Michael Terry Harris (born 1948) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

investigative journalist, radio personality, documentary filmmaker, novelist, ''iPolitics'' columnist and the author of nine books. Born in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, Ontario, to Audrey McDonald (née Tilley) and James McDonald, Harris is a graduate of

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,000 faculty and sta ...

in Toronto, and was a Woodrow Wilson Scholar (

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

in Dublin, Ireland). His work has sparked four Royal Commissions of Inquiry. Harris went to Newfoundland in 1977, as a story editor for

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...

owned-and-operated station In the broadcasting industry, an owned-and-operated station (frequently abbreviated as an O&O) usually refers to a television or radio station owned by the network with which it is associated. This distinguishes such a station from an affiliate ...

CBNT's newscast ''Here and Now'', before becoming in 1986 the founding publisher and editor-in-chief of ''The Sunday Express'' weekly in St. John's, nationally recognized as "the best little newspaper in Canada." There he broke the Mount Cashel orphanage abuse story and the Sprung Greenhouse

boondoggle A boondoggle is a project that is considered a waste of both time and money, yet is often continued due to extraneous policy or political motivations. Etymology "Boondoggle" was the name of the newspaper of the Roosevelt Troop of the Boy Sc ...

. Later he went on to become the Executive Director of News and Current Affairs for the Newfoundland Broadcasting Company, then owner of the local

CTV Television Network The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned List of Canadian ...

affiliate CJON (NTV). Harris was at one time a Queen's Park correspondent for the ''

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...

,'' ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' as Atlantic Bureau Chief and later a senior parliamentary correspondent in Ottawa. In Ottawa Harris hosted an afternoon radio talk show, ''Michael Harris Live'', on

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

-based

CFRA CFRA is a news/ talk formatted radio station in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. The station broadcasts on the assigned frequency of 580 kHz. CFRA's studios are located in the Bell Media Building on George Street in Downtown Ott ...

, and was a columnist for ''

The Ottawa Sun The ''Ottawa Sun'' is a daily newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It began publication in 1983 as the ''Ottawa Sunday Herald'', until it was acquired by (then) Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988. In A ...

'' newspaper until March 2011. ''Michael Harris Live'' on CFRA Ottawa was cancelled February 9, 2012. He is now a columnist for the website iPolitics. His 1986 book ''Justice Denied: The Law Versus Donald Marshall'' detailed the story of Donald Marshall, Jr.’s wrongful conviction in 1972. His investigative journalism culminating in the book ''Unholy Orders: Tragedy at Mount Cashel,'' triggered the

Hughes Inquiry The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Response of the Newfoundland Criminal Justice System to Complaints also known as the Hughes Inquiry was a Canadian royal commission chaired by a retired judge, Samuel Hughes, launched after allegations of ...

into the allegations of abuse at the

Mount Cashel Orphanage The Mount Cashel Orphanage, known locally as the Mount Cashel Boys' Home, was a boys' orphanage located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The orphanage was operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, and became infamous for ...

. Harris also authored ''Rare Ambition: The Crosbies of Newfoundland,'' ''Con Game: The Truth About Canada’s Prisons'' and ''Lament for an Ocean: The Collapse of the Atlantic Cod Fishery''.

Elizabeth May Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...

, the executive director of the

Sierra Club of Canada Sierra Club Canada (SCC) is a Canadian environmental organization. Terry A. Simmons incorporated the Sierra Club BC in 1969, affiliating the local organization with the Sierra Club of the United States. Several members of the club were prominen ...

called it "The definitive book on the cod catastrophe ... After reading this book, you wouldn't trust

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sci ...

with your aquarium". His 1976 novel ''Outrider on Yonge Street'' was never published. Harris is married and has two daughters. he hosted Ottawa's annual "Alzheimers Flame of Hope Golf Tournament" (his mother, who died in 2009, suffered from the disease), and divided his time between his homes in Ottawa,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia Lunenburg is a port town on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1753, the town was one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia. The economy was traditionally based on the offshore fishery and today ...

. He was the visiting Irving Chair in Journalism at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick.

Works

Non-fiction

* ''Justice denied: The law versus Donald Marshall'' (1986),

Macmillan of Canada Macmillan of Canada was a Canadian publishing house. The company was founded in 1905 as the Canadian arm of the English publisher Macmillan. At that time it was known as the "Macmillan Company of Canada Ltd." In the course of its existence the n ...

, * ''Unholy Orders: Tragedy at Mount Cashel'' (1990),

Viking Adult Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquire ...

, * ''Rare Ambition : The Crosbies of Newfoundland'' (1993), Penguin, * ''The Prodigal Husband: the Tragedy of

Helmuth and Hanna Buxbaum Helmuth Buxbaum (March 19, 1939 — November 1, 2007) was a multimillionaire owner of a network of nursing homes in Ontario who was convicted in 1986 of the murder of his wife, two years previously. Hanna Buxbaum was found dead July 5, 1984 on a hi ...

'' (1994), McClelland & Stewart, * ''The Judas Kiss: The Undercover Life of

Patrick Kelly Patrick or Paddy Kelly may refer to: Politicians * Patrick Kelly (Irish politician) (1875–1934), Irish soldier, farmer and politician, Teachta Dála (TD) for Clare 1927–1932 * Patrick Kelly (Canadian politician) (1846–1916), Prince Edward ...

'' (1996),

McClelland & Stewart McClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is owned by Random House of Canada, Penguin Random House of Canada, a branch of Penguin Random House, the international book publishing division of German media giant Bertelsmann. ...

, * * ''Con Game: The Truth About Canada's Prisons'' (2002), McClelland & Stewart, * ''Party of One:

Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...

And Canada's Radical Makeover'' (2014), Viking,

Movies

* ''Unholy Orders'' (based on the book) * ''Vanishing Point'' (based on ''Lament for an Ocean: The Collapse of the Atlantic Cod Fishery'') * ''Murder, Most Likely'' (based on ''The Judas Kiss: The Undercover Life of Patrick Kelly'' (1999)

Awards and honours

Awards

* ''Unholy Orders: the Tragedy at Mount Cashel'' received the Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters' Book of the Year award. * "Unheard Cries: The Burial of Sexual Abuse at Mt. Cashel Orphanage" in ''

The Sunday Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the Uni ...

'' won a 1990

Centre for Investigative Journalism Award The Centre for Investigative Journalism Award (1986–1990) was given for excellence in investigative journalism by Canadian journalists. It was administered by the Canadian Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ). History Founded in 1978, CIJ ...

. * ''Rare Ambition: the Crosbies of Newfoundland'' was the 1994 winner of the TORGI Talking Book of the Year, the Foundation for The Advancement of Canadian Letters Book of the Year Award * ''The Prodigal Husband: the Tragedy of Helmuth and Hanna Buxbaum'' won the 1995

Arthur Ellis Awards The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, formerly known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, are a group of Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada for the best Canadian crime and mystery writing published in t ...

/ Prix Arthur Ellis prize for the best true crime book in Canada * '' Lament for an Ocean: The Collapse of the Atlantic Cod Fishery'' was short listed for the

Donner Prize The Donner Prize is an award given annually by one of Canada's largest foundations, the Donner Canadian Foundation, for books considered excellent in regard to the writing of Canadian public policy. The prize was established in 1998 and is meant to ...

in 1998 * ''Forest For Christmas'' won the 2014 Amazon.ca First Novel Award

Honours

Michael Harris was awarded a Doctor of Laws by the Memorial University of Newfoundland for his "unceasing pursuit of justice for the less fortunate among us." He was the visiting Irving Chair in Journalism at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Michael Canadian male novelists Canadian talk radio hosts Canadian people of English descent Writers from Toronto Writers from Ottawa Living people York University alumni People from Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia 1948 births Centre for Investigative Journalism Award winners Members of the Order of Canada