The Canadian Association of Journalists celebrates three journalists for their courage, perseverance and dedication to public service journalism with the annual Charles Bury Award

CALGARY, AB, May 31, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) announced that journalists Kim Bolan, Daniel Renaud, and David Pugliese have been recognized with this year's prestigious Charles Bury President's Award at the annual CAJ Awards ceremony held earlier this evening in downtown Calgary.

"Kim, Daniel and David have all exhibited incredible levels of courage and determination to persevere through unprecedented challenges to tell stories that matter," said Brent Jolly, CAJ president, in a speech announcing the awards.

The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy. (CNW Group/Canadian Association of Journalists)

"They are living proof that even in today's fragmented age, journalism matters. The power of the pen to tell the truth and expose wrongdoing is an endeavour that is so vital to the proper functioning of our society."

Bolan has been a reporter at the Vancouver Sun since 1984. During that time, she has reported internationally on wars in El Salvador, Guatemala and Afghanistan. Domestically, she has covered the Air India story from the night it happened on June 23, 1985. She has also spent her career shining a spotlight on a long list of minority, women's, education, and social service issues.

Bolan was also the first Canadian to win the International Women's Media Foundation's Courage in Journalism Award in 1999.

"Despite numerous threats on her life over the past 40 years from gangs and militant groups, Bolan's commitment to the craft has been unwavering," Jolly said.

Renaud is a reporter who specializes in reporting on organized crime at La Presse. He was recognized after a report came to light late last year that chronicled how he had been targeted for assassination in organized crime in 2021. 

In Nov 2024, La Presse reported that Frédérick Silva, a professional killer-turned-police informer, placed a $100,000 bounty on Renaud's life while he was covering Silva's trial for three murders.

Earlier this year, Renaud was recognized by World Press Freedom Canada with its annual Press Freedom Award.

"Renaud's experience was a shocking revelation that should send a chill down the spine of every journalist in Canada," Jolly said. "But even when his life was on the line, he did not cower to pressure. He maintained his wherewithal and resolve and did his job, which was to shine a light on the clandestine operations of organized crime." 

Pugliese has spent more than 40 years working at the Ottawa Citizen, where he specializes in covering one of Canada's most secretive government departments - the Department of National Defence.

Late last October, Pugliese was accused of being a paid KGB agent in the 1980s by Chris Alexander, a former federal cabinet minister. At the time of the comments, Alexander was testifying, under privilege, before a House of Commons committee meeting on Russian interference and disinformation campaigns. Alexander has never repeated the claims in a forum where he could be sued for defamation.

"These allegations were nothing more than a McCarthy-esque smear job," Jolly said.

"But what they show us is a shift in tactics to spread disinformation. Rather than question the accuracy of a deeply reported investigative story, bad actors now attack a journalist's credibility in an effort to impune critical inquiry. So, if you can't refute the truth, then the next best course of action is to attack the messenger."

Last year, the Charles Bury Award was presented to the Committee to Protect Journalists for their continued commitment to ensuring the safety and security of journalists who work in some of the most dangerous environments around the world.

Previous winners of the Bury Award include: journalists Jerome Turner, Jessie Winter, and Amber Bracken; the late Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi and Journal de Montréal crime reporter Michel Auger; and Radio-Canada investigative reporter Marie-Maude Denis. Organizations that have won the Bury Award include: The Aboriginal People's Television Network, J-Source, Massey College and the Canadian Media Lawyers Association.

The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.

SOURCE Canadian Association of Journalists

For further information: Brent Jolly, CAJ president - [email protected]