Tori Marlan wins CAJ award—her fourth award for her Sooke Harbour House investigation

Last night, the Canadian Association of Journalists honoured Capital Daily’s investigative reporter, Tori Marlan, with an award for community reporting for her story, The man who stole a hotel.

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The investigation revealed how Timothy Durkin, at the time a fugitive from the US, took control of a luxury hotel through an elaborate fraud, an abundance of confidence, and an apparent lack of shame. The victims of the fraud lost millions of dollars—their retirement—and Durkin was left with substantial debts he has yet to pay.

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“From the moment I had a chance to sit down with the stack of pages, hand-delivered by Tori astride a bike, I have been awestruck at her attention to detail, knack for storytelling, and exemplary ethical standards,” said managing editor Jimmy Thomson. “This investigation is the archetypical Capital Daily story—taking something that may have been overlooked in the day-to-day, and going deep on it to understand its players and its implications.”

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The story came out in April, 2021, and has been winning recognition ever since. It won two Gold Canadian Online Publishing Awards (including one for Best Content, the “Grand Prix” of those awards) and, earlier in May, won a coveted William Southam Award for Best Long Feature at the National Newspaper Awards, making Capital Daily the only local, independent outlet to win an NNA. It was also included in Longform.org’s Best of 2021 list.

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The story also attracted the wrong kind of attention: a lawsuit from Durkin himself. A BC Supreme Court judge threw out the lawsuit, and awarded Capital Daily full costs (which Durkin has not paid), going so far as to call it “a high quality piece of long-form journalism” in the process, thanks to Tori’s diligent reporting. If this ongoing avalanche of awards are any indication, the judge is not alone in his assessment.

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Tori’s investigation—and its legal defence—were supported by readers like you. To become a Capital Daily member and support impactful local journalism, click here .