Staff at the Cowichan Valley Citizen and Lake Cowichan Gazette are beaming with pride this week after learning their publications rank among the best of the best in Canada.
The 2018 Canadian Community Newspaper Awards were announced by News Media Canada on July 16 and the Citizen received three awards.
Cartoonist Elly Mossman took second place in the Editorial Cartoon category for papers with a circulation of 10,000 and over for her “Hole in the Road” cartoon.
“Elly Mossman has been producing cartoons for me for more than a decade and as a fan of political cartooning, I knew she was among the best,” said publisher Warren Goulding. “Her artwork is special and her ability to consistently address local issues is invaluable. National recognition for Elly is long overdue.”
Reporter Sarah Simpson was recognized twice for her efforts, first earning a the top award for Excellence in Rural Reporting for “Who Does That? Cowichan’s Brock McLeod” — her moving piece on the life and impact of the young farmer who died too young.
“Sarah Simpson brings a lot of talent to the job. As well as being an outstanding columnist, Sarah really is one of the best storytellers in the business,” Goulding noted. “Her story about Brock McLeod was outstanding and so deserving of a first place finish in the Excellence in Rural Reporting category. It’s a competitive contest with journalists from coast to coast submitting some great stories and it’s thrilling that Sarah came out on top.”
Simpson also earned a second place ranking in the Outstanding Columnist category for her popular “Bright Side” column.
“I’m a big believer in the power of columnists. They really are what makes newspapers special and when you’ve got good ones, like Sarah, it just makes the Citizen that much better,” Goulding said.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Sarah and Elly for their recognition by the Canadian Community Newspaper Association,” Goulding said. “In the Cowichan Valley we know how talented they both are; now the whole country knows.”
The Gazette rounded out the awards taking third place for Best Editorial Page in its circulation category.