Saying Goodbye to Mitchell Thompson, Ontario Reporter

After five years with PressProgress, Ontario reporter Mitchell Thompson is moving on to an exciting opportunity with an archival and research organization based in the UK.

Mitchell has been an essential member of the editorial team and contributed to the growth of PressProgress through hundreds of critical stories that held the powerful accountable and effected real-world change.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges with workplace safety became especially acute. Mitchell’s reporting exposed how Tim Hortons was forcing workers to obtain doctor’s notes to take unpaid sick leave. This sparked a #BoycottTimHortons hashtag on social media, which Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to by introducing legislation to temporarily ban doctor’s notes along with a $40-million fund for sick workers. Because of this story, PressProgress was awarded Gold at the 2020 Canadian Online Publishing Awards for “Best COVID-19 Story Coverage.”

There are many more stories Mitchell broke that made real-world impact:

• Shining a light on neo-Nazi Paul Fromm’s donation to Conservative MP Derek Sloan, leading then-leader Erin O’Toole to expel Sloan from the Conservative caucus.
• Attending a conference for anti-union employers and exposing A&W’s secret “watch list” to make sure fast food worker’s don’t unionize.
• During the last Ontario provincial election, Mitchell broke two stories that made headlines and led news cycles—first, with a story on Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s involvement with fraternity “slave auctions” and later digging up Doug Ford’s parliamentary secretary’s involvement with an anti-gay magazine.

Mitchell’s fellow journalists at PressProgress have expressed their deep appreciation for his work, not only as a writer and reporter—but as a supportive colleague and member of the team.

“While we’re sad to see Mitchell go, his sense of justice and journalistic work ethic will always remain a core part of our editorial mission,” Editor Luke LeBrun said of Mitchell’s departure. “On behalf of our entire team and millions of readers, thank you Mitchell for devoting the last five years to serving the public interest through your journalism.”

Mitchell made an indelible mark on the evolution of the publication, and we will continue to celebrate his achievements beyond PressProgress.

To follow Mitchell’s work, you can find him at @thompsonian_m on Twitter.