Congratulations to all of our winners!
BEST OVERALL NEWSPAPER AWARDS
A1 Best Overall Newspaper (AN)
Judge: Maurice Rees from “The Shoreline Journal”
Contestant: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Headline: Cream of the Crop
Placement: 1st
Judge’s comment: The competition was tight, with this entry scoring 67 points two ahead of the second-place winner
Contestant: The Eastern Door
Headline: Devastating Fire Destroys Barn
Placement: 2nd
Judge’s comment: In second place, Eastern Door was a one-half point ahead of the third-place winner
Contestant: Nunatsiaq News
Headline: Two copies of a January 2019 issue and a September 2019 issue
Placement: 3rd
Judge’s comment: this year was the toughest I have judged for QCNA. Placing third only one half point out of second place and 1.5 points ahead of fourth place.
A2 Best Front Page (AN)
Judge: Joyce Webster from the “East Central Alberta Review”
Contestant: Nunatsiaq News
Headline: GN touts its long-awaited, revised Corrections Act
Placement: 1st
Judge’s comment: First place had a nice clean front page, good head, deck and lead into the story. Nice sized photo that tells the story at a glance, especially when the crowd was included in an effective photoshoot. Great Index. Very good!
Contestant: The Suburban Laval
Headline: Laval Police speak on sexual abuse of minors
Placement: 2nd
Judge’s comment: Although busy I felt this was a very good front page. It contained the elements of an index, a photo that draws people to the story and although the 2 stories have a carry-over, the heads and leads were very well written. Very good.
Contestant: The Suburban City
Headline: Taxi driver demo paralyzes island
Placement: 3rd
Judge’s comment: A little busy, a very good action photo. Had the same qualities of my 2nd choice but felt the stories in 2nd place were more compelling.
A3 Best Editorial Page (AN)
(Judge: Joyce Webster from the “East Central Alberta Review”)
Contestant: The Equity
Headline: Best Editorial Page
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: This was a very well-written strong piece with a strong ending in a well laid out page. Congratulations.
Contestant: The Suburban City
Headline: The Suburban City Jan 16
Placement: 2nd
Judge’s comment: A strong opinion well written and cartoon to go with it. Good selection of letters and design
Contestant: The Suburban Laval
Headline: The Suburban Laval Nov 14
Placement: 3rd
Judge’s comment: Strong opinion with the cartoon took this up to the top along with a pleasing layout for the reader.
A4 Best Feature Page(AN)
Judge: Joyce Webster from the “East Central Alberta Review”
Contestant: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Headline: Climate Change
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: 'The Low Down is the only entry that had all the elements of a good feature story. Congratulations!
Contestant: Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
Headline: Quebecers commemorate victims of 2017 mosque shooting
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Good variety of photos and a crisp story gave this entry more points than most. Great work!
Contestant: The Equity
Headline: Best Feature Page - "It's a nightmare"
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Quality of writing and layout was weak because of the length and we know we lose readers if stories are too long. Extra points for the feature value moved this into 3rd place. Good job.
A5 Best Sports Page(s) (AN)
Judge: Pete Fisher from “Today’s Northumberland” and “Beyond “Education Through Communication””
Contestant: Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
Headline: A- Stoneham hosts Jeux du Québec alpine ski races B- Rive-Sud wins! Mission accomplished, Capitale Nationale! C- St. Pat’s girls win silver in ringette in Jeux du Québec D- Centre-du-Québec wins in wheelchair basketball at the Jeux du Québec
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Love the layout and everything about the pages including the photos and stories. It's obvious sports is a major part of this community
Contestant: Laval News
Headline: Best Sports Page
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Once again, great layout of the pages along with the action, the team shot and the trophy
Contestant: The Suburban West Island
Headline: A5 The Suburban_West Island
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Nice action photos, and again the reader can easily tell that sports are a major part of the community.
A6 Best Special Section (AN)
Judge: Barb Donnelly Mazerolle from “Island Press Ltd.”
Contestant: The Suburban West Island
Headline: Creative Kids
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: I love everything about this section. This is why Creative Kids deserve #1
Contestant: The Suburban City
Headline: Back to School
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Beautiful use of colour, good content... A great special section
Contestant: Pontiac Journal
Headline: Remembrance Day
Placement: 3rd
Judge’s Comment: Love that it is in both English & French definitely deserves recognition.
A7 Best Community Newspaper Promotion (AN)
Judge: Joyce Webster from the “East Central Alberta Review”
Contestant: The Eastern Door
Headline: The Secret Door
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: First Place comment: The Eastern Door entry, The Secret Door is a top choice because of the huge amount of money raised, everyone was a winner, and the work put into the promotion. The paper's revenue from the ads and the draw to readers would have been exceptional.
Contestant: The Suburban Laval
Headline: The Suburban hat Trick Ball Hockey Tournament
Place: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Second Place comment: The Suburban’s Hat Trick Ball Hockey tournament took 2nd because of the involvement of everyday people, and amount of time and organizing skills it took to put this event on and the support of three different charities.
Contestant: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Headline: Cheeky subscription drive
Placement: 3rd
Judge’s comment: Toughest sell is subscriptions and the entry from The Low Down certainly used imagination, great photography and certainly gained high points for imagination.
A8 Best Advertisment (AN)
Judge: Zoë Larson from “Mid-America Publishing”
Contestant: The Suburban West Island
Headline: Moda Elle
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: This ad has a good symmetrical balance, a clear message, and its copy is arranged well. The sale prices are noticeable and the photo matches the ad's message.
Contestant: The Suburban City
Headline: Happy Holidays, Bailey Blu
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Great use of typographic hierarchy, photography and white space. The photo of the dog looking upwards brings attention to the business’s name and message.
Contestant: The Eastern Door
Headline: Casting call
Placement: 3rd
Judge’s comment: This ad contains a lot of copy and was arranged in a way that makes the information easy to read and interesting. Its use of graphics is creative and relates to the ad's subject.
A9 Best Website (AN)
Judge: Zoë Larson from “Mid-America Publishing”
Contestant: Nation
Headline: www.nationnews.ca
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: The home page’s hierarchy is evident and the reader’s eye moves smoothly from story to story. This hierarchy is found throughout the site. Stories are relevant to the community and are timely.
Contestant: The Suburban City
Headline: A9 The Suburban_City (https://www.thesuburban.com)
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Stories are easily accessible from the categories found in the navigation bar. The e-editions have full pages viewable along with their web stories to the side of the webpage. By clicking on a story on the full page, it brings up the web copy of the same story. This creates a great user experience for readers.
Contestant: Laval News
Headline: Best Website (lavalnews.ca)
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: This website has a clean design and its informative headlines grab the interest of readers. The stories’ paragraph headers break up space nicely and pulls even more of the reader’s attention. Navigation is clear and consistent.
WRITERS’ AWARDS
B1 Best News Story (AN)
Judge: Lois Perepelitz
Newspaper: Iorì:wase
Contestant: Greg Horn
Headline: Armed standoff ends in tragedy
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: good detailed reporting under difficult conditions. stuck to the facts and didn't go on any sidebars of personal opinions.
Newspaper: The Equity
Contestant: J.D. Potié
Headline: Waters rising (FLOOD: Pontiac prepares for high water); (More pictures of Pontiac Flooding)
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Good complete reporting of a widespread event.
Newspaper: The Suburban City
Contestant: Joel Goldenberg
Headline: Is the ‘new Decarie’ ready for more traffic?
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: good job of explaining the problem as well as giving some possible answers to that problem.
B2 Best Feature Story (AN)
Judge: Alison Ramsey
Newspaper: Nunatsiaq News
Contestant: Lisa Gregoire
Headline: Another shot: homeless Ottawa Inuit find comfort in managed alcohol program
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Of all the features submitted, this one clearly had the most outstanding lead. Not only is it instantly compelling, but the writer takes her time to carefully set the stage — and the tone — of the story, building concrete observations one upon the other to construct a rich overall picture. In less skilled hands, this drawn-out introduction to the meat of the story could have allowed the reader’s attention to wane or wander. As it is, however, the reader is pulled deeper with each paragraph, happy to be in the privileged position of watching it all unfold. Cleverly, the pacing serves to mirror the tempo of the work of the organization it reports on: residents patiently line up for their doses, moving slowly forward with anticipation. The residents’ quotes are well chosen. They serve a dual purpose: furthering important aspects of the organization’s purpose while grounding the story by focusing on individuals. The information the writer gleans from residents is surprisingly frank and highly personal, which, the reader learns at the end, is likely due to the writer’s familiarity with the population she is interviewing, and theirs with her, due to her weekly volunteering at the residence. Interviews with the founder, doctor, and volunteer weave smoothly with the residents’ quotes, and point to the bigger picture: perhaps this place is a beacon of possibility for others, elsewhere. The story, overall, portrays people who are often marginalized with a compassionate, humanizing perspective that is extremely welcome. Beautifully written; excellent job!
Newspaper: Nunatsiaq News
Contestant: Elaine Anselmi
Headline: A hybrid cruise ship and a call for a ban on HFO
Placement: 2nd
Judge’s comment: It isn’t easy to write a feature describing scientific information that necessitates multiple acronyms, numbers, and necessary explanations of processes, all of which may be unfamiliar to the reader while maintaining interest and a smooth flow. This feature, however, accomplishes that difficult task. It also introduces readers to a timely, important topic: key aspects of shipping fuels, traffic in the Arctic, and the growing impact of both on the environment. The lead is strong, using historical facts that give concrete imperative to current concerns. The writer does an excellent job of anticipating the reader’s need-to-know by presenting the information in a clear, logical progression. The information is provided in an easily digestible format, notable for careful pacing that gives the reader the time to absorb a high level of detail while, at the same time, continuing to move the story along briskly. It combines interviews with multiple sources, people with expertise who, together, present a trustworthy, faceted discussion. A lot of ground is covered in a relatively short space, and this reader, for one, certainly gained a deeper understanding of the critical issue that the feature presents. A compelling read; well done!
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Amy German
Headline: Home Delivery
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: This relatively short feature packs a surprising amount of information into its good-news story, which has a silky flow. The reader lands at the lyrical ending startled at how swiftly they arrived there, evidence of having been in capable hands throughout the journey. The writer seamlessly draws together key players and aspects: the women themselves, their midwives, historical context, and the community and its culture. The quotes enhance the statements of fact, deepening the reader’s engagement. The writer’s vocabulary in delivering quotes and paraphrases enhances the storytelling: she uses “said” as the excellent standard it is, but branches out on occasion to more fully describe individuals and their information with more descriptive selections, such as “stressed,” “recounted,” and “emphasized.” Overall, throughout this story, it feels as though each word has been carefully weighed and selected. This story is a wonderful example of how an economy of words can be both descriptive and powerful, and deliver the satisfying feeling of a complete story well told.
B3 Best Feature Series (AN)
Judge: Gordon Cameron from “Hamilton Community News”
Newspaper: Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
Contestant: Charles André Nadeau
Headline: 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings: Debating D-Day; Planning D-Day, Invasion begins
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Charles André Nadeau, Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. Charles André Nadeau does the nearly impossible by distilling something as complex as the story behind the D-Day landings into a short, tightly written series. He gave the reader a complete narrative which didn’t leave any questions begging. A high achievement to be sure.
Newspaper: Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
Contestant: Lisa Lafond
Headline: A year-long adventure to help save the planet begins; Is your computer really off… or is it wasting energy? The anatomy of a landfill.
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Lise Lafond, Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. Lise LaFond’s series offered readers a series of simple things that they could do to reduce their environmental footprint. Her straightforward style doesn’t come across as preachy or hectoring, but rather in the guise of common sense. It’s work like this that changes minds.
Newspaper: The Suburban City
Contestant: Joel Goldenberg
Headline: Hampstead and demolition of CSL Road apartment buildings
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Joel Goldenberg, The Suburban City. Joel Goldenberg’s series is an excellent example of what continuing coverage of a contentious issue should be. Both sides are given their opportunity to be heard and each milestone in the process is fairly documented. I greatly appreciate the economy of their writing. Not every update needs to be a 500-word rehash of the entire issue. Well done.
B4 Best Business Story (AN)
Judge: Maurice Rees from “The Shoreline Journal”
Newspaper: Quebec Farmers' Advocate
Contestant: Brenda O’Farrell
Headline: Technology can 'catapult Canadian farming back to the forefront of global food innovation'
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: This is an excellent story on how the revised new trade agreement will affect Quebec's important dairy industry.
Newspaper: Iorì:wase
Contestant: Jordan Standup
Headline: Old Malone Pharmacy spreading its roots in Kahnawake
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: A great business story that details how a retail operation such as a pharmacy in Northern portions of Canada can rise to the challenger to increase their importance to a remote area.
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Patrick Quinn
Headline: Moving on up
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: There were several excellent stories from remote First Nations publications, but this stood out above the rest because it explained ownership changes that have been under discussion for decades.
B5 Best Investigative Reporting (AN)
Judge: Elyse Amend from the “Department of Journalism, Concordia University”
Newspaper: Nunatsiaq News
Contestant: Sarah Rogers
Headline: Nunavut moves towards online health inspection reports, but legislation lags
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Sarah Roger's work on Nunavut's food inspection reporting procedures brings to light cracks in the current, outdated system and the serious public health implications these may have. Rogers uses access to information requests to bring new, important information about the situation to light, and communicates it all in a clear and well-written piece. This is an excellent example of what investigative community reporting should be like.
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Patrick Quinn
Headline: Quebec’s Long Gun Registry
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Patrick Quinn’s reporting illuminates the impacts of Quebec’s new long gun registry on the community served by his newspaper. The articles part of the series reveal the registry’s unclear elements, serious disparities in the community’s access to information about it, and lack of cultural awareness on the part of provincial authorities. Quinn’s work also highlights the negative impacts confusion around the new policies have had on trust between the community and the police. This is an important story told with care and caution.
Newspaper: Nunatsiaq News
Contestant: Emma Tranter
Headline: Some Kivalliq beneficiaries ineligible to vote in upcoming KIA election
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Emma Tranter’s article brings to light important issues with voting regulations that affected the 2019 Kivalliq Inuit Association elections. Working off a tip and numerous accounts, Tranter’s reporting diligently confirms details about the problem and ties it all together in a clear and concise piece.
B6 Best Sports Story (AN)
Judge: Luke Edvards from “Niagara This Week”
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Julie McIntosh
Headline: Softball Strikeout
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: An interesting look at a complex subject. The writer was able to include multiple voices and tackle many angles without bogging the story down. Great layout too.
Newspaper: Record
Contestant: Gordon Lambie
Headline: Strange sports in the Townships: Woodsmen competitions
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Despite never having been to one of these competitions the writer managed to make me feel like I was an old pro lumberjack.
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Patrick Quinn
Headline: Husky Competition
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Solid writing with some good information. I would have liked a little more description about what it's like at these competitions, but otherwise a good job all around.
B7 Best Arts & Entertainment Story (AN)
Judge: Steve Warburton: from “The Glengarry News”
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Martin Siberok
Headline: The Art of Survival
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: This story actually made me well up and get angry. If a story, written objectively, can make you feel something, you're doing something right.
Newspaper: The Suburban City
Contestant: Kristine Berey
Headline: World Press PhotoExhibition showcases excellence in visual storytelling
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: A very well written story about the images that tell us about our world.
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: André Simoneau
Headline: Boycott
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: A well-balanced story about a controversial and important issue.
B8 Best Column Writing (AN)
Judge: Lois Perepelitz
Newspaper: The Suburban City
Contestant: Anthony Bonaparte
Headline: Best Column Writing City
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: He tells it like it is without going overboard
Newspaper: Pontiac Journal
Contestant: Fred Ryan
Headline: Best Column Writing
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Very well written opinions that make you stop and think.
Newspaper: Record
Contestant: Ross Murray
Headline: Best Column Writing
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: He uses humour and everyday life to make you see what is really important.
B9 Best Business Column or Feature(AN)
Judge: Dennis Wade from Texas Opportunity Partners
Newspaper: Record
Contestant: Gordon Lambie
Headline: Keeping things local in the old northward
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Outstanding and very encouraging. Every small business in Canada should be required to read this article. YAY!
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Ben Powless
Headline: Banking on Whapmagoostui
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Took a challenging subject and made it easy to understand. I really appreciate the in-depth research.
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Patrick Quinn
Headline: Diamonds are Forever
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Tough subject to report but has a potential happy ending. The community and investors need to know and this piece reveals the reality of conditions beyond control and who does what when. Nice reporting.
B10 Best Editorial (Local Affairs) (AN)
Judge: Élisabeth Le from the “Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta
Newspaper: Laval News
Contestant: Renata Isopo
Headline: Is Quebec on the right track for replacing School Boards with Service Centers and School Governing Boards?
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Best researched editorial; clear and well-structured argumentation.
Newspaper: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Contestant: Nikki Mantell
Headline: Rural Anglos need more health support
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Excellent progression from individual to regional to the provincial level of news.
Newspaper: The Equity
Contestant: Chris Lowrey
Headlines: We talked about this…
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Extremely relevant connection established between a very local event and today's general societal problems.
B11 Bob Phillips Award for Best Editorial (general) (AN)
Judge: Elyse Amend from the “Department of Journalism, Concordia University”
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Will Nicholls
Headline: Still Waiting for a Lifeline
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: The Nation’s editorial on the federal and provincial governments’ actions—and inaction—on annual flooding in Kashechewan First Nation is a well-written piece that demonstrates the impacts on the local community and its people’s daily lives. The editorial tracks both governments’ broken promises, and finishes with a clear, yet skeptical, call on politicians to finally do something.
Newspaper: Nunatsiaq News
Contestant: Jim Bell
Headline: Nunavut repudiates the Liberals
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: The Nunatsiaq’s News’ entry is a well-written and forceful editorial focused on the NDP’s Mumilaaq Qaqqaq’s win in the Oct. 21 federal elections. Arguing the election results were a call of protest, the editorial serves as a clear warning to other politicians and parties of what can happen when one breaks promises and fails to act when it really matters in the face of housing shortages, poverty, food prices, health crises and suicide in the territory.
Newspaper: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Contestant: Nikki Mantell
Headline: Just say no to Bill 21
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Bill 21 was certainly a hot topic in 2019, and The Low Down to Hull & Back News' entry is well-written and to the point. Along with explaining the paper's position on the issue, the editorial provides a clear call to action for local authorities, politicians and community institutions to take a stand against Bill 21.
B12 Best Headline Writing (AN)
Judge: Natascia Lypny from “CBC Saskatchewan”
Newspaper: The Suburban City
Contestant: Mark Lidbetter
Headline: Best Headline Writing City
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: It can be easy in sports writing to fall back on straightforward, simplistic headlines or the same plays-on-words over and over again. This writer approaches each headline with such creative gusto it's an — ahem — feast for the eyes.
Newspaper: The Suburban Laval
Contestant: Mark Lidbetter
Headline: Best Headline Writing City
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: These headlines demonstrate a fun use of the English language and make the sports reporting stand out on the page. Some weren’t as creative or were “stretching it”, compared with the first-place entry.
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: Lyle Steward, Martin Siberok, Will Nicholls, Dan Isaac
Headline: ‘Wreck-conciliation’; Rootin’ Tootin’ Cowboy Shooting; Softball Strikeout
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: These magazine-style, short headlines are eye-grabbing and entice the audience to read on to know exactly what the article is about.
B13 Best French-language News Story (AN)
***No judge decision***
B14 Best French-language Editorial/Column (AN)
*** No judge decision***
B15 Best Education Story (AN)
Judge: Catherine Whitnall from “Torstar Corporation Community Brands”
Newspaper: The Eastern Door
Contestant: Daniel J. Rowe
Headline: Third-grader gifted with language
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: N/A
Newspaper: Nunatsiaq News
Contestant: Dayna Bruce
Headline: Nunavut’s student funding isn’t enough to live on, out-of-territory students say
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: N/A
Newspaper: The Suburban City
Contestant: Mark Lidbetter
Headline: Making a pitch on the pitch to further their education
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: N/A
B16 Best Agricultural Story (AN)
Judge: Ryan Rogers from the “Scugog Communications Group”
Newspaper: Quebec Farmers' Advocate
Contestant: Brenda O’Farrell
Headline: How stressed are Canadian farmers?
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Brenda, you did a terrific job on this article. With a strong lead, excellent sources and many quantitative facts and figures to support your sources’ qualified opinions, your effort demonstrates the dedication and passion you put into your work. Great job. As for areas for improvement – challenge yourself to include quotes only when they add colour, personality, or first-hand accounts/opinions to your article. By trimming out some quotes through paraphrasing, you can maintain your article’s pace and tell your story even more clearly. Also, consider that you used the verb “to be” at least 23 times in your writing, and “of” 18 times. You could challenge yourself in the editing process to prioritize strong, engaging, meaningful and intentionally selected words, and these are some indicators that you could get even more intentional and selective with your language. That said, congratulations! Great job.
Newspaper: Quebec Farmers’ Advocate
Contestant: Andrew McClelland
Headline: Where’s the beef?
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Andrew, your commitment and devotion to your work shows in your article’s presentation. With a holistic and comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand, you presented an even and well-researched article with a strong lead, excellent sources, great quote selection, and supportive figures. Great job. For further improvement, take more care during the editing process to eliminate typos and any issues with sentence structure. Also, consider that you used the verb “to be” at least 14 times in your writing, and “of” eight times and “that” nine times. You could challenge yourself in the editing process to prioritize strong, engaging, meaningful and intentionally selected words, and these are some indicators that you could get even more intentional and selective with your language. Nice work.
Newspaper: Nation
Contestant: André Simoneau
Headline: Winter Harvest
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Andre, this article proves that the quality of your writing, reporting skills and enterprise as a reporter are consistently high. Nice work in assembling this article. Your writing is clear and clean, and you found great sources for your information. Really well done. For further improvement, consider closer adherence to the CP Style Guide to match your caps and spelling to the industry standards. Also, during the editing process, challenge yourself to prioritize strong, engaging, meaningful and intentionally selected words. You used the verb “to be” at least 23 times in your writing, and “of” 20 times. These indicate you can be more intentional and selective with your language. And you could consider being more selective in the quotes you choose to include in your article. By trimming out some quotes through paraphrasing, you can maintain your article’s pace and tell your story even more clearly. Terrific work.
B17 Best Environmental Story (AN)
Judge: David Secko from “Concordia University”
Newspaper: The Equity
Contestant: Caleb Nickerson, JD Potié, Chris Lowery
Headline: Water still a-risin'
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: This story is an excellent example of what a community story can do to inform readers about the record floods in the Municipality of Pontiac. The story is packed with information but still presented as a clear, readable story. The reporting from across the region by Potié, Lowrey and Nickerson is quite impressive. The story is paired with many excellent photos. Excellent work.
Newspaper: The Eastern Door
Contestant: Lindsay Richardson
Headline: Pipeline projects prompts protests
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Richardson writes a strong story about important events surrounding the Wet’suwet’en pipeline protests and an impromptu evening demonstration in Montreal. The power of the story comes from how Richardson weaves together information from the community and federal government, with a timeline of events over two days. Strong journalism.
Newspaper: Low Down to Hull & Back News
Contestant: Hollie Davies
Headline: Elizabeth the butterfly gets new wings
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: This story adds some fun to a well-covered (albeit important) topic of Monarch butterfly migration, whereby Davies’ reports on a local quadruple butterfly wing transplant. It is an environmental topic wrapped in an excellent narrative device, with the bonus of descriptive pictures of the transplant. Well done.
B18 Best Municipal/Civic Affairs Story (AN)
Judge: Natascia Lypny from “CBC Saskatchewan”
Newspaper: The Equity
Contestant: Caleb Nickerson
Headline: Health care workers speak out about short staffing
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Good job getting workers to speak about a sensitive topic. Nice balance as well.
Newspaper: The Equity
Contestant: J.D. Potié
Headline: A RECORD more than 20 power outages in a month
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Nice find on the local resident who collects data and I appreciate the level of depth on this hyper-local issue that affects residents in their daily lives. But the story relied too much on that one person as a definitive source of information. I would have liked to have seen more independent data, as well as comments from other affected residents.
Newspaper: Nunatsiaq News
Contestant: Sarah Rogers
Headline: Only Nunavik-based legal aid lawyer now based outside region
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: A solid story idea based on a community issue that's important to inform readers about. I appreciate the succinct writing as well.
B19 Best Community Health Story
Judge: Ana Olsthoorn from the “Buffalo Center Tribune”
Newspaper: Record
Contestant: Gordon Lambie
Headline: My People Need Help
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: An engaging story. You can't get much more "community" than this. This nearly defines it.
Newspaper: Nunatsiaq
Contestant: Sarah Rogers
Headline: Nunavut health centre officers minimum services
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Short and simple, but the pressing urgency is there in spades. And the fact that this story caused some action is fantastic.
Newspaper: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Contestant: Jake Munro
Headline: Chronic Fatigue
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: N/A
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
B20 Best News Photo
Judge: Ted McFadden from “Torstar Corporation Community Brands”
Newspaper: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Contestant: Hunter Cresswell
Headline: Brush fire in Edelweiss
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Nice photo, with great front-page play. Provides a different perspective of the efforts that go into fighting fires.
Newspaper: Iorì:wase
Contestant: Greg Horn
Headline: Kanehsatake battles flood waters
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: The motion in this photo brings the reader knee-deep into the flood waters that swamped this neighbourhood.
Newspaper: The Eastern Door
Contestant: Daniel J. Rowe
Headline: Devastating fire destroys barn
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: The horse looking at the camera makes this photo. Great eye to capture something more than a charred barn.
B21 Best Feature Photo
Judge: John O'Connell from the “Herald Community Newspaper, NY”
Newspaper: The Equity
Contestant: Caleb Nickerson
Headline: A community in mourning
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: This image has a strong impact. The photographer captured the news value and dealt well with the exposure challenge. The best image in this category.
Newspaper: Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
Contestant: Cassandra Kerwin
Headline: Historical Days on the Plains of Abraham: city under siege
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Timing was excellent. It's a joyous image and it's fun to look at, and a good capture of the event. That's community photojournalism at its best.
Newspaper: Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
Contestant: Peter Black
Headline: Le Vaisseau fantôme conquers the Grand Théâtre
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Dramatic. Impactful. Successful exposure with a difficult lighting situation.
B22 Best Sports Photo
Judge: Stanton Paddock: from the “Department of Journalism, Concordia University”
Newspaper: The Suburban West Island
Contestant: Rob Amyot
Headline: Experience and discipline key in Zulus win over Gryphons
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Rob Amyot’s image is tight and full of action and motion. It captures an excellent and exciting sports moment. Well done!
Newspaper: Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
Contestant: Cassandra Kerwin
Headline: Alex Harvey reigns on the Plains of Abraham
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Cassandra Kerwin tells the whole story of the race in a single image. It has excellent technical execution mixed with a clear sense of place and action. Superb!
Newspaper: The Suburban West Island
Contestant: Rob Taussig
Headline: Lions battling the Goliath that is the Levis Chevaliers in round three of the playoffs
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Rob Taussig freezes an action-filled moment for the viewers. A clean background jumps the action off the page. Wonderful!
B23 Best Photo Essay (AN)
Judge: John O’Connell from the “Herald Community Newspaper, NY”
Newspaper: Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph
Contestant: Cassandra Kerwin, Cheryl Stabinski
Headline: Spring comes marching in with the Défilé de la Saint-Patrick
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: When a feature series perfectly captures the emotions of a major community event it’s a winner. What could easily have been a bunch of sideline parade snapshots to complete the assignment, these images were, instead, a whole level higher, bringing almost as much joy to the readers as the participants seem to be having.
Newspaper: The Suburban City
Contestant: Beryl Wajsman, Karen Cross, Anthony Bonaparte
Headline: A celebration of Nos Amours 50th anniversary
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Comprehensive coverage enabled the readers to experience the whole anniversary parade. Closeups, mid-range, wide shots brought the parade and event to all readers.
Newspaper: The Eastern Door
Contestant: Natalia Fedosievia
Headline: Kanesatake flooding
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: The challenge for this photographer wasn't exposure, but composition and access. Bravo for the effort in this difficult environment. The "environmental portraiture" is well done. A few facial closeups would have earned this an even higher rating.
BEST EDITORIAL CARTOON
Best Editorial Cartoon B24 (AN)
Judge: Ana Olsthoorn from the “Buffalo Center Tribune”
Newspaper: The Suburban City
Contestant: Anthony Bonaparte
Headline: The Secularism Law
Placement: 1st
Judge’s comment: Makes a good point in a thought-provoking way, and I didn't even have to read the comment to know what this is about. That is a successful cartoon. One from which I can glean the commentary, without additional sources. Well done.
Newspaper: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Contestant: John Miedna
Headline: In the absence of rental accommodation
Placement: 2nd
Judge’s comment: Ok, now this is funny! I’ve driven over those potholes in my hometown! Great way to make a comment! I think we forget that a cartoon doesn’t have to be beautiful, it just has to have a point and be funny (either kind, weird or haha)
Newspaper: The Suburban West Island
Contestant: Anthony Bonaparte
Headline: Campaigning Federal Leaders
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: Very cute, good old see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil standby.
BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN
B25 Best Advertising Creation (Large Format)
Judge: Dennis Wade from the “Texas Opportunity Partners”
Newspaper: The Suburban West Island
Contestant: Stephen Balena
Headline: A.C.E. Dog Training Montreal
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Jumps and attracts. Says it all without having to say much.
Newspaper: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Contestant: Aleks Gniazdowska
Headline: National Kids camp
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: Terrific art and simplistic design that makes the readers' job so much easier.
Newspaper: The Suburban Laval
Contestant: Oliver Sutton
Headline: Manoir Kanisha
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: I love this ad and the captivating art. Very clean and attractive.
B26 Best Advertising Creation (Small Format)
Judge: Emily Griffioen from the “Division of Mid-America Publishing”
Newspaper: The Low Down to Hull & Back News
Contestant: Aleks Gniazdowska
Headline: Physio des Collines
Placement: 1st place
Judge’s comment: Bold colours and treatment of type earned this ad first place. It is eye-catching while very clear about what it wants readers to know.
Newspaper: The Suburban West Island
Contestant: Oliver Sutton
Headline: M. Smiline
Placement: 2nd place
Judge’s comment: The alignment of elements and treatment of text on this ad is great. The simplicity of the illustrations and graphics used make this ad stand out.
Newspaper: The Suburban West Island
Contestant: Stephen Balena
Headline: ABC Compression
Placement: 3rd place
Judge’s comment: The large photo and text work very well together. The hierarchy of information is handled well in this ad. If I were to adjust anything, I would expand the negative space between the text and legs.
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