Village Media has been honoured with a number of Canadian Online Publishing Awards highlighting local journalism that digs deep into the issues which affect our communities and beyond.
SooToday’s own James Hopkin was recognized for his part in Village's ongoing The Big Read series, which won silver in the columns category at COPA.
Hopkin's compelling story about a little girl from Garden River First Nation who vanished without a trace after being taken to a Thunder Bay residential school takes readers on a heart-wrenching odyssey.
The story shows how a relative pieced together the girl’s story a century after she vanished into the residential school abyss.
Finding Emma, a residential school victim who never came home is a Big Read and a Must Read for anyone interested in learning more about residential schools and the pain they caused.
Other Village ‘Big Reads’ projects were recognized, including:
Marg. Bruineman (BarrieToday): How short-term vacation rentals are ruining the neighbourhood.
Erika Engel (CollingwoodToday): Saving the Great Lakes, one laundry load at a time.
A big congratulations goes out to Heidi Ulrichsen (Sudbury.com) who took home Silver for Best Continuing Coverage of a Story.
Heidi led the way in reporting on Laurentian University’s 22-month journey through creditor protection, breaking many important stories along the way.
Kudos to all and stay tuned because there’s more on the way.