Skip to content

Black Press Media journalists win big at Canadian community newspaper awards

Newsrooms earn recognition for editorial and photography excellence
12738972_web1_170712-BPD-M-newspapers-black-pressjpg
(Black Press files)

Black Press Media is pleased to congratulate all of our winners in the 2018 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards.

Winners in the prestigious general excellence category include the Eagle Valley News, the Hope Standard, the Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News, the Lake Cowichan Gazette, the Salmon Arm Observer, the Sooke News Mirror, and the Victoria News.

Victoria News reporter Kristyn Anthony earned first place for Best News Story in her circulation class for “National CAF lawsuit picks up steam,” while editor Christine van Reeuwyk of the Oak Bay News picked up second place for “His name was Joe,” and Mission Record editor Kevin Mills earned third for “You want me to let them go?” in their own classes.

For Best Feature Story in their circulation classes, Fernie Free Press editor Phil McLachlan won first for “58 years into her life, Marsha Bradcoe found herself,” while Nelson Star reporter Tyler Harper earned second for “Call it intuition: Norm Pratt’s gift for finding people.”

Our series on women’s experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace earned first place in the Multimedia Feature category, while second place went to Keri Coles of the Oak Bay News for “Twists of fate across generations brings Pattinson memories home.”

For Best Feature Series, the 100 Mile Free Press and the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal newsrooms won first place for their fantastic project “Fire Fight,” Amy Reid with the Surrey Now-Leader won first place for “Home Suite Home,” Martha Wickett of the Salmon Arm Observer won second place for “Special report: Man dreams of helping others,” and the Abbotsford News’ Kelvin Gawley won second place for “Mea:ylexw,” all in their respective circulation categories.

Matthew Claxton of the Langley Advance earned first place for Outstanding Reporter Initiative for “Murrayville House Debacle” and Paul Henderson earned third for “BCFL calls for accountability in workplace deaths” in their circulation category, while Monica Lamb-Yorski of the Williams Lake Tribune won third place in her class for “Neighbours anxious to help wildfire victims.”

Second and third place for Outstanding Columnist went to reporter Sarah Simpson at the Cowichan Valley Citizen and editor Greg Knill of the Chilliwack Progress, respectively, in open circulation.

Bill Metcalfe of the Nelson Star nabbed third place for Best National Editorial in his class for “From Nelson to Quebec City and back again.”

Recognition for Best Local Editorial went to Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye of the Bashaw Star, in first place in his circulation class, Chris Windeyer of the Yukon News, in second place in his class, and the Surrey Now-Leader team in second place in its class.

Second place in her circulation class for Best Local Cartoon went to Elly Mossman of the Cowichan Valley Citizen.

Black Press Media cleaned up in the Best Headline Writing category. The Surrey Now-Leader earned first place for “Juicebox Heroes,” the Nanaimo News Bulletin won second for “Suspects steal car, pirate costumes and cake,” and the Peace Arch News grabbed third for “Higher power; Canine rules; Trudeau mania, Scheer enthusiasm,” in open circulation.

In photography, Joel Krahn of the Yukon News won first in his circulation class for Best Spot News Photo Coverage, while Martha Wickett of the Salmon Arm Observer won third place in her class.

The Nelson Star’s Jake Sherman and Kendra Wong of the Goldstream News Gazette each won first place for Best News Feature Photo in their respective circulation classes.

For Best Feature Photo, Free Press editor Phil McLachlan won first, Jenna Hauck of the Chilliwack Progress grabbed first, the Salmon Arm Observer’s Lachlan Labere earned second place, and Colleen Flanagan of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News took home second, all in their own circulation classes.

More wins for the Hope Standard and the Yukon News: They earned first place and third respectively in their circulation classes for Best Photo Essay. The Standard ‘s Barry Stewart also picked up third place for Best Sports Photo, while the New’s Joel Krahn earned first in his class.

The Vernon Morning Star won second place in the Outstanding Community Service open-circulation class for their “Community Leader Awards.”

Finally, first place in the open-circulation Excellence in Rural Reporting category went to Sarah Simpson of the Cowichan Valley Citizen for “Who does that? Brock McLeod,” first place in his class for Best Business Writing went to X. Y. Zeng of the Hope Standard for “The people who support pipelines,” second place in its class for Best Sports Coverage went to the Peace Arch News, and The Yukon News won first place for Best Arts Coverage and second for Best Historical Story in its classes.

To see all of this year’s CCNA winners, click here.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter