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The Calgary Herald and the Canadian journalism community is in mourning after one of their own, an award-winning reporter, was killed in Afghanistan trying to tell a story of hope in the war-torn country.
Michelle Lang, 34, a reporter with the Herald since 2002, became the first Canadian journalist to die in Afghanistan when she, along with four soldiers, were killed after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device south of Kandahar City yesterday.
Calgary Herald editor-in-chief Lorne Motley said the news has hit hard the close-knit family at the newspaper where she touched the lives of many colleagues turned good friends.
"This is incredibly difficult to swallow this news," he said.
"It's a devastating day -- we have lots of tears flowing here.
"Michelle was an incredible person, she was just one of those people who was kind-hearted and always willing to give her all."
He said no matter the media outlet, Lang's death is a huge loss for the Canadian journalism world.
"We all knew her, we all loved her," he said.
"In the field of journalism this is a big loss -- whether you work at CanWest or elsewhere, it's a devastating day."
Lang had been with the Joint Task Force Afghanistan for the last couple of weeks, recently writing about Christmas messages home.
She had been travelling with other members of a reconstruction team off the base when the tragedy occurred.
"She said 'I'd love to go along' and wanted to tell the story of rebuilding hope," Motley said.
Lang, who was newly engaged to Michael Louie, was from Vancouver and had previously worked at the Leader Post in Regina.
She was a reporter for the Herald's business section before she moved over to the news department.
From there she became the newspaper's health writer, for which she won a National Newspaper Award earlier this year for best beat reporting.
"When it came to journalism, she was on top of her craft -- she was a very curious person, very fair," Motley said.
"She went the extra mile each and every time, she would be one of the last people to leave here every single day."
On her Facebook page, her brother Cameron called her "a great friend and an extraordinary reporter and a better sister than anyone could have ever deserved."
"I'm so grateful to have shared the time we had together and so shocked to realise there will be no more," he wrote.
"The world was a far better place with you in it. I can't believe you have been taken from us."
Former Calgary Herald reporter Emma Poole, who worked with Lang for about five years, is remembering her for her sense of humour, intelligence and talent and recalls fond memories of tailgating at Stamps games with her, a huge fan of the tradition.
"She was just lovely ... to sum her up with one word," she said.
She was also an active woman, being members of ultimate frisbee and dodgeball teams.
In the newsroom, Poole remembers listening to Lang conduct phone interviews and being impressed with how well she knew her information.
"No one would pull the wool over her eyes," she said.
Calgary Sun columnist Michael Platt also worked with Lang at the Herald and said she was one of those colleagues he looked forward to seeing each day.
"Michelle was the heart of the newsroom, with a caring soul and a contagious smile -- her usual cheery mood was almost out of place for such a serious reporter," he said.
"But that was Michelle, a perfect balance of compassion and competition, wanting the big story, but never forgetting to care about the people involved."
KATIE.SCHNEIDER@SUNMEDIA.CA
Michelle Lang
- Calgary Herald journalist reporting for the CanWest News Service when killed in Afghanistan
- 34 years old
- Arrived in Afghanistan Dec. 11 and had been scheduled to return home to Calgary Jan. 22
- First Canadian journalist to die in Afghanistan
- Engaged to be married
- National Newspaper Award Winner for coverage of health care in Alberta
- Reported previously in Regina, Moose Jaw and Prince George