The North Renfrew Times has won two awards in the annual “Better Newspapers” competition sponsored by the Ontario Community Newspapers Association.
Both winning entries this year were written by the newest member of the NRT staff, Local Journalism Initiative reporter Hazel Atkins.
Atkins won first place in the “Best Feature/News Series” for newspapers with a circulation under 8,000 for her “Coming Home” series featuring local residents who grew up in the Deep River area, moved away for school or other reasons, and then returned to build a new life here.
Judge Manfred Tempelmayr said he enjoyed the series: “It was a good idea, very refreshing, well-written and, I suspect, drew wide community readership.”
Atkins also won second place in “Feature Writing” for her article on Olivier Thiriet and his decision to close his store, the Olive Tree.
Including this year’s awards, the NRT has won 26 awards in provincial and national competitions since 2018.
Previous awards have included awards for advertising, writing, photography, layout and design, and “general excellence.”
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