The Vanguard picks up six Atlantic regional awards

The Yarmouth Vanguard has more journalism awards coming its way.

The newspaper has been named a finalist in six of its circulation categories in the Atlantic Community Newspapers Association (ACNA) annual competition.

The Vanguard is one of three finalists for best newspaper in the Atlantic region in the ACNA’s highest circulation category. The other two finalists are the Bridgewater Bulletin and the St. Anthony Northern Pen, a Newfoundland paper.

The newsroom’s five-week series, After the Crash – a public service/education initiative that explored the consequences and aftermath of vehicle crashes – is a finalist in the best feature series category.

As well, the newspaper’s special souvenir edition on Canadian Idol finalist Dwight d’Eon has been selected as a finalist in the best special section category.

Both of these works have already won first-place awards at the national community newspapers’ competition level.

Vanguard associate editor Tina Comeau is nominated in the best news story category for stories she wrote last winter following an incident involving a school bus transporting students home that flipped onto its side after sliding into a ditch and the reaction of parents to the school board’s handling of the situation.

The Vanguard’s Carla Allen is also a finalist in this category, but for a news story she wrote for the Shelburne Coast Guard about a fisherman who was rescued from frigid waters by the crew he was fishing with after falling overboard on dumping day. Allen doubles her reporting duties between the two newspapers.

Pat Dempsey of the Vanguard’s advertising department has been named a finalist in the best advertising program category for a series of ads that ran over several weeks in the newspaper promoting an innovative new product of a local fuel company.

The Vanguard’s newsroom has also been named a finalist in the best in-house promotion category for a series of house ads promoting the news staff’s coverage of the community.

The Atlantic Community Newspapers Association (ACNA) is a not-for-profit association with member newspapers located in the four Atlantic provinces. This year’s ACNA competition saw over 1,200 entries in the various categories.

The final award standings will be announced at a convention in Halifax at the end of May.

These latest awards bring to 11 the number of national and regional awards the Vanguard has won this year. Other competitions have yet to announce their finalists.