Richard McGuire’s photo of people preparing to evacuate homes along Highway 97 as the Testalinden fire rapidly approached last August was a third-place winner for spot news in the CCNA competition. (Richard McGuire photo)
It has been a very good few weeks for Lyonel Doherty, the current editor of the Oliver Chronicle and a former staff reporter/photographer with the Osoyoos Times.
The Osoyoos Times has also continued its recent tradition of winning major newspaper awards as current reporter-photographer Richard McGuire finished third in the Best Spot News Feature Photo (circulation up to 3,999) in the small circulation class as the Canadian Community Newspaper Association (CCNA) announced its national winners recently.
McGuire’s photo was taken during last summer’s huge wildfires that wreaked havoc near Oliver and Osoyoos. His photo showed a large executive home located between Osoyoos and Oliver being doused with water while huge flames could be seen raging in the background.
Ironically, it was a photo submitted by Doherty that captured first place in the CCNA competition in the same category for a photo he took depicting homeowner J.C. Oliveira hosing down his roof while the fire came down the mountain behind his home last August.
Doherty also captured first place in the Best Spot News Photo Coverage category for his impressive front-page photo of an Oliver teenager being rescued by volunteer firefighters after falling through the ice a few days before Christmas on Tuc El Nuit Lake.
The Oliver Chronicle also garnered Blue Ribbon or honourable mention in the General Excellence (circulation 1,250 to 1,999) category in the CCNA national competition.
This was the same award where the Osoyoos Times was named best small town newspaper, General Excellence, in Canada during last year’s national competition.
The awards will be formally handed out at the annual CCNA Awards luncheon in Edmonton on May 27.
Doherty will soon be leaving for Vancouver as the Oliver Chronicle has been nominated for a General Excellence award in its circulation category for the Ma Murray Awards, which recognized newspaper excellence in the province of British Columbia.
Doherty’s photo of the daring ice rescue has also been nominated for a Ma Murray Award for Best Spot News Photo.
McGuire and Osoyoos Times editor Keith Lacey will be joining Doherty in Vancouver on Saturday, May 7 at the Ma Murray Awards dinner after being nominated for Best Feature Story for a series of articles that appeared in the August 19 edition for extensive coverage of the wildfires that broke out in the Oliver and Osoyoos areas.
The Osoyoos Times was named the winner of Ma Murray Award for General Excellence in its circulation category back in 2014.
The blue ribbon award is for overall general excellence in reporting and newspaper layout.
Linda Bolton, managing director of the Oliver Chronicle, was thrilled with the news.
“To say I am proud is an understatement. We are very fortunate to have the calibre of employees we do. They have such a devotion for their job and to the newspaper industry.”
As with any award, it takes the whole team to make it happen, Bolton pointed out.
She also congratulated the staff at the Osoyoos Times for its CCNA award and being named a finalist in the upcoming Ma Murray Awards.
Doherty, who has been a journalist for almost 30 years, said he’s very proud, but humble about his recent success.
“It’s a great honour and I’m thrilled,” he said. “It’s pretty humbling to get this kind of recognition and success. I had entered the Ma Murray Awards for many years and had managed to win a couple of second and third-place finishes, but to win two national awards is pretty thrilling for sure.”
Born near Toronto, but raised in Northern Ontario, Doherty’s passion for the news industry came as a teenager as he was hired as a summer student at the Almaguin News in his hometown of Burk’s Falls, Ont.
When he was accepted into the print journalism program at Canadore College in North Bay, Ont., he was lucky to keep his summer job in Burk’s Falls, he said.
Doherty worked at several newspapers in Ontario before coming out west to visit his best friend, who was in the military in Victoria.
He has never left.
He was hired as a reporter at the Duncan News and then moved on to the Victoria News, before coming to the South Okanagan.
His parents retired to the Keremeos area and Doherty eventually moved to the same area with his wife Christina.
He was a reporter with the Osoyoos Times for five years and has spent the past six years as the editor of the Oliver Chronicle.
Doherty said he has a passion for photography and loves the fact he can pursue his passion every working day.
“One of my favourite courses back in college was photography and I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of being creative behind the lens,” he said. “To win two national awards for photos I took is something I can honestly say I never expected, but it’s a real honour and I’m just thrilled.”
Doherty agreed that winning this provincial and national recognition “is a real team effort” from everyone who works at the Oliver Chronicle “from the front office staff to the people who stuff the papers with flyers down in the basement.”
Considering his recent run of good fortune, Doherty said he’s confident more recognition might be coming his way when the Ma Murray Awards winners are announced May 7 in Vancouver.
Both the Osoyoos Times and Oliver Chronicle are owned by Aberdeen Publishing, which is owned and operated by Bob Doull. Aberdeen Publishing operates 23 publications in Alberta and B.C.
Several other papers owned by Aberdeen Publishing also fared well in the CCNA competition as The Fitzhugh from Jasper, Alta. finished second in the Best All-Round Newspaper category (circulation 3,000-3,999). The Fitzhugh also finished third in the Best Front Page category.
Kamloops This Week had two of its reporters win national awards, including one for first place and one for third place.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Osoyoos Times
