Publisher Paul Wilson, representing the Sault Star, and managing editor André Préfontaine representing Le Droit, receive the 1990 Honourable Mention award from Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn.
The two newspapers, as a joint bilingual entry, collaborated to provide unique coverage of their two communities following the Sault Ste. Marie city council's decision to make English its official language in the tense period preceding the failure of the Meech Lake Accord. This decision, widely reported throughout Quebec and the rest of Canada, led to joint action by publishers Gilbert Lacasse of the French-language daily Le Droit and Paul Wilson of The Star. Reporters were dispatched to the other newspaper's territory to delve into perceptions, opinions and live situations. The special sections were carried by each of the newspapers in their respective languages.
The award was presented during a ceremony held at Rideau Hall on April 25, 1991.
The judging for the Michener Award goes beyond journalistic merit to consider what the project has accomplished, the absence of self-serving journalistic interest, and the resources available to entrants so that larger and smaller competitors are on a more equal basis..