Tony Keller

Globe and Mail columnist Tony Keller has won the 2026 Donner Prize.

The annual $60,000 prize, established in 1998, recognizes the best book about public policy written by a Canadian.

Keller was named the winner for his book Borderline Chaos: How Canada Got Immigration Right, and Then Wrong at an event in Toronto on May 14.

In the book, published by Sutherland House Books, Keller examines Canada’s immigration system and how it went from a model for other nations to a system in need of rebuilding.

Keller’s book was one of five shortlisted for this year’s prize. The other finalists – Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson, Bob Joseph, Kevin G. Lynch and James R. Mitchell, and Tim Wu – each receive $7,500.

The winner of this year’s prize was selected by a jury comprised of André Beaulieu, Neil Desai, Brett House, Antonia Maioni, Maureen O’Neil, and Karen Restoule. Beaulieu, the chair of the jury, said in a press release that Keller’s book “is a perfect example of excellent policy writing – detailing how government took an excellent system, broke it, and describing for policymakers how it can be fixed.”