Peter Morton, you are missed.

I was sad to learn of the passing of Peter Morton, a long-time Canadian journalist here in Washington, DC, who died on Oct. 31 from an a heart attack. Ipolitics.ca has an obituary that recounts his impressive journalistic career.

I had met Peter years ago as a young reporter Toronto and later Ottawa-based reporter for the National Post who occasionally came through Washington, DC to cover a story. He was a permanent presence here in DC for the FInancial Post at the time, and was always kind and generous to out-of-town reporters who parachuted in for a few days onto his home turf, without much clue of what they were doing.

The Post bureau at the National Press Building in downtown Washington was a few offices shared among reporters from several news organizations in the-then Hollinger empire. Years later, I was back there oworking for a few months for another publication, and Peter was as kind as ever.

Peter was was always cheerful, helpful and full of knowledge and enthusiasm for his work. No one knew US-Canada trade like Peter. The majority of Canadian reporters who come to DC rotate out after a few years, but Peter was a long-time presence, something of a Canadian institution — in a category all his own. He knew the nuts and bolts details of trade issues and he knew the players.

In recent years, Peter had turned to freelancing. A few months ago, he reached out to me to share some of his work with this website. I was happy to have his stories and asked him to fill out one of the “Get to Know…” surveys that I created to help people active in Canada-US relations better known one another. You can read it here.

This website has been on pause while I’ve been consumed with covering the presidential election for Maclean’s. It had been my intention to reconnect with Peter after the election and I had looked forward to showcasing more of his work.

I’m saddened that we won’t have that chance.

Canada has lost a great reporter, a great reservoir of knowledge, and a very lovely human being.

Peter Morton, we miss you.

Luiza Ch. Savage