Door’s streak ends, pick up first in four

The team from the Eastern Door walked away with a pile of awards at the annual QCNA Awards though the streak as the association’s top community newspaper came to an end. (Courtesy QCNA)

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The Eastern Door’s two-year streak as the top newspaper in the Quebec Community Newspaper Association came to an end Saturday night, but the local paper took home a number of bests at the annual awards gala in Lac Carling, Quebec.

The Low Down to Hull & Back Again took home Best Overall Newspaper this year breaking the streak, but The ED took home Best Front Page, Best Editorial Page, Best Sports Pages and Best Community Newspaper Promotion.

The ED also took home runner’s up prizes in Best Ad and Best Feature Page.

“It was great to finally get a nomination for best ad, so coming in second feels good,” said Dana Marquis, the layout artist who creates the ads for the paper.

The ED took home a number of awards in individual writing and photography categories as in years past.

In her final year with the paper, last year’s co-winner of the Paul Dumont-Frenette Award for Outstanding Journalist Jessica Deer took home second place in Best Environmental Story for a piece she wrote on the protests surrounding the new cultural centre construction.

“It’s great to be recognized for your work,” said Deer. “That was one of the last stories I wrote for The Eastern Door, so it was a little bittersweet, but it was nice to celebrate journalism with the rest of the team on their hard work last year.”

Deer’s co-winner last year for the Paul Dumont-Frenette prize Daniel J. Rowe won Best News Story for his story on the broad daylight shooting on the River Road, and also came runner up in the Best Feature Series category for the articles he filed from Nanaimo, BC at last year’s President’s Cup. 

Rowe also shared a second place photography award with Marquis for the duo’s photo essay chronicling the Remembrance Day event at Kateri School.  

“It’s very gratifying to share an award with Dana, who’s a genius and without whom the entire place would crumble I’m sure,” said Rowe. “We put a lot of work into photo essays that not many people realize, and try to tell stories using the wonderful subjects in the community. It’s always an honour to get to photograph subjects here, and practice a craft I love.”

Editor/publisher Steve Bonspiel’s work investigating the scandal at the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake’s housing department nabbed him a runner up in the Best Investigative Reporting category, and he took home the Bob Phillips Award for the Best Editorial (general) in addition to second place in the Best Editorial (local affairs) category.

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