The Logic’s Amanda Roth, Zane Schwartz, Murad Hemmadi and Sean Craig have received an honourable mention from The Sidney Hillman Foundation for their reporting on Sidewalk Toronto. Read more in this note to staff from editor-in-chief David Skok.

I am thrilled to share with you that The Logic’s Amanda Roth—along with Zane Schwartz, Murad Hemmadi and Sean Craig—were awarded a Hillman Prize honourable citation for their outstanding coverage of the Sidewalk Toronto project.

This is a significant achievement in Canadian journalism.

The Hillman Prize is given to journalists “whose work makes a difference to the lives of Canadians.” I can think of no greater recognition as a journalist than that of making a difference in the communities we serve.

When Amanda first reported on Sidewalk Labs’ lobbying efforts at Toronto City Hall, we didn’t know where the story would lead. But over the next several months, the team’s dogged determination to get it right, along with the careful cultivation of some incredibly brave individuals, kept the story moving forward, despite intense blowback.

Every one of the more-than one-dozen original exclusive stories on the project have been prescient and proven accurate as the project has moved forward. Amanda and the team’s reporting has kickstarted a much-needed global conversation whose mantle has been carried forward by colleagues at other national publications.

When we began this journey, we set high expectations of what kind of publication we wanted to be: rigorous, original and accurate. This recognition by an esteemed group of peers is proof that we are well on our way to fulfilling that mission.

But we should not rest on our laurels, as our ongoing relevance to readers will be judged on a story-by-story basis. As we take a minute to celebrate this tremendous achievement, let’s also use it as a benchmark for what we can and should always strive for.

Please join me in congratulating Amanda, Zane, Murad and Sean. And, congratulate yourselves on this wonderful team achievement.

The prizes will be handed out at a celebration in Toronto next week.

Congratulations,

-David