, The Globe and Mail
For the judging panel, The Globe’s coverage stood out for its comprehensive and detailed analysis of TD’s money-laundering problem and its wider impact. The reporting impressed for the speed of its analysis and the broader context it provided, including how the story escalated to discussions at the U.S. federal level. The reporting team managed to offer insights into TD’s potential business strategy going forward and highlighted concerns about Canada’s regulatory regime.
Silver: Rail work stoppage – The Canadian Press team, led by Christopher Reynolds
Honourable Mention: Rogers buys BCE’s stake in MLSE for $4.7-billion – Andrew Willis, Cathal Kelly, Alexandra Posadzki, Tim Kiladze, Simon Houpt, The Globe and Mail
Commentary
Gold: Martin Patriquin – Quebec Ink, The Logic
Gorgeously written with a strong point of view, Patriquin blends plenty of reporting with a sprinkling of humour to take the reader inside the world of Quebec business. Whether he’s comparing the province’s bet on lithium-ion batteries to the Betamax vs VHS debate of the 1970s or taking a wry look at the failure of Le Panier Bleu, a kind of made-in-Quebec Amazon alternative, Patriquin finds a way to make big, complex business issues accessible and engaging. His columns are quite simply a treat to read, start to finish.
Silver: David Milstead, The Globe and Mail
Honourable Mention: Kevin Carmichael, The Logic
Editorial Newsletter
Gold: Bay Street Edition – Christine Dobby, Bloomberg
Bay Street Edition stands out for its accessible length and focused structure, covering a major issue or theme in each edition with thoughtful analysis. Christine Dobby’s conversational tone and deep financial expertise makes complex financial news approachable. Visually, the newsletter uses headers, bullet points, images and data visualizations to break up text effectively, while the consistent formatting with clearly labelled sections like “By the Numbers” and “Up and Down Bay Street” create an engaging, easily navigable reading experience.
Silver: Business Brief – Chris Wilson-Smith, The Globe and Mail
Honourable Mention: Shift – Anita Balakrishnan, The Logic
Feature (long-form)
Gold: China’s Arctic Dreams Clash with Geopolitics in Tiny Norway Port – Danielle Bochove, Bloomberg News
This deeply reported feature used a compelling narrative to clearly explain complex geopolitical tensions between China and North America and its allies. The reporter transported readers to a far-flung corner of the globe, a Norwegian town of 3,600, where China’s growing interest in the Arctic is being tested. Accompanied with breathtaking photography, the feature showed how the Arctic is an opportunity for China as it emerges as a global powerhouse amid growing mistrust between East and West.
It remains to be seen whether a polar shipping route linking China to Europe will be an economic lifeline for the town of Kirkenes or a threat – a microcosm of a broader East-West rivalry currently playing out.
Silver: TD Bank’s dirty laundry – Tim Kiladze, Rita Trichur, James Bradshaw, Stefanie Marotta, The Globe and Mail
Honourable Mention: EncroChat – Joe Castaldo, Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe and Mail
Feature (short-form)
Gold: Grand span: When the two halves of the iconic Gordie Howe bridge are joined, Canada’s busiest border crossing will be set for its first major expansion in nearly a century – Ivan Semeniuk, Patrick Dell, Murat Yükselir, The Globe and Mail
“Grand span,” created by writer Ivan Semeniuk, videographer Patrick Dell and illustrator Murat Yükselir, takes a complicated subject and turns it into an immersive experience. Semeniuk’s detailed yet accessible and engaging writing elevates the significance of the bridge for readers. Yükselir’s clear illustrations and Dell’s striking photography complement the strong storytelling and help bring the bridge to life.
Silver: The saga of Cobre Panama – Jacob Lorinc, Bloomberg News
Honourable Mention: Pacific dreams: Can the Port of Vancouver deliver for Canada? – Brent Jang, The Globe and Mail
General Excellence, Reporter at a Small Publication
Josh Scott – BetaKit
The submitted portfolio shows a range of successful stories including scoops, analysis and feature work that paints a picture of a driven, hungry reporter eager to break news. Josh Scott’s writing is engaging, informative and at times playful. He excels at the kind of straightforward descriptions key to successful business writing. He has the sourcing that is key to securing the scoops and analysis work in the submitted portfolio, but he doesn’t resort to using rambling direct quotes when his own explanation works better – a sign of a confident journalist.
General Excellence, Small Publication
BetaKit
The winner for General Excellence, Small Publication is BetaKit. While it’s in the Small Publication category, BetaKit has an outsized impact on the national conversation surrounding Canadian technology.
Investigative
Gold: I went undercover as an Uber Eats courier and made just $1.74 per hour online – Ghada Alsharif, Toronto Star
The judging panel chose this feature for its frontline work (six weeks!), personal storytelling and revealing insights into the gig economy in Toronto. The sticky structure made for an engaging read that seamlessly brought together first-person journalism, compelling data, easy-to-digest graphics and visuals, and an interesting documentary mini-film. This not only kept readers engaged but amplified what the investigation revealed: gig workers weren’t making money, but the Uber Eats app remained profitable. Ultimately it revealed the precarious nature of gig work, the gamifying algorithm impacting wages, and the strategies these vulnerable workers use to earn money.
Silver: Exposing the cottage industry fuelling short-term rental bylaw evasion – Brendan Kennedy, May Warren, Sheila Wang, Toronto Star
Honourable Mention: The Algorithm: It was supposed to fix Canada’s food safety system. Instead, it missed a deadly listeria outbreak – Grant Robertson, Kathryn Blaze Baum, The Globe and Mail
Jeff Sanford Best Young Journalist
Ana Pereira
The judges’ selection for the 2024 Jeff Sanford Best Young Journalist Award is the Toronto Star’s Ana Pereira. Ana’s work embodied all of the things that make a standout business journalist. With meticulous and comprehensive reporting, she was not only able to land big exclusives that moved the needle, but take news that already made headlines, make it her own and move the conversation forward. With deft writing craft, she struck that balance many of us are constantly striving for: stories that are informative and engaging for business leaders and insiders, while still being understandable and impactful for everyone else.
Multimedia
Gold: Canada social safety net – Bloomberg team, Bloomberg News
This sweeping, ambitious piece by a team of Bloomberg journalists is an authoritative take on the biggest issues facing Canada. It weaves a compelling web, humanizing daunting problems with housing, healthcare and food security by highlighting the stories of people on the ground. The data visualizations, videos and striking photographs help further illustrate the issues Canadians know their country is grappling with, making them impossible to ignore.
Silver: The Condo Catch: How investors have wreaked havoc on Toronto’s condo market – Clarrie Feinstein, Andres Plana, Toronto Star
Honourable Mention: Lost in Space: Rising vacancies threaten Toronto’s office towers – Jason Kirby, Rachelle Younglai, James Bradshaw, Jeremy Agius, The Globe and Mail
Outstanding Achievement Award
Jacquie McNish
The judges are pleased to announce that the winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award is Jacquie McNish from the Globe and Mail. Her deep commitment to accuracy, tireless work ethic and bold questioning not only produced standout reporting but also set the bar for excellent journalism.
Package
Gold: Wasted Space: How public land can help fix Canada’s housing crisis – Erin Anderssen, Chen Wang, Rachelle Younglai, The Globe and Mail
This package scored top marks across every category. From concept to execution, we were struck by the quality of the research, writing, and overall scope and relevance of the project. The package did a stellar job of explaining and contextualizing a complex policy issue, provided fresh reporting that may have guided further policy decisions, and showed the impact great journalism can have. As an editorial package it holds together cohesively: the art, graphics and writing all work together to build a seamless narrative. It’s the kind of journalistic collaboration that expresses the power of what we can achieve as writers, editors, designers and, above all else, reporters. Well done.
Silver: Windsor pop-up bureau – Jason Kirby, Ivan Semeniuk, Adam Radwanski, Clare O’Hara, Andrew Willis, The Globe and Mail
Honourable Mention: The Big Flip – Victoria Gibson, Diana Zlomislic, Manuela Vega, Clarrie Feinstein, Andrew Bailey, Toronto Star
Personal Finance and Investing
Gold: Behind by design – Erica Alini, Matt Lundy, The Globe and Mail
The judges thought it was a worthy winner. It’s a smart piece about an issue that affects so many people in ways that most don’t even realize. It breaks new ground and puts some flesh and blood on an otherwise dry topic of inflation indexing.
Silver: Bare Trusts and UHT Coverage – Erica Alini, The Globe and Mail
Honourable Mention: The Best Dividend Stocks in Canada 2024 – Michael McCullough, Aman Raina, Lisa Hannam, Jaclyn Law, Justin Dallaire, MoneySense
Podcast
Gold: City Space – Irene Galea, Kyle Fulton, Jay Cockburn, Kate Helmore, Alisha Sawhney, The Globe and Mail
City Space covers timely and high-impact topics with an in-depth, engaging approach to storytelling and a variety of unique and relevant voices. The judges found themselves drawn in to the show’s deep dives into pressing issues, like how the FIFA World Cup will affect Toronto and what a historic battle into an expressway that was never built as planned means for the city today. The long-form interview with former prime minister Justin Trudeau also showed great access and influence, and the show’s metrics clearly show it’s resonating with readers.
Silver: Stress Test, Season Nine – Rob Carrick, Roma Luciw, Kyle Fulton, Emily Jackson, Zahra Khozema, Kiran Rana, The Globe and Mail
Honourable Mention: Road Trip: Electric Avenues – Marco Chown Oved, Sean Pattendon, Matthew Hearn, Toronto Star
Profile
Gold: Li-Cycle’s struggles threaten North America’s EV dreams – Anita Balakrishnan, Catherine McIntyre, The Logic
The judges chose this entry because of its in-depth reporting. It highlighted the high stakes in the story, captured in the narrative arc, tracing its strong potential to its downfall with possible redemption.
The article didn’t just focus on the founders but was fleshed out to include the full implications for the communities, the workers and the environment. It showed the time Catherine McIntyre and Anita Balakrishnan spent on the piece.
Silver: Hot potatoes: Innovator of the Year Max Koeune – Jason Kirby, Report on Business Magazine
Honourable Mention: Out of thin air – Martin Patriquin, The Logic
Scoop
Gold: Government officers told to skip fraud prevention steps when vetting temporary foreign worker applications – Ghada Alsharif, Kenyon Wallace, Toronto Star
The judges praised this article for its powerful investigative depth and wide-reaching impact. The reporters exposed a significant financial discrepancy that resonated with both business readers and average Canadians, revealing a contrast between the government’s public portrayal and the underlying reality of immigration. The story stood out for uncovering a major case of fraud that had previously gone unreported. The judges unanimously agreed that the depth of reporting and relevance elevated it above the competition, making it a standout piece that demands public attention and accountability.
Silver: Accenture – Chris Hannay, Mahima Singh, The Globe and Mail
Honourable Mention: Shots fired at homes of two executives tied to management giant GFL – Robyn Doolittle, Tim Kiladze, The Globe and Mail
