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'A shining example' of community journalism: Courier wins 8 B.C. awards

At Saturday night's Ma Murray awards, the Courier wins one gold, four silver and three bronze

The Vancouver Courier is a “shining example of what a community paper can do to stay relevant and engaging” in a city with so many other media choices, a judge with the British Columbia Yukon Community Newspaper Association said when choosing the Courier as one of the top three newspapers in the province.

“The Courier looks for different perspectives and provides another angle for its readers,” the judge said as part of the annual Ma Murray awards. “Photographers Dan Toulgoet and Rebecca Blissett are two shining examples that photojournalism still matters.”

The paper earned a bronze award for overall excellence in its circulation category while its sister paper, the North Shore News took the gold at the April 29 awards ceremony at River Rock Casino.

Syrian refugees
This photo of young Syrian refugees earned Dan Toulgoet a provincial silver award for feature photography. - Dan Toulgoet

Toulgoet went home with three photography awards:

• a silver for best feature photo, in colour, for newspapers with a circulation of more than 25,000. His photo of two young Syrian refugees looking out a hotel window “was a close contender for first place,” the judge wrote. “An impromptu moment showed something noteworthy on both sides of the lens — on the subject’s side, a beguiling candid feel and an unposed look, showing a subject in their environment with grace and dignity; on the photographer’s side, a sensitive and empathetic eye and the skill to recognize a moment and have the quick reflexes to capture a fleeting moment before it disappeared.”

Joe Fossella
Dan Toulgoet's photo of Joe Fossella earned him a provincial silver award for portrait photography. - Dan Toulgoet

• a silver for best portrait/personality photo. His photograph of First Nations elder Joe Fosella was a “powerful portrait with visual contradictions. [Fosella’s] eyes convey his personal journey and history and an aspect of his personality. Excellent photographic technique!” The photo was for Mike Howell's Truth and Transformation series.

Finish line
"Finish line" earned photographer Dan Toulgoet a provincial bronze award for sports photography. - Dan Toulgoet

• a bronze for best sports photo for newspapers with a circulation of more than 25,000. “The grit and struggle of the athletes [in a high school track meet] is conveyed perfectly through the image. There is an intensity that is captured through sharp focus and good depth of field. It makes the viewer curious to see who won. Great shot.”

Reporter John Kurucz won gold in the outdoor recreation category for his feature on disc golf. “An interesting choice of mainstream recreation. A well-written piece and good exposure for the activity and the community to access opportunities.”

Columnist Allen Garr won silver for his column, “Fentanyl is a serial killer.” “Allen Garr demonstrates his research and depth of knowledge to call into question local government’s inaction on major issues. His writing is clear and provides information that is thoroughly explained and placed in broader context.”

Reporter Christopher Cheung’s feature, “Home Grown”, won bronze in the environmental writing category. “Sometimes it’s the connection between a reporter and their subject that makes a story sing. Christopher Cheung’s story on urban farmers on Vancouver’s Eastside is both elegant and masterfully written. Cheung takes readers on a journey through a series of cultural issues with a delicacy worth heaps of praise. As you are gliding along through the story you are both informed and enlightened about an aging Asian community and its sexy squash. We should look forward to more of this reporter’s work.”

Hong Kong Tourism
This ad earned graphic designer Marina Rockey and advertising representative Justin Chen a bronze award in the 2017 Ma Murray competition. - Marina Rockey

Graphic designer Marina Rockey and advertising representative Justin Chen won bronze in the ad design, collaborative, category for newspapers with a circulation more than 25,000. The images in the travel ad for China and Taiwan “grab the viewers’ attention. The message is clear, and the layout for all the content is successful.”

Last week it was announced that the Courier was on the winning end of two Canadian Community Newspaper Awards.

Geoff Olson
Geoff Olson's VANcouver cartoon earned him a first-place award in the Canadian Community Newspaper Association better newspapers competition. - Geoff Olson

Columnist and cartoonist Geoff Olson was awarded first place for Best Cartoon in the over 10,000 circulation category for his satirical take on affordable living in Vancouver. 

The Courier also placed third for Best Website in the over 12,500 circulation category.

The judges' comments are not yet available.

The Canadian Community Newspaper Awards celebrate the best in community publishing from across the country. Newspapers of similar circulation size compete against each other and are judged by a panel of industry experts. The awards gala is May 5 in Toronto.

The Courier’s management team salutes the newspaper’s hard-working and dedicated staff, in all departments, for their commitment to providing outstanding coverage for readers and advertisers week after week. The future of community journalism is strong.