Berton moved to Toronto in 1947. At the age of 31 he was named managing editor of "Maclean's". In 1957, he became a key member of the CBC's public affairs flagship program, Close-Up, and a permanent panelist on the popular television show "Front Page Challenge". That same year, he also narrated the Academy Award-nominated National Film Board of Canada documentary "City of Gold", exploring life in his hometown of Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush. He then released an album in conjunction with Folkways Records, entitled "The Story of the Klondike: Stampede for Gold – The Golden Trail."