TORONTO — In 1998, Canadian newspapers faced the toughest environment in decades amid the launch of the National Post, fresh competition that put media companies in a cutthroat competition to gain the most readers, advertisers and scoops. TORONTO — In 1998, Canadian newspapers faced the toughest environment in decades amid the launch of the National Post, fresh competition that put media companies in a cutthroat competition to gain the most readers, advertisers and scoops. The Globe and Mail sent for Phillip Crawley. A newspaper veteran from Northumberland in England’s northeast, Crawley arrived in Toronto ready to do battle in the…