The North Shore News claimed eight awards, including three golds, at the 2016 Ma Murray British Columbia Yukon Community Newspaper Awards gala held Saturday at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond.
The team of Jane Seyd, Justin Beddall and Maria Spitale-Leisk took home gold in one of the marquee categories, winning the Feature Series Award for their collaborative effort on a series of news stories detailing the Syrian refugee crisis, relief efforts by North Shore residents both locally and abroad, and the settlement of Syrian refugee families on the North Shore.
Columnist Brendan McAleer won gold in the Arts & Culture Writing category for this delightful feature on a North Vancouver auto garage that works on some of the rarest, most expensive cars in the world.
Reporter Erin McPhee also claimed gold, winning the Environmental Initiative Award for this charming feature about a guerrilla garden tended by workers at North Shore Recycling Program Drop-Off Depot.
“All of us here at the North Shore News are extremely happy and proud of the recognition and awards that we have received,” said publisher Peter Kvarnstrom. “The real rewards are of course the feedback we get from our readers and community every week. We truly believe that publishing ‘better papers’ every day is the only way to continue to engage our audience in a meaningful way. We take our role in building community very seriously and are delighted when the work we do is recognized on the provincial stage. Our heartfelt thanks go to our dedicated staff and of course the great communities we have the privilege to serve.”
Silver medals went to Seyd in Outdoor Recreation Writing for this feature celebrating 50 years of North Shore Rescue as well as photographer Cindy Goodman for Friendly Competition, a front-page photo of the Cameroonian national team taking on an all-star squad from the North Shore Girls Soccer Club in a tune-up match before the FIFA Women’s World Cup. You can see Goodman’s gallery here.
Bronze medals went to Christine Lyon in Outdoor Recreation Writing for this profile of local character “Uncle Al,” who guides tours of Mount Seymour’s historic log cabins; Jeremy Shepherd in the Editorial category for this commentary on neighbourhood reaction to a proposed drug and alcohol recovery house; and Rosalind Duane in the Special Section Over 25,000 category for last summer’s Neighbourhoods series.
