Hon. Tony Loffreda: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to two important figures and community advocates in the English-speaking community of Montreal: Mr. Michael Sochaczevski and Mr. Beryl Wajsman.

Michael is the publisher of The Suburban — the largest English-language newspaper in Quebec — and Beryl is its Editor-in-Chief.

On September 15, Michael, Beryl and The Suburban were honoured at the 2023 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards in six prestigious categories, including winning the top prize for Best All-Round Newspaper, Best Editorial Page and Best Front Page for newspapers with a circulation of 17,500 and over.

For his part, Beryl received special recognition in two categories: Best National Editorial and Best News Story. The latter was for a piece that covered the debates of the Senate. Even prior to my appointment, I always appreciated The Suburban’s coverage of national politics and the business of the Senate.

I’ve always admired Beryl’s uncompromising commitment to journalism, his community engagement, his passion for reporting and commenting on the news and his loyalty to his readers.

This year also marks the sixtieth anniversary of The Suburban. For six decades, The Suburban has served our community and enriched the lives of its readership thanks to its reliable news coverage and journalistic integrity — something that Beryl and the Sochaczevski family are fully committed to.

Indeed, with a print circulation of well over 50,000 and a well‑designed, user-friendly and up-to-the-minute website, The Suburban remains a source of information you can rely on for its high-quality reporting on local, regional, national and international issues, and its diverse opinion pieces and editorials.

I am sure all honourable senators will agree with me that having a strong, independent and reliable Canadian news industry is paramount to serving the public interest. It is the cornerstone of any democratic society.

Good journalism is under threat. Citizens have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to how they consume their news. Many sources are unreliable, partisan, biased and factually misleading or misguided.

Thankfully, The Suburban — like many other newspapers nationwide — continues to uphold the highest and most important values associated with quality journalism: accuracy, reliability, independence and respect — both for the story and the audience.

Honourable senators, please join me in congratulating Michael Sochaczevski, Beryl Wajsman — its Editor-in-Chief — and the entire team at The Suburban for their journalistic excellence and for being awarded several prizes at the 2023 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards earlier this month.

Thank You.