Murray Brewster

Murray Brewster spent his early years in Welland, Ontario, and attended the Centennial Secondary School.^[1] He graduated from Niagara College's radio, television, and film broadcasting program in 1985.^[2] After graduating from college, he became employed as a news director at a radio station, later joining The Canadian Press as a reporter. Brewster reported for The Canadian Press for 22 years,^[3] including over a decade covering defence and politics in Nova Scotia.^[4] In 2001, he was among the first Canadian journalists to arrive in New York City following the September 11 attacks.^[3]

During the Afghan War, Brewster spent 15 months in Afghanistan covering the war for The Canadian Press,^[4] more time than any other Canadian journalist.^[3] His book The Savage War: The Untold Battles of Afghanistan, published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons Canada, recounts Canada's role in the war.^[5]

Based in Ottawa, Ontario, Brewster has worked in journalism for over 30 years.^[6] He is a senior defence writer for CBC News, where he covers the Canadian military and foreign policy.^[4] Brewster is the recipient of 12 national Radio and Television News Director Awards, two Atlantic Journalism Awards, and the Ross Munro Award for defence writing. He was a finalist for the Michener Award in 1989 and 2014, and a finalist for the National Newspaper Awards in 2010.^[6] In 2025, he was awarded a King Charles III Coronation Medal.^[7]

Books

• Brewster, Murray (2011). The Savage War: The Untold Battles of Afghanistan. Mississauga, ON: John Wiley & Sons Canada. ISBN 978-1-1181-1593-0.^{[5][8][9][10][11][12]}

Book chapters

• Brewster, Murray (2016). "The Strange Voyage: Stephen Harper on Defence". In Ditchburn, Jennifer; Fox, Graham (eds.). The Harper Factor. Montreal: McGill–Queen's University Press. pp. 116–136. ISBN 978-0-7735-4870-1.^[6]