The winning photo, taken by former “Cochrane Eagle‘ reporter Daniel Gonzalez, entitled “Sharing grief” appeared on the front page of the Jan. 9, 2025 paper.

The Cochrane Eagle has placed third for best feature photo at the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association Better Newspaper Competition (BNC) 2025 Photographic Awards.

The winning photo was taken by former Cochrane Eagle reporter Daniel Gonzalez and appeared on the front page of the Jan. 9, 2025 edition of the paper.

Entitled “Sharing grief” the photo was taken at a sidewalk vigil honouring Elizabeth Barrett Elementary School teacher Ania Wardzala and her father Stanislaw Wardzala who were both murdered by Ania’s estranged husband Benedict Kaminski before he took his own life.

Wardzala’s death led to an outpouring of grief in Cochrane’s tight knit school community. Wardzala also had taught in Airdrie and Springbank leading to vigils and grief in all of these communities as well as Wardzala’s north Calgary neighbourhood where the homicides took place.

Reporter Daniel Gonzalez attended the vigil for Wardzala and her father in Calgary, and brought back powerful and indelible images of those who wished to share their grief with lit candles and tears in remembrance of Ania and Stanislaw.