At a ceremony held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Thursday night, The Montreal Gazette was awarded the 2009 Michener Award for public service journalism. The paper's Civic Affairs reporter Linda Gyulai received the 2009 Michener Award for meritorious public service journalism.

She was responsible for a series of articles related to irregularities in how the city awarded a $355.8-million contract to install water meters in institutional and commercial buildings. The contact was full of irregularities and exposed relations between former city officials and Companies seeking contracts.

An investigation by Montreal's auditor-general confirmed the findings of the paper. It lead to the mayor cancelling the contract and two city officials were also fired.

The award was presented by Governor General Michaëlle Jean to Gazette publisher and Editor-In-Chief Alan Allnutt. Linda Gyulai was in the audience along with Managing Editor and former City Editor Ross Teague, Managing Editor Raymond Brassard, and City Editor Michelle Richardson.

Linda stressed that the award was for everyone working in the Gazette newsroom. She was also nominated for the Canadian Association of Journalists' annual award for outstanding journalism which will be presented on Saturday.

Another journalist was presented with a Michener-Baxter Special Award posthumously. Michelle Lang got the award presented to an individual whose achievement exemplifies the best in public service journalism. Lang had died in a roadside bombing Afghanistan while covering the war. The award was accepted by Lang's parents, Arthur and Sandra Lang, of Vancouver.