Listed below are the mentors for the Fall 2022 round of the mentorship program. To see their information, simply hover over their image and the box will flip to their bio, who they are looking to mentor, languages spoken, and the region they are from.
AARON WHERRY
About: For the last seven years I’ve been a senior writer in the CBC’s parliamentary bureau in Ottawa. I also wrote Promise & Peril, an account of Justin Trudeau’s first four years in power. Before the CBC, I spent nine years at Maclean’s (writing about politics), four years at the National Post (writing about sports and music) and one summer at the Globe and Mail.
Seeking to mentor: Early- or mid-career journalists interested in writing and reporting about politics.
Language(s): English
Region: Ottawa
ARIK LIGETI
About: I’m the director of audience at The Narwhal, where I oversee our strategies in areas such as newsletters, SEO and social with an eye toward how we can strengthen our community of readers and members. Before joining The Narwhal in 2020, I spent nearly six years as a digital editor at The Globe and Mail.
Seeking to mentor: Early-career journalists interested in audience engagement, newsletters and building sustainable business models.
Language(s): English
Region: BC
CHARLIE GILLIS
About: I am currently deputy managing editor of The Logic, a digital publication covering business and technology in Canada. I was previously managing editor responsible for national coverage at Maclean’s, and, before that, a national correspondent for the magazine. I’ve held writing positions with the National Post, the Edmonton Journal, The Canadian Press and the Telegraph-Journal of New Brunswick. I’m a past winner of National Magazine Awards and co-winner of a Canadian Association of Journalists Award.
Seeking to mentor: Early- or mid-career writers and/or editors who have particular interest in national affairs, business and politics in Canada.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
CREESON AGECOUTAY
About: I’m currently the new Atlantic Bureau Chief for CTV National News in Halifax, NS, previously worked at CTV National’s Ottawa News Bureau covering some politics on Parliament Hill and breaking news stories like the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the Pope’s visit to Canada. I was also the host and producer for CTV SK’s award-winning show, Indigenous Circle based out of CTV Regina/CTV Saskatoon covering many Indigenous news stories.
Seeking to mentor: Early spot news or breaking news journalists and reporters interested in the representation of marginalized Indigenous communities and surrounding communities.
Language(s): English
Region: Saskatchewan
CYNTHIA MULLIGAN
About: I cover politics for CityNews. I have been a journalist for more than 25 years, and focus on investigative stories on social issues. I have won two RTDNA awards and have received an Edward R Murrow award for her series on Kicking Cancer, a first-person account of what it is like to suddenly be diagnosed with cancer and the lengthy emotional process of treatment.
Seeking to mentor: Journalists who are interested in great stories that can make a difference in how we see people and the world.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
DOUGLAS QUAN
About: I am currently city editor at the Vancouver Sun/Province. I previously spent 20 years as a reporter (mostly general assignment) for media outlets in Canada and the U.S., including the Toronto Star, National Post, Postmedia News and Press-Enterprise in California.
Seeking to mentor: Early-career journalists who are covering breaking news (finding people on deadline, writing under pressure); need help finding, developing and pitching enterprise stories and features, story structure; and navigating our industry.
Language(s): English
Region: BC
EMILY MATHIEU
About: As a former Toronto Star reporter, now freelancer, I come to this program with roughly decades of newsroom experience and plenty of tough and practical lessons to share. My love of policy led to the Affordable and Precarious Housing beat (2016-2020), after running the intern gamut (Toronto Star radio room, As It Happens at the CBC, the Financial Post then back to the yearlong program at the Toronto Star). I’m happy to share what I’ve learned. My current work includes fact-checking for investigative podcasts for the CBC as well as research for books, and some editing.
Seeking to mentor: Entry level journalists, particularly those interested in reporting on marginalized communities and government policy, and who are looking for somebody to talk them through general preparation, accuracy and fairness. I’m also quite good at writing stern letters and explaining systems like the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
ERIN VALOIS
About: I’m the vice president of digital strategy at Postmedia, with previous roles at National Post in sports and management at theScore. I’m also the editor-in-chief of the Olympics at Postmedia. I’m enrolled in a Master of Administration in Leadership and my current professional role focuses on newsroom transformation, organizational culture, and strategic development.
Seeking to mentor: Early-career journalists interested in sports or journalists with any experience who want to be mentored in digital strategy, the intersection of revenue and journalism, or how to navigate a management role.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
ETHAN LOU
About: I’m an assistant editor in the Globe and Mail’s business section, where I also write a regular column. My longform work has appeared in Maclean’s and Toronto Life. I am the author of two nonfiction books and have been nominated for Kobo’s emerging writer prize. I previously worked at Reuters and at the Toronto Star. I have served as a visiting journalist at the University of British Columbia and am a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University.
Seeking to mentor: Anyone interested in business, opinion, longform, investigations or books.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
EVY KWONG
About: I actively cover stories that hold the powerful accountable, provide a platform with equity and intersectionality in mind, and am unafraid to challenge the status quo. I was the audience editor at the Toronto Star, where I led a team of producers before moving into my new role in 2022 at Vice News. Now, as the manager of social media at Vice News, I cover everything from police brutality, cults, far-right violence, as well as giving platforms to those on the margins. I’m always looks to innovate and find ways to get information to people—increasing readership among audiences in traditionally underserved communities.
Seeking to mentor: Anyone looking to be innovative in storytelling. For me, it’s never no to a new platform—even if it seems like it’s only for “kids.” It’s to understand that platform, provide accurate, compelling, and empathetic information for people of all ages and walks of life to benefit and learn from.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
FAIZA AMIN
About: I’m currently a Journalist with CityNews Toronto. I’ve been in the industry for over 8 years, having been a VJ, filing for TV, radio, and digital. I’ve worked in both the biggest and smallest markets in Canada.
Seeking to mentor: Students and reporters working or hoping to work in television. Early/mid-career reporters looking for career advice, for their work to be reviewed. Journalists who are racialized.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
H.G. WATSON
About: I am a freelance journalist based in Toronto, mostly writing features. I have been published in the Toronto Star, The Guardian, Canadian Business, The Narwhal, The Local and many more.
Seeking to mentor: I’m hoping to mentor someone who needs assistance finishing a longform piece, or someone who wants to learn more about freelancing.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
HILARY BEAUMONT
About: I’m a freelance investigative journalist based in Los Angeles covering climate change for publications including the Guardian, Al Jazeera, the Narwhal, the Walrus and High Country News. Before freelancing, I was a staff reporter for Vice News in Toronto.
Seeking to mentor: Early-career investigative journalists who want to learn investigative techniques that can be applied to writing and video, and who are interested in working in the US.
Language(s): English
Region: Atlantic Canada
JACQUES POITRAS
About: I am CBC’s provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick. I cover elections and the provincial legislature and I also file in-depth features and analysis. I’ve authored five non-fiction books on politics and business.
Seeking to mentor: Journalists who are new to political reporting or who want to tackle longer-form narrative features or analyses in written or audio form.
Language(s): English; French
Region: Atlantic Canada
JAREN KERR
About: I am a breaking news reporter at the Financial Times. I covered mergers and acquisitions at the Globe and Mail, where I won a National Newspaper Award in the politics category. I have also worked for Yahoo Finance, the Toronto Star, and Canadaland.
Seeking to mentor: Aspiring business journalists, or early-career journalists who are curious about business journalism.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
JASON CHIU
About: I am the visual editor for headway and special projects at The New York Times. Previously I was deputy head of visuals at The Globe and Mail. I have been a member of international judging panels and my work has been recognized by professional associations across marketing, design, visual storytelling, and photography.
Seeking to mentor: Early to mid-career visual journalists (photographers, visual editors, interactive journalists). Also interested in mentoring new managers and creative leaders of newsrooms.
Language(s): English
Region: Ottawa
JASON WARICK
About: I worked as a roofer and produce clerk before becoming a journalist for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and now CBC Saskatchewan. I have always been a general assignment reporter. I’ve spent time in Guatemala, Kenya, the Philippines and elsewhere thanks to journalism or my marathon running/coaching. Here’s some advice from one of my mentors, the late Poundmaker Cree Nation knowledge keeper Tyrone Tootoosis. “All we want is for you (journalists) to ask ‘Why?’ not just ‘What.’ That’s where the truth is. Most people don’t see that. Help them.”
Seeking to mentor: Anyone with an interest in public service and a flexible schedule.
Language(s): English
Region: Saskatchewan
LEAH HENNEL
About: Photojournalist with over 20 years experience in daily newspapers. Some of my work appears in The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, Reuters, The Narwhal, CBC, etc. My passion is long form visual storytelling. I have also covered a few Olympic Winter and Summer Games.
Seeking to mentor: Looking to work with anyone who is focused on visual storytelling.
Language(s): English
Region: Alberta
MARSHA LEDERMAN
About: I have been a working journalist for more than 30 years – in commercial radio, for CBC Radio and, for the last 15 years, for The Globe and Mail. I have spent many years as an arts journalist, and have now transitioned to the role of columnist. I also published a book in 2022, a reported memoir.
Seeking to mentor: Anyone who is interested in writing about the arts (or, more generally, features), or anyone looking to make the transition from broadcast journalism to print/digital journalism. I would also be really interested in helping parents who are struggling with work-life balance issues.
Language(s): English
Region: BC
MEL WOODS
About: I am the senior culture editor at Xtra Magazine where I handle our coverage of arts and culture. Prior to joining Xtra, I was an editor at HuffPost Canada where I covered trending topics, politics, news and more. I’ve also been a freelance writer and audio producer and my freelance work has appeared in Vice, the Globe and Mail, the Walrus, Slate, the CBC and Briarpatch. I have a Master of Journalism from UBC, and got my start at the University of Calgary’s student newspaper, The Gauntlet.
Seeking to mentor: Early-career queer and trans journalists interested in any subject, or young journalists in general interested in culture writing, film criticism, and freelancing.
Language(s): English
Region: BC
MICK CÔTÉ
About: I’ve been a working journalist for approximately 15 years and have had the chance to collaborate with people in a variety of newsrooms in both French and English. My experience centers mostly around multimedia/digital journalism, newsroom development and media innovation. I am currently the digital managing editor for Noovo Info, a Canadian French-language television network owned by Bell Media.
Seeking to mentor: Early-career journalists with an interest for digital/multimedia storytelling and/or who wish to pursue newsroom management or innovation opportunities. I’d also be happy to note that I am part of the LGBTQ+ community and happy to help any queer-identifying folks with career planning and networking.
Language(s): English; French
Region: Quebec
NOOR JAVED
About: I am a veteran journalist with the Toronto Star who covers suburban municipal politics. Over the past decade, I have focused her attention on municipal issues in the booming 905 Region, and have extensively covered education, the environment and political decisions that directly impact taxpayers. In 2021, I was part of a cross-industry investigative team who delved into the province’s decisions on key development projects including two Toronto-area highways. The project was recognized for a Canadian Hillman award and nominated for a National Newspaper Award for politics. I have long advocated for more diversity and better representation in Canadian media and newsrooms.
Seeking to mentor: Early stage BIPOC journalists who want tips/advice on how to build a large network of sources, create a niche in an over-saturated media landscape, or simply navigate the industry.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
ODETTE AUGER
About: I am the managing editor for IndigiNews. I was one of the founding writers- as an LJI health reporter. Freelance bylines include: Windspeaker, The Tyee, APTN National News, Watershed Sentinel, La Converse, The Resolve. I began my journalism path in community co-op radio, working on projects that centred Indigenous voices.
Seeking to mentor: Emerging and early-career Indigenous writers who can hold two truths at the same time: centring Indigenous voices and people first in storytelling, while uplifting journalistic ethics.
Language(s): English
Region: BC
PATTI SONNTAG
About: I’m an investigative journalist and producer, currently working on projects with several news organizations and collaborative journalism centres. I returned to Montreal in 2018, after serving as managing editor in The New York Times’ News Services division for 10 years. In that position, I directed work on more than 60 news feeds for 1,100 media companies worldwide and on opinion and analysis sections for the international edition. As founder of the Institute for Investigative Journalism, I’ve led national collaborative investigations including “Tainted Water,” “The Price of Oil,” “Clean Water, Broken Promises,” and others that won more than two dozen honors and changed laws from coast to coast.
Seeking to mentor: Anyone pursuing an investigation, particularly involving data.
Language(s): English
Region: Quebec
PAUL HAAVARDSRUD
About: I am the host of the Cost of Living on CBC Radio One. The tagline of the show is the economics of everyday life. Prior to radio I worked as a business journalist for a newswire, in newspapers for the Financial Post and the Calgary Herald, and as a ghostwriter for several nonfiction books.
Seeking to mentor: Journalists at any stage who are interested in making complex stories accessible for print or audio.
Language(s): English
Region: Alberta
RENATA D’ALIESIO
About: I lead the investigations team at The Globe and Mail and was previously a deputy national editor overseeing our bureaus in Queen’s Park, Quebec, Atlantic Canada and Thunder Bay. Before joining The Globe, I worked at the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. I’ve taken on many different roles over my career: I’ve been a copy editor, crime reporter, covered the environment and politics beats, done general assignment, and I spent years as an investigative reporter focusing on mental health in the military and working to change how the media writes about suicide. My path to journalism was a bit rocky at the start. I was kicked out of j-school in Toronto for a year after I flunked several classes. I finally finished my degree in 2014 – 18 years after I started it. My dad had always wanted me to get that “piece of paper.”
Seeking to mentor: Early- to mid-career journalists interested in investigative work, editors, and reporters who want to become editors. And journalists who let their insecurities hold them back, like I did for too many years.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
SEAN FITZ-GERALD
About: I’m a senior national writer for The Athletic. I have covered the Olympics, Pan American Games, Super Bowl, Grey Cup, NHL playoffs and the NBA playoffs. In 2015, I was named sportswriter of the year by Sports Media Canada.
Seeking to mentor: Early-or-mid-career journalists interested in sports (or anyone who needs help!).
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
SELENA ROSS
About: I’m a former editor-in-chief of Maisonneuve magazine and a longtime print reporter who has worked for the Globe and Mail, the Washington Post, the Halifax Chronicle Herald and CTV Montreal. I mostly do daily local reporting but have won two CAJ awards and two Atlantic Journalism Awards for longform investigations. I’m currently a reporter with CTV Montreal.
Seeking to mentor: Journalists interested in local reporting, especially those trying to juggle long-term investigations and fast-paced daily deadlines. Also happy to talk to early-career freelancers about pitching and reporting.
Language(s): English
Region: Quebec
STEVE BONSPIEL
About: I have been a reporter for almost 20 years and editor/publisher of The Eastern Door newspaper for 14. I have extensively covered Indigenous topics (I’m Mohawk from Kanesatake) and have won numerous awards for my writing and editing. These include guiding my team to best overall newspaper twice with the Quebec Community Newspapers Association; twice as best small newspaper in Canada (CCNA) winning journalist of the year twice with the QCNA (most recently this year), winning the CAJ community media award twice, and numerous CCNA, QCNA and NAJA awards. The Eastern Door was also nominated for the highest award in Canada, the Michener award, in 2011.
Seeking to mentor: Journalists who have an open mind and are sensitive to Indigenous issues, even if they have little experience. They must be motivated, curious, and eager to learn.
Language(s): English
Region: Quebec
VANMALA SUBRAMANIAM
About: I’m a Toronto-based journalist with The Globe and Mail, covering labour and workplace issues as the newspaper’s “Future of Work” reporter. My experience in journalism has primarily been as a business reporter. At the Financial Post, I reported on the financial turbulence in Canada’s nascent legal cannabis sector, and the early economic upheaval caused by the pandemic. I’ve also worked at VICE Media and The Logic. I began my career 12 years ago as a television producer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Seeking to mentor: Early-stage journalists or journalism students interested in business reporting, particularly of an investigative nature.
Language(s): English
Region: Toronto
