2016 BNC Booklet

2016 SPONSOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank all our award sponsors:

Fort Frances Times

Hydro One Networks Inc.

Laurentian Publishing

Metro Creative Graphics

Metroland Media Southwestern Ontario Division

Northern News Services

O’Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo

Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario General Contractors Association

Ontario Journalism Educators Association

Ontario Power Generation

MESSAGE

’ S

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The time has finally come to honour the wonderful work of Ontario’s weekly community newspapers, and what a great job they have done! One look at the entries and you will agree that Ontario’s Community newspapers have some very talented staff!

In October, publishers, editors, reporters, photographers and designers diligently filtered through thousands of stories, photographs and ads to enter over 1,500 entries in the 2016 Better Newspapers Competition. Then the wait began. Entries were sent to judges all over the country, who read and re-read each submission before making their decisions in January. On Valentine’s Day, the OCNA announced the finalists in each category. The wait continued, until OCNA members were finally recognized for their hard work during the annual Spring Convention and BNC Awards Gala on Friday, April 7.

As always, we would like to thank all of those in the industry that have helped make this awards program a success.

A great big thank you to all our judges, who, despite many other commitments, volunteer their time to examine countless entries on their evenings and weekends. Without them, we would not have the opportunity to honour the best work in our industry.

Another thank you to our sponsors for their generous support. They have once again enabled us to highlight the great accomplishments of our members.

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2016 OCNA Better Newspapers Competition.

Dave Adsett President Ontario Community Newspapers Association

GENERAL EXCELLENCE classes 1 - 8

GENERAL EXCELLENCE CLASS 1 CIRCULATION 1,999 & UNDER

NEW HAMBURG INDEPENDENT

The strongest all-around paper in this category, the New Hamburg Independent, does everything a small community newspaper should do. It excels based on the strength of its staff’s ability to cover and dissect the local news and events that matter most to readers, and presents them in a strong overall package. And this local news is anchored by a number of strong human interest pieces. The editorial/op-ed pages were by far the best of this circulation class, as was the sports presentation.

MINDEN TIMES

The Minden Times is a solid community newspaper with front-pages that are filled with important community news that is well-written, and covers a wide range of beats from hard news, to sports, to the arts. This trend is continued throughout the paper by the Times’ staff, who have put together a well-packaged, well-reproduced, and easy to read publication for their readers.

BARRYS BAY, THE VALLEY GAZETTE

Barry’s Bay, The Valley Gazette is clearly well supported by the community and it responds with comprehensive coverage. It stands out on the strength of some of the smaller things that it does very well. The front page benefits from strong news content, but most impressive are the design choices made by the paper’s composition staff. Its features make the paper unique, and stand out for their strong design, but also suggest that the paper has a good relationship with local businesses.

GENERAL COMMENT

The seven papers in this category are the smallest papers within the OCNA, yet each one strives to provide a big presence for readers and advertisers. Each of the entries deserves a great deal of praise for offering in-depth, often no-holds-barred coverage of community news, events, sports, and arts. There was also a great deal of excellent photography on display throughout the pages perused, and overall design and reproduction quality were strengths for nearly all competitors. The most impressive papers had a level of consistency in all areas, rather than excelling in one area at the expense of another. This resulted in a strong overall package. As each passing year brings with it brand new technological advancements, we increasingly hear people sounding the death knell for print newspapers. But this year’s entrants stand as a testament to the important role that small-town newspapers play in the everyday lives of their readers, and their communities.

John Arendt Editor Summerland Review Summerland, BC

John Harding Editor Parksville Qualicum Beach News Parksville, BC

Jordan Twiss News Editor Shellbrook Chronicle Shellbrook, SK

GENERAL EXCELLENCE CLASS 2

CIRCULATION 2,000 - 3,499

2 3

GENERAL COMMENT

HALIBURTON COUNTY ECHO

The Haliburton County Echo is obviously a total team effort on every page. I believe this is about as perfect as you can get for a community newspaper. Don’t change anything you’re doing!

NEW LISKEARD TEMISKAMING SPEAKER

The New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker is a very close second. Interesting stories and a clean but compelling front page design ensured this paper a place in the top three. Well laid out and easy to read editorial and op-ed pages garnered strong readership response. Strong local content, well designed ads and interesting stories made it a pleasure to judge. Sometimes, the strength of an editorial or a slightly weaker photo on the front page is the only difference between first and second. Very well done!

KINCARDINE INDEPENDENT

The Kincardine Independent demonstrated so much of what is right with community newspapers. The content does a great job of informing and connecting the community. It is clear that this is a newspaper helmed by a passionate and talented group of employees.

Very impressive! Eight newspapers and every one a terrific product! You should all be proud. The newspapers in this class illustrate that community newspapers are alive and well, and with good reason. With strong editorial content and meaningful advertising, these publications are obviously integral parts of their respective communities. All appear to be doing a good job providing their communities with local content. Very well done, everyone! Congratulations to all the employees at these impressive newspapers.

1 2 Judges

Carol Farnalls Former Publisher Barrhead Leader Barrhead, AB

Chris Clegg Editor The South Peace News High Prairie, AB

Jonathon Naylor Editor The Reminder Flin Flon, MB

CIRCULATION 3,500 - 6,499

NUNAVUT NEWS/NORTH

News/North is a strong newspaper after 70 years of publication. Serving the community is clearly what the paper does best. In all categories, readers are treated to a high standard, and in two languages. Congratulations on a fine publication.

EGANVILLE LEADER

The Eganville Leader was a pleasure to read. It has a lot of news and photos, a good recreation section with a variety of sports, some local features, and a good editorial page with a strong, local editorial and letters to the editor, showing the newspaper is engaged to the community. The news writing is also strong, especially the lead stories on the front page. The one area this newspaper can improve on is the use of headlines. They could be bigger and used more effectively to draw readers into the stories. Overall, an excellent newspaper.

PETROLIA LAMBTON INDEPENDENT

The Petrolia Lambton Independent had solid hard news and community news stories on an enticing front page and this remained true inside the paper as well. Content included several feature stories to balance out the news. In terms of photography, there were lots of good action shots and photos were cropped in a pleasing manner. It also had a robust sports section and a good balance of ad content, art, and text.

GENERAL COMMENT

All of the newspapers in this category should be commended for continuing to put out a newspaper every week. The scores of writers, advertising consultants, designers, classified managers, photographers, accountants, managers, proof-readers and delivery people who labour week-in and week-out should be proud. They showed a commitment to their communities with lots of news, photos, and local content, including local editorials. There was a variety of interesting special sections and content too. Clearly the myth that newspapers are dead are just that: a myth. These papers are a testimony to the future of a healthy democracy in Canada, thanks to strong journalism. It is through publishing strong papers that newspapers will ride through these changing times.

Laura Keil Publisher & Co-Founder The Rocky Mountain Goat Valemount, BC

Lily Ryan Editor, Co-Publisher/Owner Bulletin d’Aylmer, The West Quebec Post, Journal du Pontiac Gatineau, QC

Rob Vogt Editor Claresholm Local Press Claresholm, AB

GENERAL EXCELLENCE CLASS 4

CIRCULATION 6,500 - 12,499

2 3

GENERAL COMMENT

HALIBURTON HIGHLANDER

What a pleasure reading the Highlander! A very clean front page and the photography is exceptional. The paper presented a very strong editorial opinion section and easy to read news and business sections that are well laid out. What really stood out for me was the repetitive use of the Highlander name in red at the top of each section. It drew me right into the stories. The use of large photos, well designed advertising, and a great layout made this an overall choice as one of the winning papers. Congratulations Highlander staff.

NIAGARA THIS WEEK, THE LEADER

Niagara This Week, The Leader, makes a strong first impression with bold and powerful front page photos as well as a clean and clear presentation that makes you want to turn inside. The community news stories that fill the pages are varied and of much interest. Strong production values and a good use of photos also helped to put this newspaper near the top of the list. Although the editorial page comes without a cartoon, it makes up for it with a photo from the picturesque Niagara region. Well done!

BRACEBRIDGE EXAMINER

The Bracebridge Examiner presented a strong front page with great leads into the local content. The layout inside was clean and well organized with a strong mixture of local stories and well-designed advertising content. Strong photography, community oriented stories and new briefs blend well into the layout for an easy read. The Arts and Entertainment and Classified sections are strong and the use of strong headlines draw ones attention to the stories. Congratulations to the team for a great product! And, keep up the great work!

Ontario is very well served by its community newspapers, and they continue to be a strong resource. The level of professionalism is second-tonone and the support from advertisers clearly demonstrates that while the industry in general may be hitting a road bump, the strong local news presented on these pages have value. It also serves to employ seasoned and up and coming writers, advertising sales people, designers and all those who work hard to be a part of the team, providing solid jobs for our up and coming generations. The computer and internet have their place, but they do not replace the desire to flip through the pages of a well-designed newspaper. The industry is strong and alive allowing for the continued delivery of local stories, local events, local photography, and local advertising content for the community it serves. The one area for improvement is the size of the news hole. Keep giving people a reason to pick up your paper! Try to make room for a wide variety of local news to keep your readers interested! In all, very impressed!

1 4 Judges

Anthony Bonaparte Associate Editor The Suburban Montreal, QC

Kevin Weedmark Editor & Publisher The World-Spectator Moosomin, SK

Sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics

Susan Attiana Publisher The Local Weekly Sunshine Coast, BC

GENERAL EXCELLENCE CLASS 5

CIRCULATION 12,500 - 22,499

MIDLAND/PENETANGUISHENE MIRROR

This was a tough category to judge given the quality all exhibited, and the Midland/Penetanguishene Mirror was the only one upon which the judges agreed – definitely first-place material. Great front page art and photos throughout, concise and accurate headlines, crisp layout and design and editorial pages are reflective of the communities’ residents. Lovely arts and sports coverage and oh yes, editorials that actually state an opinion, even if commenting on world events rather than local happenings. The world of community journalism in Ontario is alive and well.

ORANGEVILLE BANNER

The Orangeville Banner was a strong contender in this year’s competition, with its strongest points coming from exactly where they should in a community newspaper: Community. While the front page of the Orangeville Banner should be seen by others in the industry as an example of dynamic and eye-catching design, what should be applauded more than anything is the Orangeville Banner’s commitment to printing community news, with strong, local editorial content (both news and features) and photos. While there is work to be done in the area of sports, localized op. ed pages and a notable community presence pushed Orangeville to second place.

WATERDOWN FLAMBOROUGH REVIEW

The front page of the Waterdown Flamborough Review is well designed. The nice photography and engaging stories were a big part of why this paper made the top three. Better than average sports coverage and great opinion pages were a big help too. With more comprehensive local stories, better copy to ad percentage, and adding features would help the paper to reach the top of this class.

GENERAL COMMENT

Overall, the Class 5 papers exhibit a sincere and strong commitment to holding up the proverbial mirror to their respective communities. However, there was a distinct difference between the top five and the rest of the papers in this class. While there has been an overall increase over the past few years in community focused coverage, there have also been some areas that have proven to be lacking. Great local coverage and good photos, both of which include sports, along with not so cluttered fronts and well laid out inside pages were keys a lot of papers in the class seem to have forgotten or lost. The importance of a strong sports section in community newspapers cannot be overstated; these sections draw a significant amount of reader attention and bring new readers into the fold, as sports sections are widely read by players, families and friends of athletes, and anyone else connected to various teams/sports. Across the board, more resources should be dedicated to enhanced sports coverage (stretching what we know to be already scarce resources, as it is). The rise of proper community news and feature coverage is encouraging; I simply believe it can be spread into more areas of coverage. Layout and design is of huge importance to community newspapers and while some newsrooms have adapted more visually-engaging front pages and overall designs, many are still tombstoning stories. Editorial staffs should focus on more dynamic designs overall, and a heavier use of photos. Regardless of areas of constructive criticism, the competition was tight this year, and the localized focuses taken by numerous publications is to be strongly commended.

Ben Proulx Editor Sherwood Park News Sherwood Park, AB

Jordie Dwyer Reporter/Photographer Ponoka News Ponoka, AB

Carol Picard Founder & Former Editor Rocky Mountain Outlook Canmore, AB

GENERAL EXCELLENCE CLASS 6

CIRCULATION 22,500 - 44,999

CAMBRIDGE TIMES

The Cambridge Times is a very clean, well-designed newspaper with a good balance of news, opinions, sports, arts and entertainment, advertising and photos. Its front page makes a good impression and the editorial pages are strong. The community is well-served by The Times.

FERGUS WELLINGTON ADVERTISER

The Wellington Advertiser had all the right elements to make a great newspaper. A good front page, a strong editorial focus, lots of local photos and stories, excellent sports coverage and a robust classified section. Combine that with good layout, typography and strong design and you have a newspaper any community would be proud of.

WATERLOO CHRONICLE

The staff at the Waterloo Chronicle seem to understand the importance of editorial content in a small tab-format paper, something many peers struggled to grasp. Strong production quality, good use of colour, and intelligent packaging (strong branding of specialized pages, such as “city life” for example) helped push the Chronicle into the top three. That said, there is room for improvement: better use of headline hierarchy, and a greater adherence to modular design would improve the overall impression.

GENERAL COMMENT

It’s good to see so many of this year’s entrants in Class 6 really know how to construct a good newspaper. It was a difficult one to judge, as almost all newspapers in it seem to be doing well with plenty of news and advertising. In reading them and looking them over carefully, it is obvious they are key ingredients in their communities. It was refreshing and uplifting to read many excellent features, look at good photos and read about how Ontario communities were holding fundraisers for the victims of the Fort McMurray wildfire. Overall, these papers had attentiongrabbing front pages, were focused on good coverage of their communities and were economically vibrant. Many also featured exceptional attention to detail on the advertising front, from use of colour, design, and presentation. Unfortunately, there were many who did so at the expense of editorial content, and without editorial content, readers’ eyes are unlikely to linger on ads: a fact many publishers overlooked. Those products would do well to loosen the ad-copy somewhat to allow for journalists to do what journalists do best: create readers and bring eyes to the valuable ads.

Judges

Frank Bucholtz Freelance writer and blogger Former editor (1998-2015) Langley Times Langley, BC

Manfred Tempelmayr Retired Publishing Company President Past BCYCNA President Gabriola Island, BC

Sponsored by Northern News Services

Vern Faulker Former Editor The Saint Croix Courier/ Courier Weekend St. Stephen, NB

CIRCULATION 45,000 & OVER

BRANT NEWS

2 3

GENERAL COMMENT

1 Judges

Andy Walker Editor Island Farm Montague, PEI

The Brant News features strong front pages, extensive news holes, excellent photography, clean design and great sports coverage, which is a real key to making connections with families in a community or coverage area. It’s a winner.

HAMILTON MOUNTAIN NEWS

News stories were tightly written and informative, and the staff reporters of the Hamilton Mountain News demonstrated a strong breadth of understanding and insight. It was immediately clear how these issues impacted the local community and multiple points of view were consistently sought throughout. A clean and consistent layout added to an overall engaging reader experience.

KITCHENER POST

The look of the Kitchener Post is wonderful. It has plenty of colour, and the use of the “Goal Post’ and “Guide Posts” to mark sections is great. It has a preference for hard news (which is a personal preference of mine to be sure) but there is a good mix of features. It had a clean layout of the opinion columns and a good use of feature photos. The ad mix leads me to believe this paper will be serving the community for a long time to come.

John Kendle Managing Editor Canstar Community News Winnipeg, MB

Kelsey Klassen Editor Westender Newspaper Editor-in-Chief VITA magazine Vancouver, BC

GENERAL EXCELLENCE CLASS 8 COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY

1

2

ALGONQUIN COLLEGE | ALGONQUIN TIMES

The Algonquin Times had a strong, eye-catching front page. It followed that up with nice features and strong photos, and each story featured a photo. The majority of those photos identified the subject, which was not the case in many of the college and university newspapers. Pages were well designed and headlines were strong. A nice complete package.

DURHAM COLLEGE | THE CHRONICLE

The Durham Chronicle had strong features and a good presentation. Kudos to the Chronicle’s ad department for the healthy number of ads in the paper.

NIAGARA COLLEGE | NIAGARA NEWS

The Niagara News had a strong front page but was hurt by its lack of sports pages. The News had some of the strongest photos in this division, which included the two-page feature from the pumpkin farm.

3

GENERAL COMMENT

The top three newspapers are proof journalism is still alive and well in our post-secondary institutions. The six papers in this category did a good job covering their communities. Each featured strong editorials and opinions which was nice to see. That was in sharp contrast to photos. While some of the papers featured strong, impactful photos, others seemed to treat the photos as an afterthought. Many photos did not include names of the subjects and others were very static. Remember readers like to see strong photos, they also like to know who is in the photo.

Mike Johnston

Mike Johnston is regional managing editor of the Metroland Durham Region Northumberland Media Group. A graduate of Durham College, he has been in the community newspaper business for almost 30 years and has been a strong supporter of bringing in placement students from college and university newspapers. Some of whom he eventually hired.

PREMIER AWARDS

PREMIER AWARDS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

KITCHENER POST

2 3

GENERAL COMMENT

1 Judge

Images taken with forethought, as well as design attributed greatly to the readability of the lengthy piece by James Jackson. It didn’t feel too long and was significantly informative. What made it stand out though is the unusual story, well told. Sharing one man’s tale of the hobby that changed his life and backing it up with research and a local group available to readers gives it added relevance to the community.

BRANT NEWS

The page is alive with interesting design – on the cusp of being too busy – using excellent photography. Sean Allen presented a clear concise story utilizing just enough comment from a variety of people. The story showcases a new entertainment avenue in the community, providing the readers added access to local arts.

OTTAWA SOUTH NEWS

At first blush it appears to be a story about a visiting actor (albeit some would argue one of Canada’s favourites William Shatner). But the story, which hedges on too long but is tidily broken up, features people from the main event, sharing what it actually means to the community and finishes with a segment on how readers can enjoy a similar experience. The notes that accompany the story were lengthy as well, outlining how Erin McCracken got what turned out to be a rare photo, that wasn’t supposed to happen.

The category was huge with a breadth of arts and entertainment presented for the community. While some featuring visiting big names are good reads, those that stand out focus on arts and culture in the community and by the community. Well thought-out design and forethought in photos helped many entries with readability and entry points for the reader.

Christinevan Reeuwyk

Multimedia Journalist, Oak Bay News, Victoria, BC

Christine van Reeuwyk is an award-winning multi-media journalist for Black Press who began her career in Port Hardy B.C. in 2002. She has worked as a multi-media journalist and editor for Black Press papers across Vancouver Island including the Peninsula News Review, Goldstream News Gazette, Saanich News and the Oak Bay News for more than two years.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST BUSINESS & FINANCE STORY

1

PETERBOROUGH THIS WEEK

Sarah Frank provides an excellent breakdown of the financial implications of the 2015 federal election. The story explains why the issue is not likely to drive votes – but then explains why it definitely should. Well done.

OSHAWA EXPRESS

Graeme McNaughton writes an important story looking at an issue from several angles that affects most readers and is certainly a topic of conversation across Canada whether you are looking to sell or hoping to buy in the near future.

CAMBRIDGE TIMES

Bill Doucet presents a great read about a young local entrepreneur who has hit it big with his own creation, putting a new twist on the ubiquitous baseball-style cap with hockey skate laces.

HONOURABLE MENTION

OTTAWA SOUTH NEWS – Erin McCracken delves into an important issue that will likely be repeated in many communities across Canada in the years to come. As the population ages and technology changes the way we do things, how do we deal with those left behind

GENERAL COMMENT

2 3 68 ENTRIES Judge

Brian Gray

Journalism Instructor, Centennial College, Toronto, ON Brian Gray spent 18 years with the Toronto Sun as a reporter and editor. He is currently a journalism instructor at Centennial College.

PREMIER AWARDS EDUCATION WRITING

OSHAWA EXPRESS

2 3

The Oshawa Express gave prominent space to an important decision by their school board. But Joel Wittnebel cut through complex, repetitive information and broke it into manageable bites. This was all aided by a crisp layout and story breaks.

MISSISSAUGA NEWS

In the homeschooling story from Jason Spencer, the reader learns exactly why a once-alternative schooling method is gaining traction among families.

OTTAWA WEST NEWS

A well-researched story, backed up with important details. Rather than outlining the program of the day to eradicate bullying, Melissa Murray reminds us exactly why bullying has become a regular part of school programming.

HONOURABLE MENTION

BURKS FALLS ALMAGUIN NEWS – Rob Learn really illustrates what happens to students and their families when decisions to eliminate services are made. It also highlights the particular struggle of rural area schools and their students. Very human portrayal of a budget decision. Well done!

GENERAL COMMENT

1 Judge

The winners in this category each dove deeper than a single issue, and found creative ways to engage the reader in the subject. Honourable mention goes to Rob Learn, for taking what could have been a dry numbers story and instead showing the personal impact those decisions have made on families.

Sponsored by Ontario Journalism Educators Association

Jessica Peters

Reporter, Chilliwack Progress, Chilliwack, BC

Jessica Peters has worked for Black Press in the Fraser Valley, B.C. since 1999. She was the editor of a small newspaper for seven of those years, and is now an education reporter and feature writer for The Chilliwack Progress. She has earned writing awards from the Local Media Association, Newspapers Canada, and the BC Yukon Community Newspaper Association, and is the mother of three teenaged boys.

PREMIER AWARDS

BEST EDITORIAL CIRC. OVER 10,000

NORFOLK NEWS

I just loved this piece! Localizing zombie culture simply can’t be beat as a topic. The wee injection of a real issue (an influx of urban retirees along with the zombies) makes for great food for thought. Superb writing, unique voice, highly entertaining.

CORNWALL SEAWAY NEWS

Great editorial on a subject that has gripped so many communities in recent years. It is beautifully crafted and engaging. Rife with pertinent details. The voice of the writer comes across strong and clear, which is how all editorials should read.

ELMIRA-WOOLWICH OBSERVER

This is, quite simply, a terrific read. The argument is beautifully handled with efficiency in terms of word length. By comparing the issue locally to places further afield, the writer comes across as well-informed on the issue, and someone who doesn’t hesitate to voice their opinion. Fabulous.

HONOURABLE MENTION

SUDBURY NORTHERN LIFE – This is just a fantastic editorial. It’s apparent that the editor who wrote it is fully engaged with the local community. The tone is individual, the turns of phrase lively and unique. Calling local politicians to task is one of the most important jobs that community papers take on. It’s thankless and often difficult. But this piece represents the best of what small papers do. Love it.

GENERAL COMMENT

The quality of writing in this category really ran the gamut, from brilliant to barely adequate. For those whose work fell short, I encourage you to read the work of others who have turned out brilliant editorials and essays: Tom Wolfe, John McPhee, Gwynn Dyer, William Safire, Adam Gopnick, Malcolm Gladwell. For those whose work made this job truly difficult - because your writing is so wonderfully compelling – I wish there weren’t so many of you to choose from. There are some great stories told here, and it was real pleasure to read them.

Melanie Scott Editor, The Low Down to Hull and Back News, Wakefield, Quebec

Melanie Scott is the editor of the award-winning Low Down to Hull and Back News, published in Wakefield, Quebec. She was editor of Where Ottawa magazine from 1998 to 2007 and has freelanced for the Postmedia chain and numerous mainstream and special interest magazines. She is the recipient of a National Magazine Award. Above all, she is on a mission to ensure the survival of the semi-colon.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST EDITORIAL CIRC. UNDER 9,999

1

2 3

GENERAL COMMENT

EGANVILLE LEADER

A heartfelt piece that is well-spoken. It is a cry for change to a system which many feel is flawed with a clear case in point as to why that change is necessary. Case well made.

HALIBURTON COUNTY ECHO

Well written piece that provides researched information to support the need for a change in library funding models. Factual and to the point.

HALIBURTON HIGHLANDER

Well said. A call to open one’s mind is well served.

Editor, Opasquia Times, The Pas, MB

I began as Staff Reporter for the Opasquia Times in 2004 and assumed the role of Editor in 2007 where I served until 2011 before briefly leaving to spend two years in municipal employment. I returned to resume the role of Editor in 2013 and have served as such until present. Serving in a small town, my coverage has spanned virtually every aspect of journalism with my current focus primarily in municipal politics. I am the proud father of three boys.

PREMIER AWARDS FEATURE WRITING CIRC.

OVER 10,000

OSHAWA EXPRESS

Joel Wittnebel provides a well written and style conceived presentation of a story of a tragic figure in Oshawa community. Crime stories often lead themselves to feature stories when staff resources allow the time to be put in following the case through the legal system.

ELMIRA-WOOLWICH OBSERVER

An interesting story by Whitney Neilson. Well researched with statistical cost comparisons, and an appealing layout for lead story page. It leaves readers with something to think about, comparing old school horses to the automobile.

GEORGINA ADVOCATE

Heidi Riedner has a great seasonal feature idea that might otherwise be easily overlooked. It is nicely showcased in layout from front to inside lead page.

GENERAL COMMENT

Many, many quality entries in this category. Hard to pick a winner but from my perspective, was looking for stories that embraced a greater level of entrepreneurial reporting, starting with an idea and building from there, as opposed to reporting on actual events. Many entries might have been better suited to more specific feature oriented categories, such as sports or lifestyles, rather than all being tossed in together under one category. Design and layout is always important and noted that many entries were hard pressed to be confined to one or two pages, as constant turns make it challenging for readers to stick with the story. The winning entry was compelling reading, and layout and content presentation was done in an easily accessible style for the reader. Great to see that reporters, hopefully with the support and encouragement of their editors, are still embracing long-form journalism stories in the digital era journalists must deal with today.

Sponsored by O’Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo

Barry Gerding

Senior Regional Reporter, Black Press – Okanagan Valley, BC

Barry Gerding has worked in the B.C. community newspaper industry since 1981. Besides being a reporter for several northwest B.C and Vancouver Island publications, Barry has also been editor of two publications in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver, and Kelowna in the Okanagan over the past 26 years. He currently is the senior regional reporter for Black Press in the Okanagan Valley, responsible for providing content to eight area newspapers.

PREMIER AWARDS FEATURE WRITING CIRC.

UNDER 9,999

NUNAVUT NEWS/NORTH

First place goes to Michele LeTourneau of the Nunavut News/North for her article about the Inuit Tattoo Revitalization Project, which was thoroughly researched and fascinating to read, and beautifully photographed and laid out.

2 3

HALIBURTON COUNTY ECHO

Second spot belongs to Angela Long of the Haliburton County Echo for her feature on Robert Bateman and his family’s long relationship with the Haliburton Highlands through the cottage the Batemans have owned since 1938. Long’s writing is absolutely exceptional in this piece. The photographs were also excellent.

HUNTSVILLE FORESTER

Samantha Beattie’s article on medical marijuana earned third place. Published in the Huntsville Forester, Beattie made the most of an interview with a compelling subject and her survey of area doctors on their opinions about the use of marijuana as a health treatment.

HONOURABLE MENTION

EGANVILLE LEADER – Strong writing in a story about a Yukon odyssey by Bruce McIntyre of the Eganville Leader, along with great use of submitted photos, merits the entry an honourable mention.

GENERAL COMMENT

1 Judge

As always, the entries that went beyond interviewing one person and devoted extra space and resources to an attractive layout garnered higher point totals. Because a significant number of points in this competition are allotted for layout and design, it’s almost impossible to place in the top three without putting some extra effort into that aspect of a story, although excellent writing is still crucial, of course.

Sponsored by O’Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo

Gail Sjuberg

Editor, Driftwood Gulf Islands Media, Salt Spring Island, BC

Gail Sjuberg has been the editor of the award-winning Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper in B.C. since 2003 and in the community newspaper business for more than 25 years. She is also the editor of Driftwood Publishing Ltd.’s magazine called Aqua-Gulf Islands Living and the Gulf Islander tourist guide, and has been a judge for numerous community newspaper competitions. Since 2013 she has also been the chair of the Salt Spring Literacy Society, which offers free adult and family literacy services on Salt Spring Island.

PREMIER AWARDS ENVIRONMENT ONTARIO

BRANT NEWS

You had me at “earthship.” This story, about a home built with tires, bottles, cans -- and ingenuity -- comes to life through thorough reporting and lively writing. Jeff Tribe corralled a variety of sources, distilled their most informative (and colourful) comments and packaged it all in accessible prose. So a radical idea successfully rises from the ground in Brantford and lifts off the pages of the Brant News

HALIBURTON COUNTY ECHO

We’ve seen stories about beech bark disease for a few years now, as this scourge marches through Ontario forests. But with the disease taking hold in Haliburton, Jenn Watt has produced a superior piece about its origins, effects and implications. She interviewed multiple, authoritative sources -- but she avoided what could have been a very technical description and explanation, and produced something highly readable instead.

NUNAVUT NEWS/NORTH

A classic case of the press acting as a watchdog on government. Michele LeTourneau examined the Nunavut administration’s apparent openness to development in territory that caribou use for calving -- and the varied reaction to that from interest groups, including wildlife activists, hunters and trappers. The thoroughness of Michele’s reporting is evident, along with the care that she takes in her writing. In the end, she gives everyone their say on what is clearly an important regional issue.

HONOURABLE MENTION

EGANVILLE LEADER – Two things are clear in this story about a trailer park owner who is under scrutiny from the Ministry of the Environment and other regulators: first, reporter Bruce McIntyre and the Eganville Leader are willing to go to bat for residents of modest means; and second, Bruce is a serious investigative journalist who really digs... and finds dirt. Bruce and the Leader seem to have taken to heart what that fictional Irish bartender Mr. Dooley said more than a century ago -- newspapers should ‘comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable’.

GENERAL COMMENT

This veteran of the BNC and the environmental category never ceases to be impressed with both the breadth and depth of ecological coverage in the province’s community newspapers. Among the four-dozen (!) entries this year were interesting and entertaining stories about green roofs (plants instead of shingles)... the “ick factor” (a headline writer’s apt summary for what happens when food waste isn’t properly green-binned)... “disinfected poop” (OK when it’s contained to the sewage plant – not OK when it overflows in a flood)... a woman who gives new meaning to the term tree-hugger (when she steals the chainsaw of a works crew who were going to cut down an old, beloved oak)... the arrival of a rare species of bumblebee somewhere (welcome)... and the arrival of Asian carp somewhere else (unwelcome). And these engaging stories were among the pieces that didn’t make the “Final Four”; with 48 contenders, I simply couldn’t give credit everywhere credit was due. But what a pleasure to be able to award the “best of the best” – the journalists and newspapers whose work appears on this page.

Stephen Cogan

Program Coordinator, Centennial College, Toronto, ON

Stephen Cogan is a proud alumnus of community newspapers in the Upper Ottawa Valley. He’s also been a writer and editor at the Kingston Whig-Standard, CBC News in Toronto and NBC News in New York. He now teaches in the journalism programs of Centennial College in Toronto.

PREMIER AWARDS

TORONTO CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS

The story starts by shining a spotlight on one family’s struggle to deal with their first-born son’s devastating diagnosis of Canavan disease and then pulls back to examine the broader issue of testing for an array of genetic afflictions in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. The lead is compelling and the story is beautifully written, balancing information from a wide array of sources with powerful quotes. While the layout is awkwardly interrupted by an ad on the first page of the story, the chart of genetic diseases and carrier frequency on the following page is a helpful addition to the piece. Thank you Lila Sarick – I learned a lot from this story.

HALIBURTON COUNTY ECHO

The news hook for Angelica Ingram’s powerful feature – provincial legislation passed last April giving first responders suffering from PTSD faster access to treatment and benefits – was the inspiration for a number of stories submitted for judging in this category. In my opinion, this was the most impressive and comprehensive of the lot. A strong lead and deft handling of at least five sources ranging from fire chiefs to EMS workers. Some of the information could have been presented in an alternative form (a fact-box, for example), as the second page is overwhelmingly grey. Nevertheless, a well-organized and at times haunting look at a topic that is becoming increasingly more prevalent and worrisome.

NORFOLK NEWS

This could have been just another story about someone winning an award for her good work in the community. But the lead – which introduces us to the award-winner by describing a failed suicide attempt 15 years earlier –makes her current work as a mental health advocate so much more poignant and personal. Is there still a great deal of stigma around the topic of suicide? Yes. But stories like this by J.P. Antonacci go a long way toward educating the public and alleviating some of the shame and misunderstanding surrounding this issue.

HONOURABLE MENTION

BURLINGTON POST – A topical and important news feature that follows up on a provincial announcement about funding changes to the Ontario Autism Program. Michael Gregory talks to two single mothers who are angry that their children will no longer be eligible for publicly funded therapy, weaving in quotes from ministry spokespeople and explanations of how the changes will work. In terms of design, I’d suggest revisiting your cutline style and limiting turns to one per story. Most readers won’t stick with a piece that jumps from page to page to page.

GENERAL COMMENT

What an honour it was to judge the entries in this category. The subjects ranged from PTSD to health care for seniors to organ donation – a veritable smorgasbord of health and wellness-related stories tackling issues of vital importance to the communities involved. The ones that impressed me the most started by focusing on a particular character and then widening the lens to look at the situation as a whole, often weaving in multiple voices. Congratulations to all those who made submissions – the heart of community journalism is very definitely still beating.

Lindy Oughtred

Journalism Professor, Centennial College, Toronto, ON

Lindy Oughtred is a former community newspaper reporter and editor who worked for publications in Oakville, Brampton and Mississauga. She specialized in feature and column writing and won several OCNA and CCNA awards for her stories and designs. Now a full-time journalism professor at Centennial College’s East York campus, she teaches courses in design and interviewing techniques, supervises the senior multiplatform magazine course and field placements and is an editor with the East York Observer and torontoobserver.ca, the journalism program’s print and online publications. In her spare time, she works as a freelance fact-checker and copy editor for Zoomer magazine and as an interviewing and design coach.

PREMIER AWARDS HERITAGE

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GRAVENHURST BANNER

Amazing tale of Jewish forced labour and American bomber meeting decades later. The sheer uniqueness of this true story captures the readers’ imagination. Excellent telling by Brent Cooper.

PETERBOROUGH THIS WEEK

First person rules – especially in a story with so much personal investment. Craig Gibson tells of two century old deaths marked by new stones. Fascinating.

UXBRIDGE TIMES-JOURNAL

Wow! This tale of Sam Sharpe MP is terribly sad, but a wrong has been turned around 100 years later. Very worthwhile effort by Shane MacDonald.

HONOURABLE MENTION

WHITBY THIS WEEK – 173-year-old house saved from demolition by 23-year-old guy – kudos to Parvaneh Pessian.

OTTAWA SOUTH NEWS – Nicely done – Erin McCracken took the time to really listen and is able to convey the angst. Well done.

NUNAVUT NEWS/NORTH – This is a special story of determination and cultural revival of female tattooing. Well done by Michele LeTourneau.

GENERAL COMMENT

Judge

Reporter, Editor, Columnist, Kings County Advertiser/Register, Kentville, NS

Sponsored by Fort Frances Times

Wendy Elliott has been a reporter, editor and columnist for over 35 years. Writing for The Kings County Advertiser/Register in western Nova Scotia, she has picked up regional and national awards for Best Columnist, Best Sport Story and Best Series.

PREMIER

BRAMPTON GUARDIAN

Congratulations to the Brampton Guardian for so fully laying bare the scourge of mental illness in the community -- and having the wisdom of illustrating that it’s not a hopeless pit of despair, that there is genuine light at the end of that long tunnel. The Guardian team consisting of Radhika Panjwani, Louie Rosella and Jason Spencer, worked hard on this series to deftly and with sensitivity tell the stories of the varying levels of mental illness, what the community is doing about it, and how there is a brighter future for sufferers. Mental illness has tendrils in our homes, workplaces and on the streets and is at the root in fact, of nearly all of the social ills that other entries in this class have documented. Combined, all of these entries should be presented to the Ontario government and donors to prove -- if any further proof is needed -- of the awful fallout of this long-neglected societal problem.

ORLEANS NEWS

The wheels of justice grind excruciatingly slowly in this province and country and it’s vital that journalists point that out whenever an egregious example of that comes to the fore. According to this story, the average murder trial takes a year from arrest to conviction; this one will be in its fourth year by the time justice is served. Reporter Brier Dodge deserves kudos for pulling together multiple sources to underscore just how poorly this family has been served by the system. The paper spared no space for this important story, and deserves credit for not giving into the temptation of editing for space.

OSHAWA EXPRESS

The impact of the downturn in Ontario’s automobile-dependent communities has not been well chronicled from the human perspective, but the Oshawa Express made it a mission statement by dedicating generous space to a story of community neglect, tackling the nagging problem of absent landlords, marginalized voices and government indifference. Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable; that’s not just an axiom of journalism. The Express took it to heart. Opening the series with the testimony of tenants, the piece illustrates an ongoing theme that could not be ignored by Oshawa’s leaders. “It sounds like they’ve red-circled Oshawa south as stay out of there, but that is the very community that could use help,” one of the poverty victims tells the reporter. A freedom of information request seeking all emails between municipal leaders and staff relating to the problem would’ve brought the story to another level, and earned a first place. But kudos to reporter Joel Wittnebel for the initiative. I hope the Express continues to chronicle Oshawa’s impoverished and goad the authorities into comforting the afflicted.

GENERAL COMMENT

Investigative stories should shine a light on persisting problems in communities and thus require reporters to go above and beyond the routine question-and-answer assignments. Persistent, tough questions and data digging are the hallmark of such reports, and the top three entries in this category did that, and then some. They also prove that small news operations don’t have to have an investigative team the size of the Toronto Star or CBC. For example, every town and city has its share of sub-standard apartment buildings that are home to the marginalized and impoverished. Not every community newspaper seeks out the truth behind such blights. The Oshawa Express laid bare the details of largely ignored tenants’ rights in that city by focusing on those living in an aging, substandard apartment building who had their water shut off 28 times by an absentee landlord. The initial report led to more questions, more interviews with tenants and exposed evidence of foot-dragging by the city. One bylaw officer admitted as much when he said, “I have tenants contact me every single day…specifically for tenants that have had ongoing issues for three or four-plus years.” The final installment of the series used statistics that underscored how the average incomes in various areas around the city mirrors the living conditions of those confined to sub-standard housing.

Joe Banks

Journalism Coordinator, Algonquin College, Ottawa, ON

Joe Banks has been an Ontario rural and suburban community newspaper journalist, editor, publisher, and general manager for nearly 40 years, and has been with Algonquin College as a full-time professor and coordinator of the journalism program since 2000. In March 2000, Banks’ career in the community newspaper industry was capped when he was named by OCNA as one of 50 industry individuals who has made a major contribution to Ontario’s community newspaper industry since OCNA’s founding in 1950.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST NEWS STORY CIRC.

OVER 10,000

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BRAMPTON GUARDIAN

This is a strong news story on the maintenance neglect of an affordable living complex. Roger Belgrave wrote a story that was well-researched and well written. The layout featured strong artwork. This is a solid piece. Good job.

AJAX PICKERING NEWS ADVERTISER

Kristen Calis gives us a really strong enterprise piece. Includes good quotes, sources and is put together well. A fine piece of writing – and a well-deserved honour.

OSHAWA EXPRESS

A good investigative story with lots of depth by Joel Wittnebel. A fine piece of writing – and a well-deserved honour.

GENERAL COMMENT

Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc.

2 3 49 ENTRIES Judge

Kevin Laird

Editor, Sooke News Mirror, Sooke, BC

Kevin Laird is the editor of the Sooke News Mirror, a weekly community newspaper that is part of the Black Press chain. Kevin’s journalism career began more than 30 years ago. He has worked at numerous weekly and daily publications in Alberta and British Columbia.

PREMIER AWARDS

BEST NEWS STORY CIRC. UNDER 9,999

WEST CARLETON REVIEW

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The winner in this category, Jessica Cunha with the West Carleton Review, gave an impressive, multi-faceted accounting of the potentially dangerous scenario around emergency responder service in the neighbourhoods west of Ottawa. Once I studied a map of the area to determine where the communities in the story are located, it made more sense. The story itself could have been written a little tighter, but it clearly had an impact. Well done!

HALIBURTON COUNTY ECHO

The second-place finisher, Angelica Ingram with the Haliburton County Echo, offered an efficient, yet detailed spot news piece on a devastating fire in the community. A solid all-around package of journalism, with a variety of sources, good art and layout, and blending the devastation from the fire with the details in the story.

BRACEBRIDGE EXAMINER

Samantha Beattie of the Bracebridge Examiner did a good job taking a complex topic of private property rights and distilling the pertinent points to show why the reader should be interested in how the police are doing their job. When one takes a step back, this is an important issue that needs clarifying from a rights and jurisdiction perspective, and Samantha Beattie did a good job explaining why that is the case with the sources cited.

HONOURABLE MENTION

EGANVILLE LEADER – Super long lede with no commas, not a good start. Huge amounts of detail could have been compressed into a compelling story half or three quarters this length. All that said, Bruce McIntyre provided a good description of the events. The layout with lots of photos is excellent.

FORT FRANCES TIMES – It was hard to distinguish at first which was the lead story, since I read the title story first, it sounded like a simple business profile. After reading the committee members’ comments, I got more context, and the social media comments were a nice added touch. Lack of lines between the stories, or at least varied column widths, is a challenge for readers to follow the carries. Good job by Duane Hicks!

PARRY SOUND BEACON STAR – Sarah Bissonette offers a heartwarming story that animal lovers were sure to read. Good flow to narrative, it is well written with good descriptive phrases.

GENERAL COMMENT

1 Judge

This category had a large number of entries, which made for a broad range of styles, story approaches and quality levels. Some writers clearly relished the opportunity to dig deep into a story and present more insight for the reader, while others simply gave their subject basic treatment. I particularly found the top-rated stories to be informative and entertaining.

Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc.

Don Descoteau

Editor, Goldstream News Gazette, Victoria, BC

Don is a 25-year veteran of the community newspaper business, all with Black Press, and was named editor of the Goldstream News Gazette in September 2014 after six months as acting editor. After spending 10 years as sports editor in Williams Lake and Campbell River, he moved back to his hometown of Victoria to work as senior reporter for the Victoria News. He served various turns as editor of the Victoria News and Oak Bay News, before assuming the post with the Gazette in March 2014. In spring 2016, Don led a Black Press editorial team working on the Sewage on the CRD investigative series that ran in all six of the company’s newspapers in Greater Victoria. The series attracted more reader feedback than any other project in recent memory. Don has also guided such reader-oriented projects as Great Teachers, and has been involved as employee campaign chair for the United Way for the past seven years.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST RURAL STORY CIRC. OVER 10,000

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PETERBOROUGH THIS WEEK

Good story by Lance Anderson. Well-written on an important issue. Don’t like the green around the headline. It just seems superfluous and, in some ways, minimizes the impact a headline should have.

CALEDON ENTERPRISE

Good story by Matthew Strader about something I bet many people did not know. As the lede says, problem solved -- a good thing for people who live in rural areas.

COLLINGWOOD CONNECTION

This is a good, well-written package. Ian Adams gives us a catchy lede with many voices and statistics all on a relevant topic.

GENERAL COMMENT

Sponsored by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture

2 3 21 ENTRIES Judge

Dale Bass

Associate Editor, Kamloops This Week, Kamloops, BC

Dave Bass is currently the associate editor of the Kamloops This Week, where she’s been since 2000. She started her career with The London Free Press, where she worked for 24 glorious years of journalism, guided by the family owner, the Blackburns. She has been the chair of the board for the Canadian Association of Journalists for several years now.

PREMIER AWARDS

BEST RURAL STORY CIRC. UNDER 9,999 27 ENTRIES

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AYR NEWS

This story clearly shows how excessive stray voltage is harming local dairy cows and what famers, particularly Peter Stern, are doing about the problem, as well as the thoughts of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Hydro One on the problem. Irene Schmidt-Adeney’s thorough research and interviews make this story a good read.

MEAFORD EXPRESS

Interesting story by Chris Fell, using first-hand accounts of the impact hot and dry weather has on local apple farmers. The struggles of the farmers, and what they’re doing to overcome the problem, show they can deal with adversity. Great photos illustrate the story well.

UXBRIDGE TIMES-JOURNAL

This heart-felt story told by Shane MacDonald, is written in a way that shows a farmer’s evolution from brining his cattle to the butcher to opening a sanctuary. This shift in his life has an impact on himself, the community, and last but not least, the cows.

HONOURABLE MENTION

NEW LISKEARD TEMISKAMING SPEAKER – Through narrative, Diane Johnston shows how a farm family came to use a robotic milker.

The story of how their recovery after the barn fire led to using the new technology shows how innovations can be positive in the industry.

GENERAL COMMENT

Michaela Garstin

Editor, The Squamish Chief, Squamish, BC

Michaela Garstin is the editor of The Squamish Chief in the beautiful Sea to Sky Corridor of B.C. Previously, she was a reporter and editor in several communities in the province, including Dawson Creek, Princeton and North Vancouver. Among her recognitions is an award from the Local Media Association for investigative reporting.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST FEATURE/NEWS SERIES CIRC.

PORT PERRY STAR

OVER 10,000

Excellent work. This series is compelling on many levels. It draws us into one person’s journey, but also educates readers without becoming data heavy. The organization and layout are stellar and guide the reader effortlessly. It was clearly a team effort with everyone thinking well.

OSHAWA THIS WEEK

This is what you hope for in a winning series. Solid reporting that engages you from the first paragraph to the last. An approach that brings the subjects to life, and provides many “I didn’t know that” moments while reading the series. Sidebars and info-graphics are easy to read and provide useful information. The layout and photos are excellent. Well done.

NEWMARKET ERA/AURORA BANNER

A good solid series on an important community issue. The clean, crisp writing elevated what could have been a hum-drum report into a captivating read. The layout was excellent - and the little graveyard pullout was catchy. Nice work by Lisa Queen.

HONOURABLE MENTION

WASAGA/STAYNER SUN – Domestic violence coverage has become almost predictable. This series, however, takes readers back to a 20-year-old murder-suicide which triggered new policing procedures and laws around domestic violence. Ian Adams reveals not only how things have changed, but how people created the change, and how the situation is still challenging. Well done.

SCARBOROUGH MIRROR – A strong topic with strong layout and crisp writing. The info sidebars detailing where to find more resources online were effective.

GENERAL COMMENT

A winner in this category must hit a trifecta to rise to the top. It requires a compelling subject in the hands of a skilled writer or writers, an editor and/or publisher who will open up enough space to let the series shine, and great graphics, photographs and layout to keep the reader engaged. Without one of these elements an entry falls back into the middle of the pack All three of the winners this year clearly understood the importance of each factor.

Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc.

Pat Tracy

Editor,

BurnabyNOW and The New Westminster Record, Burnaby, BC

Pat Tracy is editor of BurnabyNOW and the New Westminster Record – award-winning media organizations in British Columbia. Pat’s journalism career began more than three decades ago as a reporter. She can often be heard in the newsroom asking, “Who cares?” as she prods reporters to consider questioning why they are writing a story.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST FEATURE/NEWS SERIES CIRC. UNDER

PARRY SOUND NORTH STAR

9,999

Emotional subject matter handled with care. Great job talking about issues like addiction and mental health through the stories of people who have lived through it. Really liked that this was following up on the same stories told on this issue 10 years ago by the same reporter, Stephannie Johnson. It gives real depth to these issues that are not fleeting - they are life changing.

EGANVILLE LEADER

Really great job by Bruce McIntyre capturing the impact of this crime on one of the victims through the interview and story with Emma Guthrie. Great court reporting, using observation to connect people to the courtroom for the sentencing.

BARRYS BAY, THE VALLEY GAZETTE

Good treatment of a 10-year anniversary of a natural disaster by Christine Hudder. Could have focused on why revisiting the anniversary is relevant now, but considerable scope of coverage nonetheless.

HONOURABLE MENTION

MINTO EXPRESS – I liked how the installation of the power grid presented another interesting angle to take on a plowing competition. PARRY SOUND BEACON STAR – I really appreciated the coverage of this debate over fluoride in municipal water. There is relevance to readers because it is their drinking water and an interesting read on a council decision to reconsider a previous budget approval for water treatment infrastructure.

GENERAL COMMENT

I found the entries in the Best Feature/News Series to be wide ranging in subject manner and approach by each newspaper or journalist. Some entries followed a story as it unfolded in the community, while others were planned feature series that explored an event or issue specific to a community. There were excellent stories told and the more time and effort that went into design and artwork/photographs to go with the story, the better the overall experience as a reader was.

Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc.

Tanya Foubert

Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook, Canmore, AB

Tanya Foubert is a journalist for the award-winning weekly newspaper the Rocky Mountain Outlook (circulation 9,400) in Canmore and Banff, AB. She has been a reporter at the paper for 10 years, except for a brief period she spent as editor of the Whistler Question in 2012-13. After returning to the Outlook in June that year, she was on scene for the major flooding experienced in the communities she covers. With the Bow Valley cut off from the outside world by the flood, her coverage of the event helped inform the community real time about what was happening during the disaster through the Outlook’s website and social media channels. Her coverage received the award for Best News Story/Coverage from the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association and the Canadian Community Newspaper Association.

PREMIER AWARDS SPORT & RECREATION STORY

WATERLOO CHRONICLE

Excellent explanatory piece by Adam Jackson, presented in a way Joe Average can understand. Well laid out as well.

OTTAWA SOUTH NEWS

Erin McCracken gives us an in-depth story of a sport not often read about in Canada. Love the numerous sources and especially the kids’ viewpoint. Good pics too!

NEW LISKEARD TEMISKAMING SPEAKER

City health challenges are a dime a dozen, but this story reads as “fresh.” A quick intro, well-placed and chosen quotes (the mayor’s is a good one; concise and relevant) and impressively written, in a breezy, informative way. Layout is clean and cool. Well done all around by Diane Johnston.

GENERAL COMMENT

The entries for sports and recreation writing represent what community newspaper reporting is all about – focusing on local people as they strive to be their best. It is always a breath of fresh air to pick up a local paper and find out what is happening in the sports scene of that city or town after ingesting a diet of pro sports coverage on a daily basis. I liked that many stories delved into the person behind the athlete and was impressed with some ideas, in particular using data to tell a story. The only thing we need more of, in this class and across the country, is space in print to tell our stories.

Chris Foulds

Editor, Kamloops This Week, Kamloops, BC

Christopher Foulds is editor of Kamloops This Week, a thrice-weekly newspaper published in Kamloops, B.C., a city of 91,000 in the province’s Interior. Foulds has been editor for 12 years and spent 13 years before that as assistant editor and reporter at the Abbotsford News.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST HEADLINE WRITING

WATERDOWN FLAMBOROUGH REVIEW

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Georgia on their minds, Students plant ideas for natural space, and Group stitches generations together – all three of these headlines made me want to read more about the subjects of these articles. All three articles deal with real people and community efforts to improve the quality of life of a baby, a community and generations of families. They all have a “hook” – a phrase with a double meaning that captures the essence of the article. Excellent quality of writing by Brenda Jefferies in all three articles.

NEW LISKEARD TEMISKAMING SPEAKER

Prize-winning pumpkin squashes competition, MUD, STRUTS and GLORY, and Local athlete tees up his future in North Carolina – These three headlines drew me into the articles, making me want to learn more about the events and the people involved. The playful double meanings of “squash”, “struts” instead of “guts” and “tee up” give the headlines a touch of humour. Well-written articles by Diane Johnston and Steven Larocque and eyecatching photos.

HAMILTON MOUNTAIN NEWS

Congested arteries, Extra lane parked and Knights win Fum-bowl got my vote for third place. The first two articles by Kevin Werner deal with the same problem – traffic tie-ups in Hamilton’s Mountain district, but the catchy headlines still made me want to read more. Mark Newman’s “punny” headline and subtitle about the “butter-fingered” opposition in a high school football championship game and the accompanying photos by Gord Bowes cinched this one for me. Good solid writing about the municipal government’s actions on the traffic problem and the football game.

HONOURABLE MENTION

STONEY CREEK NEWS – Hydro shock, Peachy problems and Making a splash were close to the top of my picks for this category, but the lack of good (or any) accompanying photos reduced them to an Honourable Mention.

GENERAL COMMENT

With 17 entries to choose from, it wasn’t easy narrowing it down to three and one honourable mention! Well done, everyone, but – based on impact, creativity, accuracy to convey the article and quality of writing – these four rose to the top.

1 Judge

Shirley

Nadeau

Assignment Editor, Copy Editor, Journalist and Photographer, Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph, Quebec City, QC

Shirley Nadeau is the assignment editor, copy editor, journalist and photographer for the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph, Quebec City’s only English-language newspaper and North America’s Oldest Newspaper – founded in 1764. A former teacher of English as a second language, Nadeau began as a copy editor and contributed articles to the QCT in 2010 and guided the newspaper through its 250th anniversary celebrations in 2014. In June 2016, the QCT won the Quebec Community Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Award for “Best Headline Writing.”

PREMIER AWARDS

HUMOUR COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

NIAGARA THIS WEEK, FORT ERIE POST | JAMES CULIC

James Culic is the clear stand out in this category. He tackles a variety of topics with originality. The language is crisp and well chosen. There are genuine chuckles along the way. His columns even (gasp) include research. Very well done

BROCKVILLE RECORDER AND TIMES | JONATHON BRODIE

Nice to see this column on the sports page. The writing is tight and creative. There will be many readers who don’t follow sports, but turn to Jonathon Brodie each week.

GLANBROOK GAZETTE | TAMARA BOTTING

Tamara Botting is a slice-of-crazy-life writer in the classic self-deprecating style.

GENERAL COMMENT

Too many entries in this category just don’t qualify as humour columns – even given the fact that “funny” is a subjective designation. The winners stand out for quality of writing and cleverness of story or subject.

Andrea DeMeer

Publisher/Editor, Similkameen Spotlight, Princeton, BC

Andrea DeMeer is the publisher of two Black Press newspapers in British Columbia, a former Sun Media executive, and over the last 20 years has been recipient of numerous awards and honours for opinion, column, and humour writing.

PREMIER AWARDS COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

MINDEN TIMES | JIM POLING SR.

Jim Poling gives us some great storytelling. These are well written, well developed columns.

BRANTFORD BRANT NEWS | SEAN ALLEN

Great articles! Sean Allen is great at honing in on the heart of the issues.

SUDBURY

NORTHERN LIFE | MARK GENTILI

Mark Gentili has nice flow to his writing style. His columns are well thought out and developed.

HONOURABLE MENTION

TORONTO CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS – Strongly built and well developed articles, with good knowledge base and research. Well done Mira Sucharov.

GENERAL COMMENT

The winners of this year’s award provided outstanding submissions. Their articles were well researched, and they knew their subject matter and the audience they were writing for. The great part of this category is seeing what columnists are doing to inform and to connect with the community they are writing for. Some write great, comfy chat articles that remind you of sitting at a friend’s kitchen table and having coffee. Others have issues they want to bring to light, and expand upon personalized situations to tie into the issue. Others are researched pieces to inform the reader of news or issues that would not receive that sort of coverage in a straight news item. Columns and editorials are community builders. They bring the kitchen table discussion back into our worlds. However, it’s never a good thing to presume that your audience knows the issue you’re discussing, or the people you’re discussing. Always make sure that some background is given - even if it is just a sentence or two. Otherwise the reader leaves feeling confused and probably won’t finish the article. Layout and pagination has a huge role in the readability of your article. If your paginator/layout artist is leaving your article with countless hyphenations at the end of each line, then this is a layout issue that you need to talk to them or your editor about. Tell them to take the hyphenations off. It’s as simple as a click of a button. Talk to them about layout. Show them when your column has been carried over to another page, and has a hyphenated word that splits from one page to the next. This is something that will make the paper better in one easy step, not just your column. You should have some rights as to how it ends up looking, because it makes such a huge impact on how it reads.

Sheena Read

Sheena Read has worked in communications for 30 years. Last year she took a change from full-time journalism, and is pursuing a new career path, while still keeping her fingers in the industry with communication consulting and some freelancing, and is now editing and producing a history book.

PREMIER AWARDS REPORTER OF THE YEAR – Stephen Shaw Award

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BRANT NEWS | MIKE PEELING

Powerful human interest stories. Each story immediately captivated me and had me hooked right until the end. This award is well deserved for Mike Peeling.

OSHAWA EXPRESS | JOEL WITTNEBEL

These stories were well written and displayed a high degree of research, particularly the story about Robert Lutczyk. Each story also showed Joel Wittnebel’s ability to cover different topics from legal proceedings to poverty.

WASAGA/STAYNER SUN | IAN ADAMS

All three stories by Ian Adams were very compelling and showed a high degree of research and effort.

HONOURABLE MENTION

PETERBOROUGH THIS WEEK – TODD VANDONK – Todd Vandonk’s reporting was very compelling. All three of his stories were well researched, which was evident in the quality of his work. Keep up the good work!

GENERAL COMMENT

Paul Clarke

Editor, Jasper Fitzhugh, Jasper, AB

Since graduating from Carleton University’s school of journalism in 2012, Paul Clarke has worked for various newspapers across the country and is currently the editor for the Fitzhugh, Jasper’s weekly newspaper. Prior to moving to Jasper, Paul cut his teeth as a breaking news reporter with the Toronto Star. He has also spent time working for the Rwanda News Agency in Kigali, Rwanda, and worked for the Telegraph-Journal in New Brunswick.

PREMIER AWARDS

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NEWMARKET ERA/AURORA BANNER | MIKE BARRETT

Mike Bar

Mike Barrett and whoever is responsible for this layout know how to tell a story. I usually don’t like overlaid photos and type on pix, but this is done so well. White space is often important in photo spreads but it’s the black space that helps make this one so striking.

MILTON CANADIAN CHAMPION | FRANKI IKEMAN

BURLINGTON POST | GRAHAM PAINE

Love the whimsical nature of this layout, and the white space makes Graham Paine’s photos jump off the page. Next time, however, pay attention to consistency of spacing between pix -- the little things matter.

Wow! This is only a half page but these are great photos by Franki Ikeman, used almost perfectly for maximum impact. 2 3

HONOURABLE MENTION

NEW LISKEARD TEMISKAMING SPEAKER – STEVEN LAROCQUE – This layout is intriguing and dramatic -- if a little gimmicky -which briefly disguises the fact that all the photos are similar.

WHITBY THIS WEEK – RON PIETRONIRO/RYAN PFEIFFER – The photos by Ryan Pfeiffer and Ron Pietroniro are simply outstanding but the layout is pedestrian. The pix are so strong, I would have loved to have seen them spread out over two pages. With a better layout, this might have been top 2.

KINCARDINE INDEPENDENT – JOSH HOWALD – Josh Howald’s excellent photos are ill-served by a layout. Wow, this could have been outstanding because the images are wonderful.

GENERAL COMMENT

It’s not as simple as having a bunch of photos on a page, as the work of the top 3 show. Those layouts that were neither winners nor honourable mentions suffered from a lack of organization that made the pages confusing; sloppy layout with regard to spacing, etc.; and overwrought concepts with garish colour backgrounds and wacky type. Keep it simple and look at the page like a reader.

Richard Dalmonte

Editor, The Tri-City News, Port Coquitlam, BC

Richard Dal Monte, a journalist for 30 years, has been editor of The Tri-City News since 2001 after spending 14 years with The News and other papers as an editor and sports and general assignment reporter. He has won provincial, national and North American journalism awards for writing and page design.

WATERDOWN FLAMBOROUGH REVIEW

Great shot by Gord Bowes – a wide-eyed youngster watching the chess move with wariness. Nicely played on all accounts with a big sharp depth of field. Well done.

NIAGARA THIS WEEK, ST. CATHARINES

Melinda Cheevers gives us great expression in this photo. The impact is immediate. The photo is tightly cropped and just plain fun. Bravo.

MIDLAND/ PENETANGUISHENE MIRROR

Great expression! This photo by Travis Mealing had editorial treatment. It played big to a beautiful effect.

GENERAL COMMENT

A strong field that was a pleasure to judge. Well done one and all. Great photography sets papers apart and is too often undervalued by decision makers. When you get a great photo – play it big – and always, always put it on the front page. Go for impact, humanity and connect with the reader on a level that’s best conveyed in print. Keep up the good work.

UXBRIDGE TIMES-JOURNAL

Wonderful job by Justin Greaves capturing moment. The photo is well-composed and lit, the photo has plenty of impact and the layout it handled perfectly.

‘It’s about the money’

One CK councillor says opposition to turbine moratorium was about keeping community wind funds Heather Wright The Herald Chatham-Kent Councillor Mike Bondy is quite blunt: “it’s about the money we’re going to lose.” He’s talking about his bid to

NIAGARA THIS WEEK, TOWN CRIER

It may be impossible to take a Remembrance Day photo that hasn’t been taken before but Scott Rosts managed to create a touching image that captures the quiet of remembrance.

a “vigourous” 20-minute walk each day.

“I had a hard time with it,” he admits. “I was told to walk and I don’t like to be told.”

But after thinking about it, Jaques changed his mind; “if it’s my life I’m dealing with, I

THAMESVILLE HERALD

better get walking.”

So he did. And he found he enjoyed it. And Jaques’ health improved because of the walk-

Heather Wright’s photo is almost a painting. Lovely pic, well-framed. It should have been played larger though.

ing paired with a diet which includes about 70 per cent fruits and vegetables.

Soon, Jaques was setting challenges for himself including walking a marathon from the Tim Horton’s in Dresden to the Tim Horton’s in Wallaceburg and back again several years ago.

Today, he’s training for his 80th birthday feat - 26 miles (42 kilometers) around the track at St. Clair College’s Thames Campus indoor track. Each day, Jaques logs two hours of walking time - about eight miles. “I’m not fast for everybody, but I’m probably pretty fast for people my age,” he says.

GENERAL COMMENT

Jaques walks for his health and the challenge, but he also walks for a cause - Ronald McDonald House. The local facilites for families with children who are in hospital in London and Windsor have promised to spend any funds he raises directly on services - something Jaques appreciates. But he’s also doing it to show what a difference diet and exercise can make in a person’s life. Thirty-four years after being told by a doctor to get off his couch, Jaques believes he’s in better shape now - heading towards his 80th birthday - than he was then. “I was quite a bit overweight,” he says. “I was 210 pounds and I’m 160 now.

See WALKER PG 2

Marvin Jaques of Bothwell is preparing to walk a marathon for his 80th birthday. Heather Wright Photo

There was a large gap in quality between the top three photos and the rest. Some of those that aren’t recognized here are feature photos simply because they’re not news photos, but showed little forethought or originality. Some were strong photos hurt (sometimes ruined) by: poor play, overlaid type or cutouts. Got a good photo editors? Play it big and don’t cut it or put anything on it.

Richard Dalmonte

Editor, The Tri-City News, Port Coquitlam, BC

Richard Dal Monte, a journalist for 30 years, has been editor of The Tri-City News since 2001 after spending 14 years with The News and other papers as an editor and sports and general assignment reporter. He has won provincial, national and North American journalism awards for writing and page design.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST SPORTS PHOTO

season

OSHAWA THIS WEEK

Incredible lighting. Evokes “Field of Dreams.” Justin Greaves had great timing with the ball.

NORFOLK NEWS

TCan’t stop staring at this. Darryl Smart tried something creative and different in terms of framing and camera angle. Nice work!

MISSISSAUGA NEWS

Nice work capturing expression. Good framing. The photo subjects pop right off that yellow mat.

GENERAL COMMENT

A massive range of quality characterized this category. From the impact, artistry and craft shown in the top three, to the sometimes powerful photos among the honourable mentions hampered by space or layout, to the throw-a-bunch-of-photos-on-a-page at the low, low end of the category. A few notes to those who want to do better: Get rid of ovals. And funky fonts. And wonky cut-outs.

The South Nation Conservation (SNC) is asking residents to use less water as a drought continues in the area, causing some wells and small streams to run dry. The SNC says we are now experiencing a moderate drought – meaning conditions have worsened since May, when a minor drought was declared. The SNC says as of July 7, weather stations in Cornwall, Brockville and Ottawa had registered below 60 per cent of normal precipitation. The conservation authority is asking people to reduce water consumption by about 20 per cent, and cut back on non-essential services, like car washing and lawn watering. Intermittent rain hasn’t been enough to pull the region out of drought, says SNC water resources analyst Golam Sharif, and about 15 or 20 residences have reported wells running dry or very low, he said. There was a similar situation in 2012, he said, and the SNC is continuing to monitor precipitation and stream levels. The SNC says wells drawing from shallower, unconfined aquifers are more likely to run dry. Snow depth in the winter has an effect on these aquifers, and the SNC says this past winter, there was less snow than the previous five years. In addition, the melt was “very abrupt,” which limited how much of the water made it into shallow aquifers. The SNC says members of the Water Response Team has seen the effects of the drought on crop yields, and says prolonged drought could have an effect on forests and newly planted seed-

Jean-Francois

Farm in Riceville. In between the two fires was a massive flood, which swelled The Nation River to heights not seen in more than 100 years. The Ryan family, which has been farming at this site for the past 156 years is once again faced with the process of rebuilding and starting over.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Text messages, laptop examined at Schweitzer trial

anymore.”

Chris Ryan and his family were away on vacation on Saturday, July 23, when a neighbour spotted smoke coming from Ryandale Farm, located on Riverbank Road. Ryan’s father, Howard, had been by to milk the cows less than an hour before. The neighbour arrived to find the dairy barn on fire. Despite the risk to himself, firefighters say that he raced inside the barn and untied four or five of the Holsteins from their tie stalls, before smoke forced him to retreat. The Nation Fire Chief Tobias Hovey had not yet gained control

of the fire raging at the St-Isidore Catholic Church when he received a call at 7:50 p.m. informing him that there was a confirmed fire at Ryandale Farm.

“It was a fully-involved fire when we arrived... A neighbour located more than a kilometre away saw the smoke and called us. He went to the farm, but he was unable to do anything other than untie a few of the cows,” said Hovey. The barn was more than 100 years old. With the fans running and the doors open to dispel the heat of the summer day, Hovey said that it created ideal conditions to burn hot and fast.

Fifty-six cows were inside the barn when it caught fire and only one managed to make it out.

“She walked out right in front of us and then she walked back in. When she walked out a second time we managed to shoo her into a field,” said Hovey.

Sadly, Ryan said that the surviving cow had to be euthanized the following day, due to injuries it sustained in the fire.

Continued on page A3 >

Although Baker survived, he says he retains no memory of the shooting, nor the events leading up to it. Schweitzer’s defence has accused Baker of being Wagler’s killer, and has been attempting to portray the shootings as a murder/ failed suicide.

“I always get bugged (for sex) when I’m there,” she later clarifies. The day of the shooting, Wagler texted Schweitzer, asking “What crawled up your bum and died?”

DEEP RIVER NORTH RENFREW TIMES – Crisp, clear photo taken at an opportune time by Vance Gutzman adds to a good story. Well done.

Judging by the texts, the relationship between Schweitzer and Wagler could be described as rocky. Wagler, at times, expresses frustration with Schweitzer, at one point accusing him of sending an abusive text to her ex-boyfriend from a blocked number. Schweitzer, meanwhile, accuses Wagler of liking Baker more than him, while repeatedly asking her to come over, often for a drink, once to “cuddle.”

She says that Schweitzer and Baker don’t text her anymore. At 5:30 p.m. Schweitzer replies to her, “You pissed me off.”

Later that day, Schweitzer invites Wagler over to the house to have drinks with him, Baker, and two friends who were visiting. She arrives, and the two friends leave shortly after. At 9:47 p.m., Schweitzer texted Wagler, saying, “I love it you are way more interested in him.” Wagler replies with

I was extremely impressed with the number of high quality photos that populated this category. I really had to seek out la creme de la creme to find the finalists. Altogether, great job everyone.

the same room, in the home he owned in Milverton in which he rented a room to Schweitzer.

Shortly before the day of the shooting, Wagler tells him that she “doesn’t want to be asked for sex

Anthony Bonaparte

Associate Editor, The Suburban, Montreal, Quebec

For the past 10 years, Anthony Bonaparte has been the Associate Editor, as well as Arts & Life and Special Sections Editor at The Suburban, Quebec’s largest English weekly newspaper. In his 17 years in the industry, he’s won numerous North American (SNA/LMA), Canadian (CCNA) and Quebec (QCNA) community newspaper awards for his writing and editing, as well as the editorial cartoons he has published for more than 20 years under the pen name, Napoleon.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST SPORTS PHOTO

41 ENTRIES

CRA decision puts squeeze on familyrun campgrounds

ebrating the great outdoors and is an integral part of our nation’s history and our identity as Canadians,” Alexandra Anderson, executive director of the association said in a media release.

“Nearly 5.8 million Canadians go camping each year, along with numerous international visitors who want to experience the natural wonder of our country. We don’t want to believe that it is the CRA’s intention to destroy family-run campgrounds, but that’s exactly what will happen if their decisions are not reversed.”

at exactly the right moment. The shot is perfectly focused and framed and the layout on the page juxtaposed with the daughter’s photo tells the whole story.

KINCARDINE INDEPENDENT

threshold. As well as not qualifying for the tax deduction, the campgrounds are required to pay thousands of dollars in back taxes.

Last month, the Ontario Private Campground Association launched a petition calling on the Minister of Small Business and Tourism, Bardish Chagger, to intervene and allow private campgrounds to be taxed the same as other small businesses. The fear is that the amount of additional corporate taxes that campground owners will have to pay will drive some out of business.

HONOURABLE MENTION

The Ontario Private Campground Association says the CRA is beginning to view the campground industry as specified investment business, which includes busi

nesses with a primary purpose of generating income from property. This would include rental apartment buildings, land lease communities and mobile home parks. In Kincardine and the immediate surrounding area, there are several family-run campgrounds. Jim Boyer operates Aintree Trailer Park on Concession 12. Its proxim-

EGANVILLE LEADER

(continued on page 2)

GENERAL COMMENT

Love this shot of the bear doing the perp walk taken by Barb McKay. This would defi nitely make me want to pick up the newspaper and that’s exactly what a frontpage photo is supposed to do.

“Camping is about cel

Energy Ministry official puts natural gas rumour to bed

By Barb McKay

A representative from the Ontario Ministry of Energy was in Kincardine last Wednesday to reassure the municipality that the province is not abandoning natural gas. Mississauga MPP Bob Delaney, parliamentary assistant to Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli, met with Kincardine deputy mayor Jacqueline Faubert, municipal treasurer Roxana Baumann and EPCOR executives at the municipal administration office prior to the municipal council meeting. EPCOR CEO Stuart Lee addressed council and the media to say that Delaney’s visit, as well as a discussion with Finance Minister Charles Sousa, left him feeling confident that natural gas will be a part of Ontario’s energy mix for years to come.

“Last week’s announcement set us back a little,” Lee said of the article that appeared in the Globe and Mail on May 16, reporting that the province’s draft Climate Change Plan called for an end to natural gas as a heating source in new home builds, beginning in 2030.

Lee said the board was initially concerned as EPCOR will be investing $100 million to bring natural gas to the Municipalities of Kincardine and

Arran-Elderslie and Township of Huron-Kinloss if the project receives approval from the Ontario Energy Board (OEB).

“Both (Delaney and Sousa) were very reassuring that the leak is nothing to be concerned about, that the province still believes in natural gas as a long-term solution in Ontario, and we think so too.”

Lee said the fact that the Ministry is putting the natural gas rumour to rest is a particularly important message to relay to homeowners in the region.

“We are relying on a significant number of people to convert and they won’t feel confident purchasing a new furnace if they think they will have to convert back to electricity in 10 or 15 years.”

Love the emotion in this shot, especially paired with the photo of the wreckage below. My only reservation is the layout of the pics. At fi rst glance, they appear to be part of the story on the page. Otherwise, great photos by Gerald Tracey that tell the story right away.

Lee said the recent OEB generic hearing to review natural gas regulations and rate setting set the southern Bruce project back about a year, since EPCOR had expected to have shovels in the ground later this year. However, he stressed, the company has its rate-setting application before the OEB and expects to hear back this fall after the board makes its decision. Lee called the joint municipal approach to acquiring natural gas service leading edge and thanked Kincardine council for its continued support.

BRANT NEWS – This is such a great shot by Sean Allen. I like how the police uniform is still identifi able through the layer of mud as well as the determination on the face of the offi cer. Love it.

This category was exceptionally hard to judge this year due to the high calibre of entries. What ultimately decided the winner was determining the photographer’s skill in obtaining the result, combined with its respective newsworthiness. Photos that could have been easily set up were eliminated in favour of the shots that were obtained in the heat of the moment. Even with these parameters in place, it was a heartbreaking decision to leave some of these photos off the podium. Well done.

Carmen Marie Fabio

Carmen Marie Fabio Editor in chief, Your Local Journal, Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC

A recovering high-tech employee, Carmen Marie Fabio made the leap to journalism in 2009 and has enjoyed every minute of it. An award-winning journalist and staunch advocate for the role of the community paper, she is now the editor and columnist at Your Local Journal in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec.

PREMIER AWARDS

MOST CREATIVE GRIP AND GRIN PHOTO

Real Estate

AJAX PICKERING NEWS ADVERTISER

And the winner is .... Of all the great photos, this one

AYLMER EXPRESS

Very creative. Congratulations Krista Hueston.

Nice, creative set up. Not your easy going and lazy grip-and-grin.

an annual event.

GENERAL COMMENT

Great job by Olivia Rutt.

The open house will feature a barbecue with hot food and

baked goods prepared by the school’s hospitality class, as well as an art exhibition around the auditorium.

Inside the auditorium, many of the school’s awardwinning musical ensembles will perform. Performances will include a tribute to Prince and a musical number from the upcoming Taming of the Shrew production. There will be a 25-guitar medley and three different bands who just recently won medals at the MusicFest national competition will perform. Members of the school

community and those who are interested in learning more about GCVI and the accomplishments of its staff and students are welcome to attend. Through the “McCrae Day” open house, staff is hoping to raise funds for the school’s McCrae Arboretum. Raffle tickets, t-shirts and food will be on sale, with all proceeds going to the arboretum. GCVI is also fundraising by selling commemorative plaques for former students of the school who died in combat. The goal is to eventually have one plaque for each

Padfield-Nelson INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED

Overall, I must say that this was one very interesting category to judge with some very imaginative entries. Grip and Grins, although necessary and important, are most often tedious and uninspired, but many of these entries proved that they do not have to be so bland after all. Well done all.

Anthony Bonaparte

Associate Editor, The Suburban, Montreal, Quebec

For the past 10 years, Anthony Bonaparte has been the Associate Editor, as well as Arts & Life and Special Sections Editor at The Suburban, Quebec’s largest English weekly newspaper. In his 17 years in the industry, he’s won numerous North American (SNA/LMA), Canadian (CCNA) and Quebec (QCNA) community newspaper awards for his writing and editing, as well as the editorial cartoons he has published for more than 20 years under the pen name, Napoleon.

soldier hanging tum. Individuals plaque for $100, will donate $20 plaque to Wounded The hope is that Arboretum will to be enjoyed by munity, a place can sit and reflect the names of the fought in the war.

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AJAX PICKERING NEWS ADVERTISER | JUSTIN GREAVES

Great work! I would have liked to have seen the spot news photo cropped a little tighter since my eye immediately goes to the dump truck at the side of the frame. Amazing sports photo though. I love the lighting in this shot. I also thought the news shot was great. Overall, I thought Justin Greaves provided a strong showing of his work in community news.

OAKVILLE BEAVER | GRAHAM PAINE

What an incredible sports shot! I also enjoyed the spot news photo and the feature photo. Well done Graham Paine!

WHITBY THIS WEEK | RYAN PFEIFFER

Ryan Pfeiffer definitely has an eye for finding creative angles to shoot ordinary things, such as the firefighter on the angle for spot news. The sports shot was also very interesting and comical. I would have liked to have seen a stronger photo for news.

HONOURABLE MENTION

PETERBOROUGH THIS WEEK | LANCE

ANDERSON – I thought all the photos by Lance Anderson were quite strong aside from the community event photo. The feature photo was very interesting to look at and I like the emotion captured in the news photo.

GENERAL COMMENT

Overall, I thought the entries were quite strong, but there were definitely some clear winners. With the top three photographers, I could tell they took the time to set up a creative shot that doesn’t just involve snapping a quick photo and walking away. The photos were well thought out and used light to create an artistic flair.

Pamela Roth

Editor, Victoria News, Victoria, BC

A journalist since 2003, Pamela has spent the bulk of her career covering court and crime for various newspapers in Alberta. She began working on the crime desk at the Edmonton Sun in October 2010 and moved to Victoria, B.C. in 2015 to work as editor of the Victoria News. Pamela recently published her first book, Deadmonton: Crime Stories from Canada’s Murder City.

PREMIER AWARDS CARTOONIST OF THE YEAR

ANCASTER NEWS | MIKE VUKOVICH

Excellent work Mike Vukovich. The job of the editorial cartoonist is as important as that of the journalist. These all told a good story with cheeky jabs thrown in for good measure.

LETTERS

useless. But as it turns out, it’s also an intensely stressful profession. Along with drought, nearly all commercial crops are on a downward trend in the markets. A farm owner manages insects and disease, government regulations, the value of their crops and of course, the weather. Running a farm means constantly fixing and adjusting—tending to one problem only to tackle another. It’s So perhaps, next time you get a chance, thank a farmer. But also offer a hug or a sympathetic ear. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. future in Canada. Our older citizens deserve a secure retirement. Canada is blessed with so many natural resources, energy and an educated

LETTERS@WELLINGTONTIMES.CA

FREE TRADE RUINED CANADA

work force. This century should have been ours. DAVE GRAY, WELLINGTON eekender Friday, September 30, 2016 General Manager - Lois Perry Editor Gordon Brock In Memory of Dave Armstrong Wellington Street, P.O. Box 580, New Liskeard, Ont. P0J 1P0 705-647-6791 speaker@northernontario.ca

ontario community newspapers association acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our m publications mail. Post Office Department, Ottawa, Newspapers Association, Canadian Community the right to restrict all ads to their agrees that the publisher shall not be clear writing, nor for more than one agrees that the publisher will not be beyond the amount paid for the space act of the publisher’s servants or other advertisement beyond the amount paid for must be received by the publisher wit Weekender are protected by Copyright regist Reproduction of any material herein may be made only with the written permission

WELLINGTON TIMES | TIM SNYDER

These cartoons by Tim Snyder are clever and cheeky - exactly what editorial cartoons are supposed to be. Well done.

NEW LISKEARD TEMISKAMING SPEAKER WEEKENDER| VICKI MUIR

Great work. I like the dynamics in the work displayed. Even without living in the district, I could see that this work by Vicki Muir was telling important stories.

Never forgotten

Sue Nielsen

After life’s withdrawals, sometimes the Food Bank is the only option.

woman goes out never comes so simple, but anything but. Ethier missing reached a milestone 2016. missing for two twenty years. at The Speaker Melanie Ethier case my writing dupolice have their a journalist, I disappearance on about her disapmuch different regard the teenaged big, bright smile mother’s perspective. the thought of mother, Celine, through. where your baby described as a parent ever wants twenty years after disappearance that fateful September, Melamissing person case people she left her sister,

TEMISKAMING PRINTING COMPANY LIMITED Alan Roy Assistant Sales Manager ext. 225

bed in the morning. Celine deserves to know what happened to her daughter. Where is Melanie? Was she murdered? Abducted? If so, are there killers still at large? The person or persons responsible for Melanie’s disappearance can only be described as monsters. People, who would take a young girl in the prime of her life, but keep that secret inside of themselves for twenty years. I’ll never forget the words of Sue Sgambati, producer of a W5 show on Missing Persons. She said, “There are rooms of experience no one should enter.”

Cultural awareness

GENERAL COMMENT

This weekend there will be more than 50 cultural events held across South

Temiskaming during Culture Days.

There is something for everyone to enjoy. If a region is judged by its culture, then Temiskaming might fare well on the cultural scale.

There are artists, crafters, musicians, poets, writers, filmmakers, history buffs etc. all eager to showcase their cultural flair.

The role of the cartoonist extends far beyond an ability to draw. He or she needs to grasp all the nuances and background information of a story as much as the journalist who wrote it. Artistic ability is moot if the cartoonist lacks the insight and understanding of the situation. Congrats to the winners for bridging both the word and the image, tongue firmly planted in cheek.

You might think living this far north and in a rural setting that there would be less of a cultural presence in the region, but such is not the case.

A missing person case is one such room.

Ms. Sgambati says police in Canada identify criminal suspects using a DNA databank in Ottawa. It has not been expanded to cross-reference missing persons or unidentified human remains. With no national DNA database to help identify missing person remains—families are left in despair while their loved ones go unidentified as John or Jane Doe.

Apparently, in the United States, they have a national DNA databank. The American databank has cross-referenced 500 missing persons with family members since it was created in 2003.

Perhaps someone in Canada could introduce a private members bill on behalf of Melanie Ethier and other missing persons to have a national DNA databank established?

We are culturally aware, as the region has been recognized by Culture Days Canada.

This coming weekend is a busy one with so many activities vying for our precious attention. But there’s one event that people should mark on their calendars and make a conscious effort to support.

It is The Temiskaming Speaker Community Food Bank Drive taking place Saturday, October 1 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. There are five area food

Cultural awareness involves standing back from ourselves and becoming aware of our cultural values and those of others.

Cultural values include our beliefs and perceptions, why we do things and how we see our world. When people are culturally aware they realize we are not all the same, but we all matter.

banks in South Temiskaming needing your help to supply food to children, adults and seniors. They are the Temagami Our Daily Bread Food Bank, Cobalt/Coleman/ Latchford and Area Food Bank, Haileybury Food Bank, Salvation Army Food Bank and the Englehart Food Bank. Support the food bank nearest you by donating non-perishable food items, money, or your time. You will be helping those less fortunate among us stave off hunger. Hunger is a threat to our health, our prosperity and our individual dignity. Don’t forget the food bank drive mother or ever live matter distance them. -- C. Watson ” 2 3 1 6 ENTRIES Judge Carmen Marie Fabio Editor in chief, Your Local Journal, Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC A recovering high-tech employee, Carmen Marie Fabio made the leap to journalism in 2009 and has enjoyed every minute of it. An award-winning journalist and staunch advocate for the role of the community paper, she is now the editor and columnist at Your Local Journal in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec.

Brenda Craik Sales Rep. ext. 232

Lois Perry General Manager ext. 224 ads@northernontario.ca

Denise Williams Sales Rep. ext. 231

Kelly Ouimet Sales Co-ord. ext. 248

Gordon Brock Editor ext. 239

Diane Johnston Reporter ext. 241

Steven Larocque Reporter ext. 240

Sue Nielsen Reporter ext. 246 editorial@northernontario.ca

Darlene Wroe Reporter ext. 242

PREMIER AWARDS COMMUNITY SERVICE

BRANT NEWS | PUSH FOR CHANGE

GENERAL COMMENT

What an amazi

What an amazing project to take on, one that could resonate on into the future -- and you may never even know it is. Great subject to confront, good reporting and well-packaged. Perhaps the most touching part of this was donating all those tickets to people who might otherwise never get to hear the message Roberts brings.

HAMILTON MOUNTAIN NEWS | THE WARMTH PROJECT

It is a special thing when a newspaper takes on a project that goes beyond a one-off event and becomes an integral part of the community’s social fabric. I loved everything about this project, just would have preferred to see more editorial on it.

HUNTSVILLE FORESTER | SUPPORT FOR MUSKOKA WOMEN’S ADVOCACY GROUP

Good project. A vital topic. It is good to see space being provided for this kind of advocacy work.

You could say everything a community newspaper does in some way is a community service, as well, because the focus is on the people next door, the businesses up the street -- the community itself. When that newspaper takes on a special cause, however, it confirms its presence as a contributing community member as well as the eyes and ears watching over everything. Each of the projects in this category fulfil that.

Dale Bass

Editor & Owner, The Eastern Door, Kahnawake Mohawk Territory Associate Editor, Kamloops This Week, Kamloops, BC

Dale Bass is currently the associate editor of the Kamloops This Week, where she’s been since 2000. She started her career with The London Free Press, where she worked for 24 glorious years of journalism, guided by the family owner, the Blackburns. She has been the chair of the board for the Canadian Association of Journalists for several years now.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST VERTICAL PRODUCT

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OAKVILLE BEAVER | WEST OF THE CITY

The Oakville Beaver’s West of the City lands on the first-place podium with a hefty thump. There are 186 highgloss pages of style, design, food and travel. Design is close to what you’d expect in a luxury magazine and the content is varied and comprehensive. The vast majority of ads also live up to the design expectations.

TORONTO BLOOR WEST VILLAGER | ABODE

Toronto Bloor West Villager’s Abode came in second for aspiring to achieve the trifecta of interesting content, crisp design and profitability. Its neighbourhood profiles take a fun approach and while it clearly strays towards advertorial, it doesn’t sacrifice good writing. Cover story is well done.

BRACEBRIDGE EXAMINER | MUSKOKA LIFE

The Bracebridge Examiner’s 212-page Muskoka Life should have ranked higher; what holds it back is its design. On a computer screen each individual page might look attractive but when you put them together, the package is a jumble. Bravo for all the original content and awareness of the type of stories that appeal to Muskoka readers.

HONOURABLE MENTION

CORNWALL SEAWAY NEWS | CORNWALL AND COUNTIES VISITORS GUIDE

RENFREW MERCURY | EXPLORE UPPER OTTAWA VALLEY

Honourable mention goes to the Seaway News and Renfrew Mercury for their tourism guides. Innovative design takes what could have been run-of-the-mill projects and makes them shine.

GENERAL COMMENT

There are a lot of profitable magazines and guides being created by OCNA members. They all speak to the viability of the community newspapers, especially those that are able to adapt. However, most of the magazines are simply too busy when it comes to layout, with multiple fonts and a cluttered design that throws ads and editorial together in a hot mess. Hiring a professional designer to give some the publications a new look would be a good long-term investment. For those who can’t afford it, stick to variations of one or two headline fonts (for editorial), avoid the use of shadowing and embrace white space!

Martha Perkins

Editor-in-chief, Vancouver Courier, BC

Industry veteran Martha Perkins is the editor in chief for Glacier Media’s Vancouver Courier. In the Lower Mainland, Perkins previously served as editor for the Westender, Bowen Island Undercurrent and North Shore Outlook. She also held an editor position at four weekly newspapers in Ontario’s cottage country, including the Haliburton County Echo and Minden Times. Perkins has received more than 60 awards from Canada’s regional and national newspaper associations, and was presented with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award in 2003 for her community contributions.

PREMIER AWARDS

BEST FRONT PAGE CIRC. OVER 10,000

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ORANGEVILLE BANNER

I absolutely LOVED this front page! Great photo, beautiful design and concept. Heart-warming story that’s well written. From visual appeal to points of entry, this front page certainly has it all!

OAKVILLE BEAVER

The spectacular photo of this front page really catches the eye!

ANCASTER NEWS

Great photo! Photographer was able to capture the effort on the athlete’s face. Also love the play on words in the photo headline!

HONOURABLE MENTION

KITCHENER POST – I laughed out loud at the photo of the dog cooling down with a drink of water! Great job! Excellent stories. My only suggestion would be to make one of the stories more prominent and to keep more space between the photo and the story below it. They looked a little crammed up.

GENERAL COMMENT

Sponsored by Laurentian Publishing

2 3 40 ENTRIES Judge

Jackie Jardine

Editor, The Advocate, Pictou, NS

Jackie Jardine is the editor of The Advocate weekly newspaper in Pictou, Nova Scotia. A Pictou County native and proud graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, she is a writer, editor and fledgling home cook. She has been in the newspaper business for almost three decades and jokes that she started when she was in her teens! She enjoys traveling, socializing and volunteering in her community.

PREMIER AWARDS

BEST FRONT PAGE CIRC. UNDER 9,999

EGANVILLE LEADER

The front page of the Eganville Leader offered a great picture and story. I liked that it was the only focus on front page.

HUNTSVILLE FORESTER

Very interesting, disturbing front page and story. I enjoyed the layout of it being focused on one story.

NEW LISKEARD TEMISKAMING SPEAKER

Great picture on front page with a good well written story. I like the bottom story features.

GENERAL COMMENT

I enjoyed having the privilege to look through the submissions for ‘Best Front Page’. I found there to be quite a variety of headlines, different layouts, some great photography, and lots of reader appeal. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.

Sponsored by Laurentian Publishing

Jocelyn Ottenbreit

Editor/Ad Design, Martensville Messenger, Martensville, SK

After working for 10 years with the University of Saskatchewan as an administrative assistant in emergency, Jocelyn decided to switch paths and began working for the Martensville Messenger in 2012. In 2014, she became co-owner and editor of the weekly local newspaper and does ad design for the newspaper along with production. She also works closely with their marketing manager and the City of Martensville on other projects such as the Spring, Winter and Fall Program Guides and the annual ‘Guide to Martensville’.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST SPORTS SECTION

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GENERAL COMMENT

SUDBURY NORTHERN LIFE

Twelve page special sections serving up a variety of feature style pieces gives Sudbury Northern Life a leg up on the competition. Strong photos anchor a solid design showcased in a magazine-style format gives the material a lengthy shelf life.

BRANT NEWS

Nicely done! Large sections – 9 and 10 pages – of the voices, stories and faces of your sports community. Excellent images support a thoughtful design. A pleasure to read.

ELMIRA-WOOLWICH OBSERVER

Readers are given both quality and quantity here. Hoops, hockey, swimming, field hockey, along with some humour, are joined by a plethora of quality pictures – 20 of them in one section – as the sports pages are dedicated to names, faces and their stories. Well done!

Dozens of well-crafted stories of the people who are both involved and help organize sports throughout the province. Clearly there are several hungry reporters getting ‘out there’ with boots on the ground to tell the stories of their communities. Sports also lends itself to photography and photographers across the province should be proud of their work in this category. Several strong images on display. One (minor) suggestion to the collective of sports editors: Try to reduce the use of acronyms in headlines, unless they are incredibly well-known. They aren’t very welcoming to the reader.

Sponsored by Metroland Media Southwestern Ontario Division

Brian Legree

Brian Legree joined the journalism faculty at Durham College in Oshawa, ON in 2003 and took over as coordinator of the program in 2013. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College, he worked in the news business for about 20 years, spending time in radio, television and newspapers, including stints as the sports editor at both the Oshawa Times and Oshawa-Whitby This Week. While editor at This Week, Legree was a three-time winner of the OCNA’s best sports section award..

Journalism Coordinator, Durham College, Oshawa, ON

DEEP RIVER NORTH RENFREW TIMES

This newspaper promotion jumped to the top of my list because it had impact due to the position on the front page, white space and nice clean copy. But the best was the visual impact of the baby peaking out of the blanket that brought an instant smile to my face. Great work by Jane Barkley!

FERGUS WELLINGTON ADVERTISER

Wow. I was blown away by the illustrations, the copy and the work that was put into this newspaper promotion. Helen Michel did super super work!

HONOURABLE MENTION

BARRYS BAY, THE VALLEY GAZETTE

This themed advertisement jumped out on the page due to the theme and colour. It was easy to read with nice spacing and excellent copy. Nice work Rachel Etmanskie!

CREEMORE ECHO – Use of the three illustrations with all the blank space around made this advertisement by Sara Hershoff jump from the page. A very simple message made this newspaper promotion stand out. Good job.

AYLMER EXPRESS – Superb idea by Renee Hueston, but a little too busy on the bottom half. The top half was very eye-catching.

GENERAL COMMENT

I thought this was going to be an easy category to judge but there were many very excellent in-house newspaper promotions. Wow, first place was easily chosen as the Fergus Wellington Advertiser went all out! Congratulations! The front page position and copy on the North Renfrew Times gave this promotion extra points but let’s face it, no one can resist a smiling baby! And finally, the theme, copy, space and illustration in The Valley Gazette advertisement moved it up to third place. Congratulations to all!

Joyce Webster

Publisher/ Owner & Multi-media Specialist, East Central Alberta (ECA) Review, Coronation, AB

Publisher Joyce Webster has been in the community newspaper business for 36 years. In a small paper, she’s done everything from reporting to photography to management, and has taken a 1,200 paid circulation newspaper to a very successful TMC regional community newspaper that covers east central Alberta, a total of 30,000 circulation weekly.

PREMIER AWARDS

SPECIAL SECTION CIRC. OVER 10,000

BRAMPTON GUARDIAN | OUR CITY BRAMPTON

Although this is not what I would consider a “Special Section” per se, it is impossible to ignore the quality of work on display in this magazine. Very well designed and full of relevant content to the locals.

MISSISSAUGA NEWS | READER’S CHOICE AWARDS 2016

Fantastic idea with what looks like great response from advertisers and assumingly, your readers as well to participate in such a fun idea. I love the idea of bringing social media back down to earth by hitting readers with what everyone likely talks about every day.

OAKVILLE BEAVER | CHECKING IN

Who knew one could put together a 56 page section on a new hospital – but it can be done and done well apparently. Colour and photo reproduction was second to none. Very informative and well laid out.

GENERAL COMMENT

I was very impressed by the work of all participating newspapers. There were some great, original ideas brought forward along with plenty of great work on more traditional ideas. Picking the winners was no easy task but I am confident everyone will continue to do great work going forward. Congratulations to all entrants and enjoy your special night.

Brian Gilroy

General

Manager,

Swan Valley Star & Times

My name is Brian Gilroy and to say I’ve been a lifer in the newspaper industry would be an understatement. I grew up in this industry where my parents were involved in ownership for many years. My own father sat on the MCNA board including a term as president. I grew up delivering the Dauphin Herald and Parkland Shopper as a kid. I have now been working full time in this industry since the fall of 1993 when my wife Alison and I moved to Swan River. Along with my two brothers and sister, we own and operate the newspapers in Dauphin, Swan River, The Pas, Roblin and Russell, Manitoba. My focus has always been on the sales and editorial side of things but obviously wear many hats while working out of the Swan River office. I have served multiple terms on the MCNA board including a term as President. I thoroughly enjoy this industry and can’t imagine doing anything else that would be as rewarding as this. I love judging different ideas both as a way of seeing what others do and to see what works and what doesn’t. I really enjoyed judging this category and congratulate all that entered.

PREMIER AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION CIRC. UNDER 9,999

AYLMER EXPRESS | FARM EDITION 2016

Nothing beats the Aylmer Express Farm Edition for sheer breadth when it comes to size and content. One can imagine its huge square pages lying open on a big farm kitchen table (the width of the outspread pages almost make it too cumbersome to read any other way!) Coverage is comprehensive and includes featurelength profiles, well-designed sidebars, and worthwhile information. There is nice attention paid to layout and photography. Ads show creativity and are neatly laid out. An exemplary team effort gives this massive undertaking top spot.

EGANVILLE LEADER | THE EGANVILLE LEADER’S 5th ANNUAL IRISH EDITION

The Eganville Leader’s strength has always been how intimately it knows its community. Imagine being able to fill a 28-page St. Patrick’s Day supplement with all things Irish – and local! It goes well beyond listing events and doing profiles of entertainers; the profiles of the area’s Irish influences are thorough and appealing. Quarter-page ads provide a nice modular look and give lots of room to convey best wishes. A well-deserved second place!

HAGERSVILLE/CAYUGA HALDIMAND PRESS | FARM EDITION 2016

The team at the Haldimand Press makes a real effort to engage readers in its annual Farm Edition. Even though the themes are somewhat predictable, the writers work hard to take a fresh approach as they inform and entertain readers. It’s this commitment to good storytelling that made it a very close third. Layout is rather conventional but it is neat and tidy. Ads are also clean and uncluttered, making for a pleasant presentation.

GENERAL COMMENT

Special sections are an appealing way to engage readers and advertisers. They give newspapers the opportunity to explore a topic or theme and, in doing so, reach out to advertisers who appreciate having such a targeted audience. The trick is in coming up with content that really appeals to the community. Most newspapers are to be applauded for rejecting the easy option of filling a section with canned copy.

Martha Perkins

Editor-in-chief, Vancouver Courier, BC

Industry veteran Martha Perkins is the editor in chief for Glacier Media’s Vancouver Courier. In the Lower Mainland, Perkins previously served as editor for the Westender, Bowen Island Undercurrent and North Shore Outlook. She also held an editor position at four weekly newspapers in Ontario’s cottage country, including the Haliburton County Echo and Minden Times. Perkins has received more than 60 awards from Canada’s regional and national newspaper associations, and was presented with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award in 2003 for her community contributions.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST CREATIVE AD

TORONTO BLOOR WEST VILLAGER

Creativity of this ad equals renovation thinking out of the box. In fact, there is no box around the ad. The visual impact is very high because you cannot miss it. Although a better hyphenation and word cutting spacing would have made it a better ad.

HONOURABLE MENTION

FERGUS WELLINGTON ADVERTISER

What a great clear design! Might be a little too busy, but overall a wonderful ad.

ELMIRA-WOOLWICH OBSERVER

The Elmira Gift Outlet ads in this series are very clean and all elements are visible. It does, however, seem to be lacking a bit of creativity. Maybe next time make it a bit more interesting to the eye.

MANOTICK MESSENGER – Great idea to celebrate the newspaper’s anniversary. However, the ad is a bit busy. Try it without the background next time, there really is no need.

GENERAL COMMENT

These days newspaper competition is more fierce than ever. That is why we should all put on our creative hats and bring out innovations in ad concepts and layouts. We should think out of the box and make our ads to stand out. In fact, eliminating the borders – something that US president will not adhere – enhances the visual impact of the ad. Let’s innovate then and say to other media – we are here to stay whether you like it or not!

George Guzmas

Co-Publisher, Newsfirst Multimedia Publications

Laval News, North Shore News, Park-Extension News & The Greek Canadian News, Laval, QC George Styl Guzmas is a second generation publisher. He started in the business helping his father Stylianos in his Greek Community paper DRASSIS. At the age of 16 he did his first interview with the former Quebec Premier Rene Levesque a week after his election. At the age of 20 he lost his father, and became the youngest publisher in the community newspapers. He enhanced his career as a co-host in Greek Radio, and producer of his own TV Greek community program in cable with more than 600 hours of original programming. In 1993 he brought his friend George Bakoyannis in the field. Together they co-publish four community Newspapers: The Laval News, Park Extension News, The North Shore News and The Greek Canadian News.

FERGUS WELLINGTON ADVERTISER

Great ad! Good balance of white space and color. A clean, clear message by Helen Michel with easy to read fonts. Very nice design!

GENERAL COMMENT

Special on Eye Lash Extensions $80 Hair Cuts for Men, Children and Seniors $9 99

Ladies Hair Cuts, Style and Shampoo $17 99 Colors starting at $35 99 Full Head Highlights ..................................... $54.99

eUnit#2

VAUGHAN CITIZEN

Great ad. Very classy attention grabber. Too bad the other ads of the page have

We can all be ambassadors for Vaughan

Athings happening in our city.

ing my annual address at Vaughan Chamber of Commerce, speaking about investing in the 905 at the Economic Club of Canada, or paying tribute to the impressive spirit of generos ity that exists in our city at one of the many the many fundraising events, I rec ognize the importance of sharing our message widely, and at every possible oppor tunity.

be ambassadors for our City. We should tell the world why Vaughan is the place to be!

tunate to have something called the Vaughan Advan tage. location, Vaughan is situated within a 10-minute drive from Canada’s busiest airport, Pearson International. We have excellent highway accessibility with the 407, 400 and 427 and market

ALLISTON HERALD

as will the subway and the Hwy. 427 extension - all serving as anchors and magnets for the most ambitious project in our city’s history: our new downtown, the Vaughan Metropolitan

We have many reasons we can be proud to live, work and play in Vaughan. We need to recognize within ourselves that with these advantages comes responsibility because when you are blessed like no other city, more is expected of us. While I may have the opportunity to deliver speeches and write columns like this one because I am your Mayor, I am not the only ambassador for this city - you are as well. Everywhere you go, tell people why you Take pride in what we have been able to collectively achieve. Take stock of the blessings we enjoy in our city, and share our positive message of hope and opportunity. Congratulations! You’ve just been appointed a Vaughan Ambassador – now it’s time for you to go and share the good news far and wide.

A nice clean ad! I like that you kept it simple, rather than full and busy!

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua’s column runs the final Thursday of each month in The Vaughan Citizen.

3175RUTHERFORDROADUNIT30, VAUGHAN,ONL4KOA3 905-553-6666 www.monsieurdupont.com

GRADUATIONSUITS|PROMSUITS BARMITZVAHSUITS|WEDDINGSUITS BUGATCHISHIRTS|7-DOWNIEST.

This class drew a lot of variety and creativity. You should all be proud of the ads you are designing for your clients.

Amanda Zimmer

General

Manager,

Claresholm Local Press, Claresholm, AB

Please help us help the environment by recycling your bags Collect Saturday of every month. Leave the bags n the same spot you receive your paper. Your carrier will be rewarded if you participate n this

If you have any questions, please call your Distribution Department at 1-855-853-5613.

Sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics

I am the General Manager of the Claresholm Local Press. I gained my first experience working after school in a print shop. After gaining my Printing Management Technologies diploma from SAIT, I joined the staff of the Local Press full time. I’ve been there since 1999!! I love living in a small community and being a part of the connection people have to each other through our paper. I believe the newspaper is the hub of our community and love to see people reading and sharing it. I enjoy judging for newspaper competitions! It helps to generate ideas for our own paper, and keeps us in check with our publishing standards. Seeing what else is out there helps us to step up our own game! Thank you for the opportunity to judge for the OCNA!

PREMIER AWARDS ORIGINAL AD IDEA

AYLMER EXPRESS

Maybe ‘cause it’s Christmas...but I really like this one by Renee Hueston... I’d stop to look at each face to see if I knew anyone. And you’ve let some personalities shine through.

ELMIRA-WOOLWICH OBSERVER

I’m sure that this jumped off the page. The client must have been happy! Great work by Jake Stallard.

FORT FRANCES TIMES

Your description was very well written, otherwise I wouldn’t have been sure what I was seeing. Well conceived.

GENERAL COMMENT

Continue to push the creative boundaries for original ideas and eye-catching ads. Compel local readers to visit local businesses!”

Wayne Aubert

Professor, Advertising and Marketing Communications Management Program, McKeil School of Business, Mohawk College, Hamilton, ON Wayne Aubert is a Professor in the Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program at Mohawk College and Course Director with ICA (Institute of Communication Agencies).

PREMIER AWARDS USE OF

PROCESS COLOUR

OAKVILLE BEAVER

The colours chosen work well together with the visual. The splash of red helps to cleanly highlight the key messages. Using type offers allows for clean presentation of a lot of information.

HALIBURTON COUNTY ECHO

The use of the bright colour immediately attracts the reader’s eye. The offer is front and centre and the layout draws the reader through the entire story easily. The overall effect is bright, bold and attractive.

HONOURABLE MENTION

FORT FRANCES TIMES

The use of the colorful border treatment and the illustrative icons helps to contain and “tidy” up a very busy ad – nicely creating a readable story that the consumer can easily navigate.

VAUGHAN CITIZEN – The subtle use of the background visual helps to attract the reader’s eye but does not detract from the presentation of the message. The layout is simple but elegant. The use of multiple fonts adds a level of complexity which somewhat detracts from the overall effect.

GENERAL COMMENT

This year’s entries have demonstrated a strong use of process colour and design elements to produce stellar creative products.

Leslie Kellow-Hall

Leslie Kellow-Hall, Management Director – Operations, Fuel Advertising, Toronto, ON

Leslie has more than 30 years’ experience in the marketing communications industry in the production and operations areas. Leslie has managed interactive and print studios, production management and operation departments in several major and boutique agencies. Leslie’s experience spans the gamut of interactive, CRM and traditional mass advertising. She is an instructor with the Institute of Communication Agencies, has taught the Certified Print Production Practitioner’s course for 16 years, and has sat on the Mohawk College Marketing Communication Advisory Board for six years.

PREMIER AWARDS BEST COMMUNITY WEB SITE/WEB PORTAL CIRC. OVER 10,000

SUDBURY NORTHERN LIFE | SUDBURY.COM

This website demonstrates a clear and deliberate effort to take advantage of the medium. Ads are prominent without obstructing the readers’ experience. Video content is effectively gathered and packaged. One series of videos, 12 Days of Kindness, depicts community members being gifted much-needed items, such as a lift chair for a man with mobility issues. A strong community focus invades almost every facet of the site. Users can even read stories organized by neighbourhood. The website is also frequently updated, which is sure to draw readers throughout the day. In a media environment where news websites are competing with social media websites for readers, the Sudbury Northern Life website seems to be in the best position to take on Facebook. A truly enviable community news website.

TORONTO CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS | CJNEWS.COM

The pictures on the main page are pleasing to the eye and prominent. As well, the front page possesses a welcome design feature where readers may load more headlines on a particular section of the website, allowing the reader more control over how they use the product. Negative space is used well to create a clean, uncluttered experience.

ELMIRA-WOOLWICH OBSERVER | OBSERVERXTRA.COM

Where some websites seem to bombard readers with links, this website makes relevant information available and encourages the reader to linger, with clever headlines, good photography and good design. Subtopics on above menu are a definite plus, allowing readers to search for all news items related to, for example, Woolwich council. This website also demonstrates a strong commitment to local business, sports and the arts.

GENERAL COMMENT

An adherence to the basics, such as a photo and names for every story, a demonstrated investment of time and energy into using the medium to its fullest and an effort to brand each community newspaper website into a unique portal of community activity distinguished the more successful entries. I believe the potential for community news websites has yet to be fully realized but Sudbury.com offers a taste of its potential and has reached out to its community in a big way. With a little innovation, this could still be anyone’s game next year.

Josh Long

Editor,

Northern News Services, Yellowknife, NT

Josh Long is an editor at Northern News Services based in Yellowknife, working on regional papers throughout Nunavut and the NWT for three years.

PREMIER

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CREEMORE ECHO | CREEMORE.COM

Loved the look and functionality of this website. The overall impression was that this is a quality website with easily accessible (and quick loading) information.

MANITOULIN EXPOSITOR | MANITOULIN.CA

HUNTSVILLE FORESTER | MUSKOKA REGION.COM

This is a very informative site – quite easy to navigate.

I really like that the big box was a headline - not used for advertising! It made me want to keep reading the site! 2 3

GENERAL COMMENT

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been a judge this year. I originally made the assumption it would be easy. I was so, so wrong. I cannot believe the quality of the submissions. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring your web sites and getting to know the communities you call home. Great job to everyone.

Angie

Hampshire

Publisher, Bonnyville Nouvelle & Lakeland Regional, Bonnyville, AB

I have worked with Great West Newspapers for almost 17 years, starting out in advertising with the Westlock News and currently as the Publisher of the Bonnyville Nouvelle. I love this industry and being a part of it. Although it seems things have changed and are changing quickly from what we used to know, it’s an exciting industry to work in – local newspapers have such an important role in preserving memories, and sharing unbiased informative stories with our readers while most importantly – maintaining a positive foundational roll within the community. We are so lucky to be a part of it.

PREMIER AWARDS ONLINE SPECIAL PROJECT/EVENT/BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE

NUNAVUT NEWS/NORTH | NNSL SPORTS - 2016 ARCTIC WINTER GAMES

Excellent coverage of a major sporting event. Photography was exceptional and helped draw attention to the story. Good organization of the website; I especially like the drop-down menu that allowed readers to search for stories in sports categories. Good use of social media and the dedicated App to bring the stories to your audience as they happened was a very good addition. The stories were also well written and engaging, allowing readers to get to know the teams and athletes. As a suggestion, it would have been an idea to imbed some video into each of the on-line stories. Coverage of an event like this is a massive undertaking for a community newspaper, and it’s obvious the team of Nunavut News North put a lot of planning and hard work into this. Their entry is a great example of how to plan, organize and execute on-line coverage of a major event. Very, very well done.

BELLEVILLE NEWS | QSS SHOOTER/BANK ROBBERY BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE

A very unique story; and something a news team couldn’t possibly plan for. On-line coverage was excellent; well-written stories, including a simple list of info (the suspects in the incident); and photos. Video of the police scrum with media would have added points for coverage, but overall very good work by the news team in reporting what was a very strange case indeed.

SUDBURY NORTHERN LIFE | BREAKING NEWS: MANHUNT AND ARREST OF WAHNAPITAE SHOOTER

Very good work covering a breaking news event. Video is top quality, as is the information provided to readers to keep them updated through the day of the event. Would have liked to have seen how the story was also presented in print as a follow-up to the on-line coverage.

GENERAL COMMENT

This was a tough category to judge, since on-line news coverage can involve so many different elements and news scenarios. Overall, the entries in this category provided some very good examples of how to present stories (both breaking news and organized coverage of major events) on-line. In the case of breaking news, every entry did a very good job of continuing coverage. Each one of these entries can provide good examples for others who are aiming to build their news brand through continued development/improvement of their digital efforts.

Barbara Dean Simmons

Managing Editor for TC Media, managing the editorial departments of 11 weekly community newspapers and their websites: The Compass, The Packet, The Southern Gazette, The Beacon, The Pilot, The Advertiser, The Nor’Wester, The Gulf News, The Northern Pen, the Labradorian, The Aurora.

Barbara is an award-winning writer and editor, who got her start in the newspaper industry in 1980 as a reporter with The Packet. Over the years she has collected many awards from the Atlantic Community Newspapers Association, the Canadian Community Newspapers Association, and the Atlantic Journalism Awards, for news and feature news writing, editorials, community service and investigative reporting. Outside of work, she’s a hobby farmer producing home-grown vegetables from her backyard greenhouse and vegetable garden.

COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY AWARDS

COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY AWARDS STUDENT FEATURE WRITING

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO | BRYAN MCGOWAN

A very interesting story that is fully fleshed out, both personal and connected to community matters such as rising tuition costs and online “dating”/sex apps. Excellent information from the source (who seems to have the ability to look at the situation both personally and sociologically), and backed up by contacts at the website discussed. The article clearly details the many aspects of these “sugar daddy” arrangements, both good and bad. Feel like some of the language used and the subheads are needlessly sensational. The accompanying graphic is a nice touch - the “allowance” amount should be qualified as weekly/monthly/yearly because the details make a big difference. Statistics are meaningless without all the information.

ALGONQUIN COLLEGE | SARAH FERGUSON

This was a well-rounded retirement profile on a member of the academic and scientific community, covering aspects of his schooling, as well as professional and personal spheres. Good work on interviewing so many to connect to Dr. Renaud - students, colleagues and family members. Not entirely sure on his connection to the college... but may just be a prominent local figure?

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO | RIAMARIE PANACHIKAL

A feature on why statistics don’t always tell the full story - of key importance for students not just because of the subject matter (sexual assault) but also because learning to question information and what it means is a key component of a true education. Well written. May have benefited from some type of student input.

GENERAL COMMENT

With such a diverse selection of stories from campuses across the province, choosing the winners was a challenge. Most features were interesting to read and many were well written. The best related to the student community with thought being put into story content and composition, and incorporated strong layout and graphics to draw readers in and add dimension to the written feature.

Sponsored by the Ontario General Contractors Association

Renee Hueston

Renee Hueston, Communications Coordinator, Aylmer Express, ON For four generations the Hueston family have been in the newspaper business. Renee has been involved in the Aylmer Express since high school, where she learned to design ads for a part-time job on weekends and school nights. She now oversees special publications, as well as helping with editing, layout, and design. With a passion for the community news business, Renee believes that stories told well and news truthfully reported will never cease to be relevant.

COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY AWARDS

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO | RIAMARIE PANACHIKAL

Well written and well researched with excellent interviewing. A good connection to the community. Overall –very professional. Any newsroom would be happy to have Riamarie in their ranks. Her passion comes through in her writing.

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UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO | MATT LAWES

Well written & topical. Excellent focus on an issue that is of immediate interest to the readership. Matt is a very good communicator, and has an excellent career ahead of him, whichever way he decides to proceed after he leaves.

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO | RAMONA LEITAO

Well written and well researched. Very thorough reporting, With engaging writing that draws the reader into the story. Ramona can take pride in her ability to make a topic interesting to a wide audience.

HONOURABLE MENTION LOYALIST COLLEGE | BRENDAN BURKE – Well written & researched. Good interviewing skills shown. Excellent connection to the community. Layout & Design of website could be better.

NIAGARA COLLEGE | RYAN THORPE – Well written and an interesting topic, but the link between the story and the readership is not clear.

GENERAL COMMENT

I had a great time judging this category. The students did make my job difficult with the level of skill they exhibited and the obvious passion they have for newswriting. I am glad to see that the old basics of shoe leather and interviewing skills have not gone out of style, and the next generation of reporters seem geared to smooth the transition to wherever our industry is headed. I wish all the entrants the best as they move out into the world.

Sponsored by the Ontario Journalism Educators Association

Peggy Ireland

Editor, Terrace Bay/Schreiber News, Terrace Bay, ON

After 20+ years off and on in the news business, Peggy Ireland has been the editor of the Terrace Bay/Schreiber News for the last five years. For over sixteen years she has also served as a volunteer member of the Board of Directors of The Consumers Association of Canada. Working with the CAC she did a seven-year stint as consumer representative on Health Canada’s Pest Management Review Agency’s Advisory Council PMRA/PMAC, and testified before Parliament on PIPEDA amongst her other duties. Now she spends her time covering small-town stories among the moose and spruce of Northern Ontario, while swatting black flies and catching really big fish!

COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY AWARDS STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY

LOYALIST COLLEGE | RAVEN MCCOY

This photo is strong in its simplicity and impactful use of available light. The juxtaposition of spearing fish in a river in the middle of an urban area speaks volumes to the status of First Nations people and the erosion of their lands and traditions from native grounds as urban sprawl takes over.

LOYALIST COLLEGE | ZACHARY PRONG

Good framing captured all of the action within the shot. Composition is strong. The shaving and cleaning of the men conveys the message of them getting a fresh start in the camp.

RIVAL AMERICANS WIN GOLD

NIAGARA COLLEGE | UTSAV GUPTA

You can’t help but notice the lack of joy on some of the faces in the audience. This is an impactful photo that clearly portrays the message. Lighting in an arena can be difficult, but here the photo is well balanced.

GENERAL COMMENT

The quality of all entries in the Student Photography category was good, which made it difficult to select among those that weren’t clearly ahead in the judging. Those that were ahead had almost ideal circumstances for lighting, cropping, use of the rule of thirds and clear conveyance of a message. Where a few of the entries lost points was in the cropping. Mostly photos were cropped too tightly and lost some of their overall impact. Editorial treatment for each of the entries was well done. Clearly the strong photographs were easy to recognize and given their just layout space and placement. If there were separate categories within this for feature, news and sports, it would have been much easier. Good work by all entrants.

Jennifer Vandermeer

Editor, Ingersoll Times & Norwich Gazette, Woodstock, ON

Jennifer is currently the editor of two community weeklies and very involved in the operation of a community daily. She’s been working in editorial for more than 25 years, covering all aspects of her communities from news to sports. Jennifer has always had appreciation for a good, strong photo that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also meets technical requirements.

COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY AWARDS BEST COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER WEBSITE

LOYALIST COLLEGE | QNETNEWS.CA

A great mix of current campus and community news in a clean, easy to use format. Qnetnews uses video and social media well - including a daily newscast and live coverage of big events. Great job!

CENTENNIAL COLLEGE | TORONTOOBSERVER.CA

The Toronto Observer is a top-notch college website that anyone would like to read. Great photography and some strong writing – ie Canadian Muslim afraid for the effect of Trump election. Good work! One suggestion – website needs to be updated more frequently.

NIAGARA COLLEGE | NIAGARA-NEWS.COM

Niagara-news.com is an easy to use clean website. A special mention of the ambitious I Am Not Okay section which takes an indepth look at mental health issues on campus – which was very well done! Work towards updating the website more often – the headline stories I saw were a month old.

GENERAL COMMENT

The websites in this category did a fine job of reflecting life on campus and in the community around them. Congratulations to some of the more ambitious projects which included a daily newscast and a top-notch series from Niagara College on the issue of student mental health. To improve all these sites, add fresh content daily so the readers keep coming back.

Heather Wright

Publisher, The Independent of Petrolia and Central Lambton & Thamesville Herald, ON Heather Wright is the publisher of The Independent of Petrolia and Central Lambton and The Herald Serving Thamesville, Dresden and Bothwell in southwestern Ontario. Heather has worked in radio, community weekly news and daily newspapers over her 30 year career.

2016 Insurance Bureau of Canada Community Award in Memory of

Mary Knowles

Rick Shaver, General Manager, TC Media Cornwall

and ensured the community newspaper remained just that – a very large part of its community. Despite changes in technology and the way readers receive their

He continues to build relationships, encourages his staff to do the same, and provides the community with a gateway to share their stories.

Rick has a contagious positive energy and grin to go along with it. He is a recognized voice within the Cornwall community and is frequently approached by leaders of organizations looking for help.

While Cornwall Seaway News prints ads and publishes editorials to help various organizations, Rick chooses to be a little more hands-on. He has been nicknamed the “Godfather of Pizza” and continues to coordinate the Kinsmen Club of Cornwall’s Annual Pizza Party, which pits eight local restaurants against each other in a friendly competition to discover Cornwall’s best pizza. Now in its 11th year, the fundraiser has collected $140,000 for local charities.

He also helps with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Cornwall’s Italian Night, which typically sells out and attracts roughly 300 guests each year to raise money for those affected by MS. Rick’s close ties with Big Brothers Big Sisters has seen him participate in bowl-athons, and he continues to support the Boys and Girls Club of Cornwall and the St. Lawrence River Institute

of Environmental Sciences. He was recognized for his tremendous volunteer contributions with a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

He has served the Ontario Community Newspapers Association’s board of directors for 16 years, acting as President in 2007 and lending his knowledge and passion for the industry. He somehow finds the time to sit on many other boards, including Cornwall and the Counties Community Futures Development Corporation and the Kinsmen Club of Cornwall, of which he has served as President and Chairman of many community events for a combined total of 25 years. Not to mention the number of organizations he has helped in the past, including the Canadian Community Newspapers Association, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce in various roles for 21 years; the Cornwall Carbon Reduction Committee and the Agapè Food Bank.

Rick is an industry leader and community role model, which is why the Ontario Community Newspapers Foundation (OCNF) and the Insurance Bureau of Canada are proud to recognize him with the 2016 IBC Community Award in Memory of Mary Knowles.

The Award is coordinated by the OCNF, with generous support of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). Together, we are committed to recognizing dedicated newspaper employees who are constantly making a difference within their communities. Mary Knowles was a dedicated newspaper employee and active community member who died from breast cancer in 1996.

OPG is a proud partner in many community and environmental programs and initiatives across Ontario. And with more than 99 per cent of the power we produce free of smog and greenhouse gas emissions, we are just as dedicated to making Ontario a cleaner and even better place to live, work and play.

Congratulations to all the OCNA nominees and award recipients.

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CLASS 5 (CIRC. 12,500-22,499)

JUDGE SCORESHEETS

CLASS 6 (CIRC. 22,500-44,999)