Helsdon family celebrates father/daughter POMAC outdoor writing awards ‘double’

Jeff and Abby Helsdon recently both won separate awards from the Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada. (Aliyah Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

It’s always an honour for Tillsonburg Post editor and long-time outdoor writer Jeff Helsdon to find his name among the Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada (POMAC) award winners.

But this year’s list provided elevated enjoyment. Not only did he receive third-place recognition in the Other Feature category for a piece on the Lamprey Control Program in the Great Lakes that ran in the Post, Helsdon was thrilled to see daughter Abigail’s name among the Delta-Waterfowl Future of Hunting in Canada Award winners, also third for her ‘Being on a Hunting TV Show is a Dream Come True.’

“It was quite surprising in a great way,” he said.

Helsdon has not only shared his love of the outdoors through writing and photography, he included, encouraged and supported wife Karen and their three children in that passion.

“Abigail’s the one it really stuck with,” Jeff reported.

She jokes she’s been fishing ‘since she was six months old,’ trailing her father around in the woods as soon as it was legal. She earned her apprentice licence at the age of 12, and has been hunting since, both with him and on her own.

“We do lots of things together, but that’s one of my favourites,” says Abigail, who enjoys both the pursuit and ultimately, supplementing her diet with truly free-range options. “It’s always nice to have meat in the freezer.”

A Glendale graduate who enjoyed soccer and basketball, she is currently studying respiratory therapy at North Bay’s Canadore College. Abigail began writing with her father’s support and guidance, helping her in the transition from academics to articles. He also encouraged her to join POMAC, accessing its writing mentorship program. A member since 2024, Abigail considers herself fortunate to have been paired up with Ken Bailey, a notable outdoor writer and author in his own right.

“It’s been quite helpful,” says Abigail, who sends drafts along to Bailey for valuable feedback. “He lets me know if I’m headed in the right direction.”

The mentoring program puts bright, young writers in touch with experienced members says POMAC President Timothy Fowler, an opportunity that can also provide networking and access to editors.

“It’s great to write a story, but you have to sell it somewhere,” said Fowler. “For a young writer trying to get started, POMAC is a tremendous opportunity.”

Abigail has written ‘a half-dozen’ stories, and while keeping her expectations modest, submitted to the annual awards competition. ‘Being on a Hunting Show’ detailed a shared youth grouse hunt near Kapuskasing that aired on Angler and Hunter TV, striking a chord with the judges.

“A little bit unexpected, I guess,” she admitted of an award made extra special in conjunction with her father’s.

Fowler also commented on the father-daughter award combination.

“Isn’t that neat?” he exclaimed. “I’m not saying it hasn’t happened before, but I’m not aware of it.

“It’s a great article but that interest is multiplied because they’ve both won awards.”

Outdoorspeople are familiar with the term ‘bragging rights’. For example, should Karen Helsdon have harvested a larger black bear than her husband, it might be a thing he is occasionally reminded of.

“She did,” Abigail laughed. “And when it comes up in conversation, it’s not bad to humble him a little bit.”

Technically, their awards are equal in position, but Abigail could be excused for giving her father a little good-natured ‘chirping.’

“I may have,” she laughed. “But didn’t have too much to stand on because he also got third place and has got a lot more awards than I do. I’ve been in his office and he has a stack - and that’s just plaques, not certificates.”

Awards aside, Jeff’s bigger reward may be the time shared and memories made with a daughter who has chosen to follow in his footsteps, on the water, in the woods and in front of a computer. Having watched her grow up while fishing together and shared in her first Eastern Wild Turkey harvest with a ‘double’ in Elgin County when she was 15, Helsdon was more than pleased to mutually celebrate this year’s father/daughter awards pairing, admittedly enjoying one more than the other.

“Hers, for sure,” said Jeff, encouraging his daughter to ‘stick with it.’

She plans on just that, around ongoing studies.

“The plan is to continue,” Abigail said. “Keep going, keep writing, keep hunting and try and pass that on to future generations.”

And if the time comes when, for example, Jeff receives a third-place award and she a first, Abigail is both ready to remind her dad of the fact, while confident he’ll celebrate it too.

“He’s supportive of everything I do,” she concluded. “And when I do well, he’s right there.”