Andrew Bailey of the Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News received the British Columbia and Yukon Community Newspaper Association’s Environmental Initiative Award for his work covering Clayoquot Cleanup, a massive grassroots campaign to remove debris from the region’s remote shorelines, at a ceremony held this past weekend in Vancouver.
“I’m incredibly honoured to receive this award but, really, it’s the committed volunteers I have the privilege of writing about who deserve all the accolades,” Bailey said. “I have an incredible advantage over other newswriters when it comes to the Environmental Initiative Award because of the unwavering spirit of this region’s dedicated volunteers and it’s thanks to their their unparalleled commitment that our local beaches remain the most beautifully interactive and vibrant playgrounds on earth.”
Westerly News publisher Peter McCully said “The award is reflective of those volunteer efforts and shows Black Press’s commitment to the communities on the West Coast.
The Vancouver Courier’s Jessica Kerr and Haida Gwaii Observer’s Andrew Hudson placed second and third in the category.
The BCYCNA awards, also known as the Ma Murrays, were announced at an April 28 gala event held at Richmond’s River Rock Casino