The finalists for the Online News Association‘s (ONA) 2009 Online Journalism Awards (OJAs) have been announced and three Canadian news outlets made the list.

The Toronto Star is a finalist for the “Knight Award for Public Service” for the series Crime and Punishment.

The Vancouver Sun is a finalist in the “Online Topical Reporting/Blogging, Small Site” category for reporter Kim Bolan’s blog The Real Scoop.

The Ottawa Citizen is a finalist in the “Multimedia Feature Presentation, Small Site” category for The Karsh Connection.

The OJAs were launched in 2000 and are administered by the ONA in partnership with the University of Miami’s School of Communication.

The winner’s will be announced on Oct. 3 at the association’s conference and awards banquet in San Francisco.