Journal Staff
The Sarnia Journal has been nominated for four provincial newspaper awards.
Your local independent newspaper was selected as a 2017 finalist for best newspaper in its class by the Ontario Community Newspaper Association.
The General Excellence Award, OCNA’s highest honour, recognizes overall outstanding achievement in a community newspaper, including editorial content, advertising and layout.
The Journal is one of three finalists in the 22,500-to-45,000 circulation class, the second largest. The Waterloo Chronicle and Sudbury Northern Life are the other nominees.
“We are blessed to have an incredibly talented group of people here,” said editor George Mathewson. “To be recognized as one of the best community newspapers in Ontario is a testament to their skill and hard work.”
The Journal’s second OCNA nomination is for Best Special Section by a newspaper with a circulation of more than 10,000. Sarnia 1867: A Special Canada Day Feature, was a 36-page look at what Sarnia was like at the time of Canadian Confederation.
Journal photographer Glenn Ogilvie is nominated for Best Spot News Photo. His image captured Councillor Cindy Scholten silently holding an anti-bullying sign during a tense confrontation at a City Hall rally in support of Mayor Mike Bradley.
And finally, photographer Bruce Smith earned a nod for Best Sports Photo for his dramatic shot of Northern Collegiate hurdler Avery Smiley striding for gold at the Ontario Track and Field Championships.
The Journal also earned an honourable mention for Best Editorial in 2017.
The winners will be announced at an awards gala April 20 at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel in Richmond Hill, Ont.