Time to add some more silverware to our shelves. The Reminder won a pair of awards at the recent Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association (SWNA) Better Newspapers Competition Awards, as well as earning six podium finishes.
The two wins for The Reminder came for reporter Eric Westhaver in the categories of Best Health/Health Care Story and Best Health/Health Care Series. The Best Health/Health Care Story piece, originally printed in The Reminder’s Oct. 28 issue, was about Flin Flonner Richard Rebelo’s fundraising campaign for cystic fibrosis, how he was able to raise funds without being able to hold events (including dying his hair bright pink and later being shaved bald for charity donations) and his fight for vital medication to be approved.
In the second category, The Reminder won for a pair of pieces published in the paper’s July 29 and August 5 issues about the life and death of former Flin Flon teacher and political figure Clarence Pettersen, medical assistance in dying (MAID) and the response from his family. Pettersen chose MAID after being diagnosed with terminal cancer and died on his own terms in 2018, surrounded by family.
The Reminder received two second-place finishes in the annual competition, receiving second place in the Salute to Veterans category for the paper’s Nov. 4 Remembrance Day special section. The section was compiled mainly by Morley Naylor and worked on by Sharon Kirkup, Shannon Thompson, Tracy Trydal, Eric Westhaver and other members of the Reminder team.
A second second-place finish went to Westhaver in the Best Post-Secondary Educational Coverage category for an April 8 story detailing three students from Pelican Narrows - Lavinia Beatty, Charmaine Ballantyne and Charlemayne McCallum - studying in the early childhood education program at Northlands College in Creighton.
With spots on both of the podium’s top spots locked down, The Reminder added another two third-place finishes courtesy of Westhaver finishing third in the Best Habitat Conservation Writing and Photographer of the Year category. The Best Habitat Conservation Writing award was given for a piece in the May 13 issue about the Mother’s Day for Mother Earth litter pickup campaign. The Photographer of the Year award included photos shot by Westhaver of a large fire near the Co-op cardlock facility at Timber Lane last May, from last summer’s Flin Flon Pride event, photos from last summer’s Canada Day parade, an image of slo-pitch player Alex Quaal hitting a softball and others.
Last year, The Reminder received eight top-three finishes and two category wins in the competition. The paper’s pair of wins included a win in Best Habitat Conservation Writing for former reporter Cassidy Dankochik, as well as a win in Best Saskatchewan Recreational Story for Westhaver. As a border community, The Reminder has historically taken part in provincial newspaper competitions in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan - the Manitoba competition, held by the Manitoba Community Newspaper Association (MCNA), has not yet been announced.
The Reminder would like to thank SWNA and the judges for this year's competition for their consideration and each one of our readers, subscribers, advertisers and other backers for their continued support.
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