By Gordon Lambie
These days readers can find Philip Authier covering all things National Assembly for the Montreal Gazette, but in 1985 and 86 his byline graced the pages of the Sherbrooke Record. Looking back on his time at the paper, the veteran marked it as an important steppingstone in what has been an interesting and varied career.
“When I graduated there were no jobs in Montreal, or none for me, at least,” Authier said, sharing that although getting to the Gazette was always his goal, the job market at the time meant that he had to take a longer road. “I got kind of desperate, so I rented a car and I drove the 401 all the way down into Ontario.”
The plan, according to Authier, was to send CVs to every community newspaper between Montreal and Toronto and then stop by in person to see who gave him a job. It panned out with a New Year’s Eve phone call from the Port Hope Evening Guide, where he ended up working for about two and a half years.
