Anthony Westell started work as an apprentice reporter in Britain in 1942 when he was 16. Returning to journalism after three years in the Royal Navy, he made his way to success in Fleet Street in London. Westell emigrated to Canada in 1956 to join The Globe and Mail, becoming a member of the Editorial Board, and then Ottawa Bureau Chief. Joining The Toronto Star as national affairs columnist in 1969, he later moved to Carleton University to teach journalism, becoming director of the school of journalism and Associate Dean of Arts.