If ever Canada develops a Sherlock Holmes Prize for the best financial sleuthing by journalists, the Cat nominates David Baines of the Vancouver Sun for the award.
Who is David Baines?
"David Baines has been uncovering white collar crime, stock fraud in particular, for the past 23 years. He has an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and has won four National Newspaper Awards, a National Magazine Award and five Jack Webster Awards. His column appears regularly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and on other days as events occur."
That is what his website says.
But those readers of the Sun who turn to his articles with delight know that he is much more than those prosaic words convey. They know him as a highly competent professional, who does his homework, and who is not afraid of taking on any of the powers that be in pursuit of truth, justice and the Canadian way.
If we have crooks in our back yard (and heaven knows BC has more than its share of good, bad and indifferent scoundrels) then you can be sure that sooner or later Baines will track them down and expose them.
Even if it means pointing out the systemic errors in the BC justice system or security laws and institutions.
And he writes about events and people in a refreshingly direct and entertaining way.
Take this, for example:
"He bragged that reporters are easy dupes: "I can say anything to you. Whether I practise it or not, you won't know. That's the thing with the media. All those things I was doing [drugs and alcohol] ... I was saying something completely different. Who knows? I might still be.""
Or this:
"On Nov. 26, I reported that the New York-based American Watercolor Society was having second thoughts about the gold medal they awarded Ottawa artist Sheryl Luxenburg last spring.
The society had learned that her entry, called Impermanence, had been derived from two photographs from Shutterstock.com, a California company that licenses the use of stock photography.
When I called Luxenburg on it, she became quite indignant: "You've got be kidding. You're just paparazzi looking for excitement. You're sensationalizing a situation that is ridiculous. Goodbye."
The society is now reporting that Luxenburg admitted contravening the rules and has returned her gold medal, plus the $4,000 cash prize. Still unrepentant, she dismisses the whole fiasco as "an innocent mistake.""
Thanks, David, for protecting investors.
And may you be the first to be awarded the Sherlock Holmes Prize, should we ever have one.
