Gazette publisher Tim Shoults said recognition from peers in the industry is always appreciated

The St. Albert Gazette has picked up a slew of national and provincial journalism awards this year, proving it is once again one of Canada’s best community news organizations.

The Gazette hit the podium nationally at the Canadian Community Newsmedia Awards (CCNA), with a second place finish in the country for  General Excellence among large-circulation newspapers (17,500 and over). The Gazette also scored second place for Best Editorial Page and Best Front Page in the same class, with only the Cowichan Valley Citizen of Duncan, B.C., ahead in each category.

Gazette publisher Tim Shoults said recognition from peers in the industry is always appreciated.

“The praise belongs to the dedicated reporters who did the hard work that earned them, and to the entire team that provides the support without which we couldn’t tell these critical stories,” Shoults said.

“But even more important to us is the support of our readers, our advertisers and the community of St. Albert as a whole. We may publish the Gazette and our owners may be local, but we are all still stewards of this institution for the community.”

In addition to the awards for overall excellence, Gazette reporters also scooped up top honours for their work across several categories. Reporter Brett McKay won first place for Outstanding Reporter Initiative for his story “Conspiracists and democratic deficits collide in Alberta municipal governments.” Photographer Bruce Edwards took first in Best Photo Essay for “First Responders Rodeo,” while McKay also earned third place nationally for Excellence in Rural Reporting for “Homeschool boom brings tough choices for parents and rural schools.”

Shoults also earned third place  in Best National Editorial for his commentary “Facebook is not for news,” and reporter Kevin Ma placed second in Best Business Writing for “Spinning straw into gold: Company finds new use for old material.”

The local paper also took centre stage at the province-wide Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association’s 2024 BNC Awards of Excellence, with a first place finish for Best Front Page and placed third overall in General Excellence among large-circulation newspapers.

Craig Gilbert placed first for Best Local News Story for “Teens recovering after Labour Day shooting,” while Kevin Ma earned honourable mentions for both Best Feature Story by a Local Writer with “Indigenous chefs share food from the land — and the heart,” and Habitat Conservation Story with “Wetland restoration fights effects of climate change.”

The CCNA awards bring in more than 1,000 entries from across Canada for work completed in 2024.