Express Desk Adds Reporter in Western Canada

When President Trump signed an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America, Mark Colley and a photographer from The Toronto Star embarked on a road trip to the United States . Their mission? To "search for the soul of Lake Ontario - the ties that bind, the president who separates and the people who are caught in the middle."

It's that creativity and outside-the-box thinking that will make Mark an excellent fit as a reporter on the Express desk, where, in partnership with the International desk, he will contribute to our growing coverage of Canada.

Based in Vancouver, Mark will deliver on major breaking news as well as trending stories and creative features that appeal to a broad global audience, helping to bridge the New York and Seoul newsrooms as part of our around-the-clock operation. He will also explore regional topics including politics, affordability, homelessness and extreme weather as The Times expands its reach along the Pacific Coast.

At his core, Mark gets what it means to be an Express reporter: As a member of the breaking news team at The Toronto Star for the past three years, he wrote explainers, timelines and live updates galore, along with features about capybaras on the run and hot dog empire family feuds .

He led coverage of major breaking news events, including the Artemis II rocket launch and the 2025 Delta plane crash at Toronto Pearson International Airport. He also contributed to coverage of the 2025 Blue Jays' World Series run , for which The Star was a finalist for a National Newspaper Award in Canada.

His colleagues at The Star praised his curiosity and collegiality, saying he was known to organize events like potlucks, game nights and newsroom Olympics.

Mark was raised near Toronto and in New Hampshire. He graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa with a degree in journalism and political science and previously worked at the CBC, Canada's national broadcaster. He jogs daily, amassing a streak of more than 2,300 consecutive days - no matter injuries, illness or inclement weather - picking up from his grandfather, who had a 2,437-day streak of his own.

Bolstering Express's reporting strength in the Pacific region, Mark will join Jennifer Sinco Kelleher , who is based in Honolulu and has covered three hurricanes in the span of two months, and Nicole Stock , a reporting embed in Los Angeles who wrote a gem of a story about Culver City.

Please join me in welcoming them all.

- Melissa