Edmonton Journal's restaurant-inspection investigation wins CAJ gold
Risky Restaurants project, a collaboration between the Journal and MacEwan students, revealed major gaps in Alberta's food safety oversight.
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A joint investigation by the Edmonton Journal and MacEwan University students into Alberta's restaurant inspection system has won gold at the Canadian Association of Journalists' annual awards.
The project, called Risky Restaurants, examined issues with the province's inspection system and its public-facing portal. Completed over several months, the investigation involved data analysis by 15 MacEwan students led by associate professor Steve Lillebuen, alongside Journal reporter Matthew Black and columnist Keith Gerein. The team reviewed tens of thousands of records and conducted more than 200 interviews.
The work resulted in a seven-story series, a column, podcast episodes, and visuals that exposed gaps in food safety training and transparency. Following publication, the provincial government announced it would crack down on food safety issues. MacEwan professor Lillebuen noted the project demonstrated the strength of university-newsroom collaboration. Journal editor Dave Breakenridge, himself a MacEwan graduate, called it "an example of why the best journalism is done as part of a team."