2012 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists
Attachments
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| Date Aired or Published | June 23, 2012, July 19, 2012, Sept. 11, 2012 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | The Daily Gleaner |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: Substandard and poorly maintained military housing at Canada’s second-largest military base has long been an issue, but reporter Laverne Stewart took up the challenge of taking the Canadian Forces Housing Authority and the federal government to task. She convinced military wives to speak out about mould and repair issues and was dogged in her determination to make Ottawa listen. She called Ottawa regularly for 14 days straight until she forced federal officials to respond. The result was a renewed commitment by the national housing authority to start repairing homes and bringing them up to standard. While it came too late for one fed-up family who moved, her stories have helped other military families across the country. In addition, she brought awareness to military families about their avenues of appeal over inaction. Many didn’t realize they could tackle the federal military ombudsman and get action on their housing issues. Laverne showed that you don't wait for a military PR person to spin a story, you go straight to the top until you get answers. Col. P. Rutherford, commander of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, told The Daily Gleaner on July 10 that "every complaint of mould would be investigated and resolved." Laverne was invited to monitor the progress and she did. Thank you for your consideration, Daily Gleaner assignment editor Heather McLaughlin |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: Computer/telephone/ email. What impressed me most about Laverne's military housing series of stories was her determination to make Ottawa pay attention. She hounded the federal government for a reply and she didn't let up. She is one determined reporter and she doesn't take no for an answer. Heather McLaughlin Assignment Editor |
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