Mr. Stephen Thorne

16 October 2003, Ottawa.

The Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) and the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI) are pleased to announce that Stephen Thorne has been chosen as the first recipient of the Ross Munro Award for 2002. This award for journalistic excellence will be presented annually.

Stephen Thorne is a Canadian journalist who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the understanding, by the general public, of Canada’s defence and security issues. The award will be presented to Mr. Thorne on Friday, 15 November, at the mixed gala Vimy Award dinner in the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Stephen Thorne has 23 years in journalism, 18 as a reporter, editor, and photographer with the Canadian Press on major, regional, and international stories for print and broadcast. He was the only reporter with Canadian troops when they launched their assault on the Whale’s Back in eastern Afghanistan on March 13, 2002, Canada’s first combat mission in 50 years. Mr. Thorne accompanied Canadian troops to the frontlines on two other combat operations in Afghanistan. His reports of these operations showed a simple respect for the missions undertaken by members of the PPCLI battlegroup, the dangers of the missions, and their significance to Canada. He also reported from the front in Kosovo in 1999. He has been honoured three times at the National Newspaper Awards, and received nine CP Livewire Awards for outstanding performance on breaking stories.

Mr. Thorne trained and developed CP staff, represented CP in dealings with member newspapers and broadcast clients, and contributed to The Canadian Press Stylebook. He has managed CP newsrooms in Halifax and Ottawa, organized news coverage of major national and international events.

Mr. Thorne has been a freelance photojournalist for Canadian and U.S. publications for 10 years, and has conducted writing seminars at King’s College School of Journalism and Mount Saint Vincent University. He is the editor of The CWCA Newsletter, the official quarterly of the Canadian War Correspondents Association.

The Ross Munro Award selection committee was composed of Lieutenant-General (Retired) Richard J. Evraire, Chairman of CDA; Mr. Peter Kent, President, the Canadian War Correspondents Association (CWCA); Major-General (Retired) J.M. Lionel Bourgeois, Senior Vice-Chairman CDA Communications; Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Bob Lockhart, former Chairman CDA; and Mr. Stuart M. Robertson, of O’Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo, Barristers & Solicitors.

Any notice that you can give to this announcement would be appreciated. Please direct any enquiries to me or to Colonel (Retired) Alain Pellerin, Executive Director, at the above address. Thank you.  

Left to right: Minister of Defence, the Honourable John MacCallum and Stephen Thorne .