2011 BNC Award Winners
To view our BNC Awards book online, click here.
If you would like to print the results booklet, please visit the members area of our website (note: you must be logged in) A PDF version can be found under Better Newspaper Awards - 2011 BNCs - 2011 BNC Results Book.
Listed below are the winners in each category of the 2011 OCNA Better Newspaper Awards as announced at the BNC Awards Gala on Friday April 27 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Congratulations to the winners listed below and thanks to all OCNA members for participating!
General Excellence Awards
General Excellence Awards recognize overall achievement by circulation class in editorial, advertising and layout.
Class 1
1st: Gravenhurst Banner
2nd: Cobden Sun
3rd: Minden Times
Class 2
1st: Haliburton County Echo
2nd: Winchester Press
3rd: Bracebridge Examiner
Class 3
1st: Nunavut News/North
2nd: Huntsville Forester
3rd: Fort Frances Times
Class 4
Sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics
1st: Scugog Standard
2nd: Innisfil Journal
3rd: Arnprior Chronicle-Guide
Class 5
1st: Elmira-Woolwich Observer
2nd: Niagara This Week - Fort Erie Post
3rd: Waterdown Flamborough Review
Class 6
Sponsored by Northern News Services
1st: Clarington This Week
2nd: Milton Canadian Champion
3rd: Waterloo Chronicle
Class 7
1st: Newmarket Era-Banner
2nd: Brantford, Brant News
3rd: Peterborough This Week
Class 8
1st: Algonquin College - Algonquin Times
2nd: Durham College - The Chronicle
3rd: Niagara College - Niagara News
College & University
College & University Awards recognize the outstanding work of Journalism students in Photography, News Writing, and Feature Writing.
Student Feature Writing
Sponsored by Ontario General Contractors Association
1st: Niagara College - Anton Mwewa
2nd: Algonquin College - Michael Aubry
3rd: Algonquin College - Chantal Mack
Student News Writing
Sponsored by Ontario Journalism Educators Association
1st: Niagara College - Sarah Ferguson
2nd: Durham College - Tara Hatherly
3rd: Niagara College - Sabine Dunac
Student Photography
Sponsored by the Journalists of Oshawa This Week
1st: Loyalist College - Galit Rodan
2nd: Loyalist College - Leah Myers
3rd: Loyalist College - Hadas Parush
Best College/University Newspaper Website
Sponsored by Gaulin Media
1st: Loyalist College
2nd: Algonquin College
3rd: Centennial College
Premier Awards
Premier Awards honour individual works in both editorial and advertising categories such as Best Editorial, Best Feature Photo, Best Front Page, Best Local Retail Layout, Best Original Advertising Idea, etc.
Arts & Entertainment
1st: Vaughan Today
2nd: Toronto Beach/Riverdale Mirror
3rd: New Hamburg Independent
Best Business & Finance Story
1st: Parry Sound North Star
2nd: Niagara This Week, Grimsby
3rd: Toronto Leaside Rosedale Town Crier
Best Editorial (circ 10,000+)
1st: Oakville Today
2nd: Innisfil Journal
3rd: Newmarket Era-Banner
Best Editorial (circ -9,999)
1st: Blue Mountains Courier-Herald
2nd: Nunavut News/North
3rd: Parry Sound Beacon Star
Education Writing
Sponsored by Ontario Journalism Educators Association
1st: Haliburton County Echo
2nd: Guelph Tribune
3rd: Caledon Enterprise
Environment Ontario
1st: Scarborough Mirror
2nd: Burlington Post
3rd: Minden Times
Feature Writing (circ 10,000+)
Sponsored by O'Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo
1st: Almonte/Carleton Place Canadian-Gazette
2nd: Oshawa This Week
3rd: Newmarket Era-Banner
Feature Writing (circ -9,999)
Sponsored by O'Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo
1st: Haliburton County Echo
2nd: Vankleek Hill Review
3rd: Cobden Sun
Health & Wellness
Sponsored by SafetyCare Inc.
1st: Toronto Forest Hill Town Crier
2nd: Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal
3rd: Toronto Leaside Rosedale Town Crier
Heritage
Sponsored by Fort Frances Times
1st: Nunavut News/North
2nd: Manitoulin Expositor
3rd: New Hamburg Independent
Best Investigative News Story
1st: Caledon Enterprise
2nd: Peterborough This Week
3rd: Waterdown Flamborough Review
Best News Story (circ 10,000+)
Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc.
1st: Mississauga News
2nd: Peterborough This Week
3rd: Scarborough Mirror
Best News Story (circ -9,999)
Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc.
1st: Listowel Banner
2nd: Blue Mountains Courier-Herald
3rd: Gravenhurst Banner
Best Rural Story (circ 10,000+)
1st: Georgetown/Acton Independent & Free Press
2nd: Ottawa This Week - South
3rd: Burlington Post
Best Rural Story (circ -9,999)
1st: Haliburton County Echo
2nd: Nunavut News/North
3rd: New Hamburg Independent
Best Feature/News Series (circ 10,000+)
1st: Peterborough This Week
2nd: Newmarket Era-Banner
3rd: Oshawa This Week
Best Feature/News Series (circ -9,999)
1st: Arnprior Chronicle-Guide
2nd: Huntsville Forester
3rd: Wasaga Sun
Sports & Recreation Story
1st: Brighton/East Northumberland Independent
2nd: Burlington Post
3rd: Etobicoke Guardian
Humour Columnist of the Year
1st: Haliburton County Echo, Steve Galea
2nd: Uxbridge Standard, Blake Wolfe
3rd: Lindsay Post, Peggy Armstrong
Columnist of the Year
1st: Toronto Today, Brian Baker
2nd: Markham Economist & Sun, Bernie O'Neill
3rd: Oshawa This Week, Brian McNair
Reporter of the Year
Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation
1st: Burlington Post, Tina Depko
2nd: Waterdown Flamborough Review, Catherine O'Hara
3rd: Huntsville Forester, Alison Brownlee
Best Feature Photo (circ 10,000+)
1st: Whitby This Week
2nd: Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal
3rd: Northumberland News
Best Feature Photo (circ -9,999)
1st: Bracebridge Examiner
2nd: Huntsville Forester
3rd: St. Marys Journal Argus
Best Photo Layout
1st: Clarington This Week
2nd: Alexandria Glengarry News
3rd: Orangeville Banner
Best Sports Photo
1st: Oshawa This Week
2nd: Port Perry Star
3rd: Markham Economist & Sun
Best Spot News Photo
1st: Peterborough This Week
2nd: New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker Weekender
3rd: Georgina Advocate
Best News Photo
1st: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser
2nd: Oshawa This Week
3rd: Oakville Today
Photographer of the Year
1st: Mississauga News, Fred Loek
2nd: Kingston/Frontenac This Week, Rob Mooy
3rd: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Ryan Pfeiffer
Cartoonist of the Year
1st: Guelph Tribune, Brian Fray
2nd: Parry Sound North Star, Jonathan Mahood
3rd: Hamilton Mountain News, Mike Vukovitch
Community Service
Sponsored by Young Drivers of Canada
1st: Vankleek Hill Review
2nd: Stoney Creek News
3rd: Scugog Standard
Best Vertical Product
1st: Barry's Bay, The Valley Gazette
2nd: Parry Sound North Star
3rd: Huntsville Forester
Best Front Page (circ 10,000+)
Sponsored by Laurentian Publishing
1st: Newmarket Era-Banner
2nd: Oakville Today
3rd: Midland Free Press
Best Front Page (circ -9,999)
Sponsored by Laurentian Publishing
1st: Burks Falls Almaguin News
2nd: Bracebridge Examiner
3rd: Gravenhurst Banner
Best Sports Section
Sponsored by Metroland Media Group Ltd., Southwestern Ontario Division
1st: Oshawa This Week
2nd: Elmira-Woolwich Observer
3rd: Whitby This Week
Special Section (circ 10,000+)
1st: Listowel Banner
2nd: Midland Free Press
3rd: Huntsville Forester
Special Section (circ -9,999)
1st: Bracebridge Examiner
2nd: Parry Sound Beacon Star
3rd: Kincardine Independent
Best Creative Ad
Sponsored by Centroid Training & Marketing
1st: Thunder Bays Source
2nd: Listowel Banner
3rd: Midland/Penetanguishene Mirror
In House Promotion
1st: Oshawa This Week
2nd: Fergus-Elora News Express
3rd: Midland Free Press
Local Retail Layout
Sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics
1st: Vaughan Citizen
2nd: Walkerton Herald Times
3rd: Burlington Post
Original Advertising Idea (circ 10,000+)
Sponsored by JCY Associates
1st: Alliston Herald
2nd: Renfrew Mercury
3rd: Burlington Post
Original Advertising Idea (circ -9,999)
Sponsored by JCY Associates
1st: Listowel Banner
2nd: Fergus-Elora News Express
3rd: Nunavut News/North
Use of Process Colour
1st: Vaughan Citizen
2nd: Kawartha Lakes/North Durham CAPS Community News
3rd: Belleville EMC
Best Community Newspaper Web Site
Sponsored by Giant Tiger Stores Limited
1st: Sudbury Northern Life
2nd: Alliston Herald
3rd: Mississauga News
Surfer's Selection
1st: Toronto Today
2nd: Elmira-Woolwich Observer
3rd: Vaughan Today
