Sport & Recreation Story

1

44 ENTRIES

wINGHAM AdVANCE TIMES

Great quote “the rocks talk to you.” A good read and colour for a sports story that’s not about the curler on the ice, but the ice itself, and the man massaging it so curlers can play. Congratulations to Dan McNee.

2

EGANVILLE LEAdER

A great read by Danny Gallagher, going back in time with the southpaw pitcher who is battling Alzheimer’s. Lots of reflections and colour in this sports feature. Well written and researched and I bet well received by Leader readers.

SARNIA jOURNAL

3

Brought tears to my eyes reading this story by Tara Jeffrey. Impactful look at how someone slowed by pandemic still made her bucket list check off with help... she ran her half marathon.

GENERAL COMMENT

It was easy to differentiate strong sports/rec stories from those which scored out of the top three. Tell a story. There were a number of COVID-19 pandemic-related submissions, but these were more business/news related, compared to those telling the story about a sport or rec activity or an athlete or coach. Let’s get back to telling stories when it comes to covering our sports and recreation in communities across Ontario. A team talking about moving a franchise makes for a great sports business story, but sport/rec stories should be about the athletes and recreation enthusiasts. They are the ones looking for stories in the sports/rec pages of your community newspaper.

Judge

Jules Xavier

Editor Shilo Stag CFB Shilo, MB

It has been 37 years since editor Lorne Drury (now retired) offered him his first reporter job at the Brampton Guardian, and he is still going like the Energizer Bunny. A ‘59 baby, Xavier is still having fun at 62, so there’s no thought of retirement just yet. Perhaps after the Stag celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. Currently in Manitoba looking after the award-winning army newspaper Shilo Stag, which published its first edition in July 1947, he’s kept busy in a two-person newsroom which focuses on army life, including infantry 2PPCLI and artillery 1RCHA soldiers. Xavier has been with the Stag for nine years, relocating from Vancouver Island following newspaper and radio jobs in Ontario, B.C., and Alberta. Being embedded among soldiers who are honing their fighting skills for deployment to Ukraine or Latvia is a lot more fun than covering school board or city council meetings.