2012 Atlantic Journalism Awards Finalists
Attachments
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| Date Aired or Published | 16 February 2012 |
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| Location: | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: I first discovered the problem-plagued Thibeault estate in 2011, and wrote a short article explaining that the estate was unsettled, seven years after Mary Thibeault’s death. At the time, Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly, who served as executor of the estate, provided no satisfactory reason for the delay, and the issue piqued my curiosity. Thus began my 11-month investigation into Kelly’s handling of the estate. To find the story, I reviewed hundreds of public documents, interviewed dozens of experts and, crucially, developed confidential sources who provided me with Thibeault’s bank records. Those records show that after her death, Kelly had removed over $160,000 from Thibeault’s personal bank account, transferring the money to his and his son’s control. But finding the story was just the start. This was a complicated issue involving probate law, an arcane, hard-to-understand area. To convey the story coherently to the public, I spent two months writing, re-writing and vetting copy with lawyers. The result is “A Trust Betrayed,” a layered, readable account of the Thibeault estate. Publication of “A Trust Betrayed” in February 2012 was a watershed moment in the history of Halifax, resulting in popular, three-term incumbent mayor Peter Kelly announcing that he would not run for reelection. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: The Coast is a small newspaper, and I am the sole news reporter on staff. My editor, Kyle Shaw, was supportive of my investigation, but through the 11 months I continued to be responsible for writing and editing the weekly news content of the paper. |
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