2017 BNC Award Winners Announced
The OCNA is proud to recognize the outstanding work produced each week by our member newspapers and showcase it to readers and advertisers. Thank you to everyone who submitted entries for the 2017 BNC Awards and congratulations to the winners in each category.
Visit www.ocna.org/BNCBooklet2017 to see the BNC Results book.
General Excellence Awards
GE01 - Class 1: Circ. 1 999 & under
3rd place: Kincardine Independent
Honourable Mentions: New Hamburg Independent, The Herald Serving Thamesville, Dresden and Bothwell
GE02 - Class 2: Circ. 2,000 - 3,499
1st place: Haliburton County Echo
2nd place: Parry Sound North Star
GE03 - Class 3: Circ. 3,500 - 6,499
3rd place: Niagara This Week, Town Crier
GE04 - Class 4: Circ. 6,500 - 12,499
Sponsored by: Metro Creative Graphics
1st place: Haliburton, The Highlander
2nd place: Niagara this Week, The Leader
3rd place: Bracebridge Examiner
GE05 - Class 5: Circ. 12,500 - 22,499
Honourable Mention: Elmira-Woolwich Observer
GE06 - Class 6: Circ. 22,500 - 44,999
Sponsored by: Northern News Services
2nd place: Sudbury Northern Life
GE07 - Class 7: Circ. 45,000 & over
1st place: Hamilton Mountain News
Honourable Mention: Scarborough Mirror
GE08 - Class 8: College & University
1st place: Humber College - EtCetera
2nd place: Loyalist College - The Pioneer
3rd place: Algonquin College - Algonquin Times
College/University Awards
CU01 - Student Feature Writing
Sponsored by: Ontario General Contractors Association
1st place: Durham College - Toby Van Weston
2nd place: Fanshawe College - Angela McInnes
3rd place: Algonquin College - Rebecca Atkinson
Honourable Mentions: University of Waterloo - Ramona Leitao, Durham College - Travis Fortnum
CU02 - Student News Writing
Sponsored by: Ontario Journalism Educators Association
1st place: Algonquin College - Nicole McCormick
3rd place: Fanshawe College - Jessica Thompson
Honourable Mentions: Algonquin College - Devyn Barrie, Durham College - Travis Fortnum
CU03 - Student Photography
1st place: Loyalist College - Vanessa Tignanelli
2nd place: Loyalist College - Noah Park
3rd place: Algonquin College - Nicole McCormick
Honourable Mention: Loyalist College - Yader Guzman
CU04 - Best College/University Newspaper Website
1st place: Durham College - chronicle.durhamcollege.ca
2nd place: University of Waterloo - uwimprint.ca
3rd place: Algonquin College - algonquintimes.com
Premier Awards
PC01 - Arts & Entertainment
1st place: Niagara This Week, Town Crier
Honourable Mentions: Oshawa This Week, Listowel Banner, Port Perry Star
PC02 - Best Business and Finance Story
1st place: Haliburton County Life
3rd place: Burks Falls Almaguin News
PC03 - Best Editorial, circ. over 10 000
1st place: Sudbury Northern Life
Honourable Mentions: Sarnia Journal, Waterdown Flamborough Review
PC04 - Best Editorial, circ. under 9 999
1st place: Burks Falls Almaguin News
3rd place: East Gwillimbury Express
PC05 - Education Writing
Sponsored by: Ontario Journalism Educators Association
1st place: The Canadian Jewish News
3rd place: Elmira-Woolwich Observer
PC06 - Environment Ontario
3rd place: Northumberland News
PC07 - Feature Writing, circ. over 10 000
Sponsored by: O'Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo
PC08 - Feature Writing, circ. under 9 999
Sponsored by: O'Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo
Honourable Mention: New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker
PC09 - Health & Wellness
1st place: Barrhaven Independent
2nd place: The Canadian Jewish News
3rd place: Collingwood Connection
PC10 - Heritage
Sponsored by: Fort Frances Times
3rd place: Collingwood Connection
PC11 - Best Investigative News Story
1st place: Guelph Mercury Tribune
3rd place: Haliburton, The Highlander
Honourable Mention: Whitby This Week
PC12 - Best News Story, circ. over 10 000
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks Inc.
3rd place: Guelph Mercury Tribune
PC13 - Best News Story, circ. under 9 999
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks Inc.
3rd place: Brockville Recorder and Times
Honourable Mentions: Aylmer Express, Eganville Leader
PC14 - Best Rural Story
Sponsored by: Ontario Federation of Agriculture
2nd place: Waterdown Flamborough Review
PC15 - Best Feature/News Series, circ. over 10 000
Honourable Mention: Ottawa East News
PC16 - Best Feature/News Series, circ. under 9 999
Sponsored by: Hydro One Networks Inc.
2nd place: Parry Sound North Star
3rd place: Haliburton, The Highlander
PC17 - Sport & Recreation Story
1st place: New Hamburg Independent
PC18 - Best Headline Writing
1st place: New Hamburg Independent
PC19 - Humour Columnist of the Year
1st place: Haliburton County Echo - Steve Galea
2nd place: The Canadian Jewish News - David Levine
3rd place: Niagara This Week, Fort Erie Post - James Culic
PC20 - Columnist of the Year
1st place: Dundas Star News - Gordon Cameron
2nd place: The Independent serving Petrolia and Central Lambton - Heather Wright
3rd place: Minden Times - Jim Poling
PC21 - Reporter of the Year - Stephen Shaw Award
Sponsored by: Ontario Power Generation
1st place: Manotick Messenger - Jeff Morris
2nd place: Peterborough This Week - Todd Vandonk
3rd place: Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal - Kim Zarzour
Honourable Mentions: Burlington Post - Tim Whitnell, Norfolk News - Jeff Tribe, Scarborough Mirror - Mike Adler, Mississauga News - Roger Belgrave
PC22 - Best Feature Photo
1st place: The Independent serving Petrolia and Central Lambton
Honourable Mentions: Whitby This Week, The Herald Serving Thamesville, Dresden and Bothwell
PC23 - Best Photo Layout
2nd place: Toronto Bloor West-Parkdale Villager
PC24 - Best Sports Photo
1st place: New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker
3rd place: Ajax Pickering News Advertiser
Honourable Mentions: Cambridge Times, Ottawa East News, Grimsby Lincoln News
PC25 - Best Spot News Photo
PC26 - Best News Photo
Honourable Mentions: Ottawa South News, Aylmer Express
PC27 - Most Creative Grip and Grin Photo
1st place: Carleton Place/Almonte Canadian Gazette
3rd place: Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner
PC28 - Photographer of the Year
1st place: Peterborough This Week - Lance Anderson
2nd place: Milton Canadian Champion - Graham Paine
3rd place: Ajax Pickering News Advertiser - Sabrina Byrnes
Honourable Mention: The Independent serving Petrolia and Central Lambton - Heather Wright
PC29 - Cartoonist of the Year
1st place: Cambridge Times - C.A. Grey
2nd place: Ottawa Hill Times - Michael de Adder
3rd place: Brant News - Dave McCreary
Honourable Mention: Stoney Creek News - Mike Vukovich
PC30 - Community Service
1st place: Barrie Advance - Project Lifesaver
2nd place: Haliburton, The Highlander - Saving local YWCA shelter
3rd place: Aylmer Express - Aylmer Library Public Forum
PC31 - Best Vertical Product
1st place: Cornwall Seaway News - Cornwall Living 2017
2nd place: Ottawa Hill Times - Power & Influence Summer 2017
3rd place: Innisfil Journal - Our Innisfil
Honourable Mention: The Canadian Jewish News - Canada 150
PC32 - Best Front Page, circ. over 10 000
Sponsored by: Laurentian Publishing
1st place: Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner
2nd place: Sudbury Northern Life
Honourable Mention: Ajax Pickering News Advertiser, Markham Economist & Sun
PC33 - Best Front Page, circ. under 9 999
Sponsored by: Laurentian Publishing
1st place: Burks Falls Almaguin News
Honourable Mention: Manitoulin Expositor
PC34 - Best Sports Section
Sponsored by: Metroland Media, Southwestern Ontario Division
2nd place: Elmira-Woolwich Observer
3rd place: Haliburton County Echo
Honourable Mention: New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker
PC35 - Special Section, circ. over 10 000
1st place: Peterborough This Week - Creative Kids
2nd place: Sarnia Journal - Sarnia 1867: A Special Canada Day Feature
3rd place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser - Canada 150
Honourable Mention: Guelph Mercury Tribune - Canada 150 supplement
PC36 - Special Section, circ. under 9 999
1st place: Mitchell Advocate - Mitchell Hawks 50th anniversary
2nd place: Eganville Leader - Happy St. Patrick's Day
3rd place: Parry Sound Beacon Star - Parry Sound & Area Progress
PC37 - Best Creative Ad
1st place: Drayton Community News
2nd place: Cornwall Seaway News
3rd place: Markham Economist & Sun
Honourable Mention: Renfrew Mercury
PC38 - In House Promotion
3rd place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser
Honourable Mention: Cornwall Seaway News
PC39 - Local Retail Layout
Sponsored by: Metro Creative Graphics
1st place: Manitoulin Expositor
2nd place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser
PC40 - Original Ad Idea
1st place: Milton Canadian Champion
2nd place: Drayton Community News
3rd place: Waterdown Flamborough Review
Honourable Mentions: Hagersville/Cayuga Haldimand Press, Burlington Post
PC41 - Use of Process Colour
2nd place: Haldimand County, The Sachem
PC42 - Best Community Website/WebPortal, circ. over 10 000
1st place: Fergus Wellington Advertiser - wellingtonadvertiser.com
2nd place: The Canadian Jewish News - cjnews.com
3rd place: Elmira-Woolwich Observer - ObserverXtra.com
Honourable Mention: Burlington Post - burlingtonpost.com
PC43 - Best Community Website/WebPortal, circ. under 9 999
1st place: Blyth/Brussels Citizen - northhuron.on.ca
2nd place: Parry Sound North Star - parrysound.com
3rd place: Huntsville Forester - muskokaregion.com
Honourable Mention: Fort Frances Times - fftimes.com
PC44 - ONLINE Special Project/Event/Breaking News Coverage
1st place: Belleville News
PC45 - Multimedia Online/Best Online Experience for a Story
1st place: Hamilton Mountain News
2nd place: Peterborough This Week
3rd place: Sudbury Northern Life
Congratulations to all!