KIM Bolan is the 2023 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s B.C. Journalism Fellowship, B.C. Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin announced on Tuesday.

Bolan is an experienced award-winning journalist who has covered gangs in British Columbia for the past 25 years.

With the support of the Government House Foundation and in partnership with the Jack Webster Foundation, the fellowship is offered and designed to afford a working journalist the opportunity to develop a well-substantiated, long-form piece of journalism to shed light on a subject of importance to British Columbians.

Austin said: “British Columbians deserve a thoughtful and in-depth exploration of these complex stories, and I thank Kim Bolan for her coverage of such an important issue.”

Bolan has been awarded funds to produce a series of articles about the increasing international tentacles of B.C. gangs and organized crime groups. Building on her years of experience covering gangs at home, Bolan will travel to some of the places these organized crime groups have expanded and examine the effectiveness of Canada’s efforts to tackle organized crime.

“I am honoured to receive this fellowship and look forward to digging deeper into the reach of local gangs and organized crime groups that operate far beyond our borders,” Bolan said. “I also hope to explore solutions to the gang violence that has plagued our region for almost two decades.”

Harold Munro, Editor-in-Chief, Vancouver Sun/The Province, said: “Postmedia is dedicated to ambitious journalism exploring issues most critical to B.C. This project by investigative reporter Kim Bolan will examine the global reach of the province’s criminal organizations and why it can be difficult to put gang leaders behind bars here at home. I’m grateful for the Lieutenant Governor’s continued support of the critical role played by local journalism in our democracy and constructive civic engagement.”