Longtime newspaper columnist Christie Blatchford dead at 68

Longtime newspaper columnist, author and firebrand Christie Blatchford, a hardnosed scribe known for deep-sourced scoops and biting opinion pieces, has died.

She was 68.

Blatchford had been undergoing treatment for lung cancer at Princess Margaret hospital in Toronto.

The cancer had metastasized to bones in the spine and hip by the time it was detected late last year, according to a profile.

Her brother Les Blatchford confirmed she died on Wednesday morning.