Grant Haven Media prominent at OCNA Awards

Grant Haven Media publications were the winners of several awards at the recent Ontario Community Newspaper Association convention. On hand for the awards ceremony were, left to right: Publisher Stewart Grant, Regional Editor Galen Simmons. Director of Business Development Heather Dunbar, Reporter Jeff Tribe, Tillsonburg Post Editor Jeff Helsdon, Simcoe Advocate Editor Chris Abbott, and Reporter Amanda Nelson.

By Grant Haven Media Staff

Grant Haven Media publications were big winners in the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (“OCNA”) awards.

Held in Collingwood on April 24, the awards are an annual competition that pits community newspapers against each other in a wide variety of categories. The event also includes the annual induction ceremonies for the OCNA Hall of Fame.

Tillsonburg Post editor Jeff Helsdon was the winner of the prestigious Reporter of the Year Stephen Shaw Award. Helsdon also placed third for Best Business Feature for the story on Shaw’s Ice Cream. Post contributor Jeff Tribe won that category with a story in the Simcoe Advocate profiling Norfolk’s wineries and micro-breweries. In addition, Tribe placed second in the Best Guest/Freelance Column category.

Tillsonburg Post designer Stacie Eden received an honourable mention for Best Use of Colour. Long-time Tillsonburg resident, newspaper editor and former OCNA president, the late Bill Pratt was inducted into the OCNA Hall of Fame during the evening.

Simcoe Advocate Editor Chris Abbott captured first in the Best Sports Pages division.

Michelle Malvaso of The Paris Independent took the other big award of the evening, Photographer of the Year. The Independent took a pair of thirds, with Edward Lander in the Arts and Entertainment category and Chris Whelan for Best Editorial Column.

Woodstock Ingersoll Echo’s farm edition for 2025 was the second-place winner for Best Special Section.

Connor Luczka, editor of the Stratford Times, was second for Best Editorial, circulation 8,000 and under. The Times’ Amanda Nelson was second in the Most Creative Grip and Grin Photo category and received an honourable mention in Best Guest/Freelance Column category for a piece written by Canadian musician Loreena McKennitt.

Designer Erin Parsons took first in Local Retail Outlet for an ad in the Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette. Gazette Editor Galen Simmons was third in the Health and Wellness story category.

Also on the advertising front, Grant Haven publications were awarded honourable mentions for Best Creative Ad. Recognized were: Parsons for a St. Marys Independent ad, Michelle Foster for the Simcoe Advocate, and Sarah Cairns for the Stratford Times.

“Given that we were a small one-newspaper operation just a few years ago, it was pretty surreal to attend the gala with so many talented team members, and I was thrilled to see them recognized by their peers,” said Grant Haven publisher Stewart Grant, who was installed this weekend as the new President of the OCNA.