Hall of Fame
Nominations forms must be received no later than Friday February 9th, 2024 to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame for 2024. Nominations may be submitted anytime throughout the year.
The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) is proud to recognize and celebrate individuals who have made exemplary contributions to Ontario’s community newspapers through our Hall of Fame. Inductees will be respected community news professionals who have remained passionate about the industry throughout challenges, opportunities and changes. They will be leaders who have helped community newspapers adapt and grow.
Nominees are encouraged from all aspects of the industry, including but not limited to: editorial, advertising, publishing, production, circulation, finance, sales or design. The Award may also be given posthumously.
Nominees shall:
- have a proven record of outstanding achievements in the Ontario community newspaper industry
- have demonstrated leadership or innovation within the Ontario community newspaper industry
- have contributed to the overall health and success of community newspapers
- be well respected in the business and community
- be role models and inspirations for future generations of community newspaper leaders
Click here to download the nomination form.
Hall of Fame Nomination Form.pdf
Hall of Fame Nomination Form.docx
For more information, please contact Karen Shardlow at k.shardlow@ocna.org.
Hall of Fame
The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) is proud to recognize and celebrate individuals who have made exemplary contributions to Ontario’s community newspapers through our Hall of Fame. Inductees will be respected community news professionals who have remained passionate about the industry throughout challenges, opportunities and changes. They will be leaders who have helped community newspapers adapt and grow.
The 2023 Hall of Fame Award Inductees:
After attending Carleton University in Ottawa, and an adventure of discovery through Europe in the early 1970s, Atkins worked briefly for the federal government in the newly amalgamated city of Thunder Bay...
Abbas Homayed came to Canada in 1986 with little money and little English. The community where he has made his home now is a true testament to his hard work, civic leadership and the will to make a difference...
Keith Roulston grew up during a time when neighbours came together to undertake tasks that were too big to accomplish alone. The lesson that community action can help the individual achieve his or her goals has been a guiding principle...
Murray Skinner's newspaper career spans over 40 years, 33 of them with Metroland, preceded by 8 years with Thomson Newspapers. He served as Metroland's vice president of marketing for 19 years, before being appointed president in 2000...
Jim Thomas' career in the newspaper business spanned eight decades. He still remembers his first story, which was published in the Markham Economist and Sun while attending high school. He hitchhiked to Windsor...
William (Bill) Charles Cavell began his over 72-year career in the newspaper business in a small way. Learning that his high school had no newspaper, Bill stepped in to fill the void with a mimeographed sheet that he sold to fellow students...
Wayne Green's newspaper career began at the age of 16 in 1951, right out of high school, as an "apprentice printer" at the Temiskaming Speaker Printing Company (TPC) in New Liskeard, printer of the Temiskaming Speaker weekly newspapers...
Ron Lenyk began his career in 1970, working for the Mississauga News as a sports reporter and was promoted to sports editor not a year later. By June 1971, he was promoted to editor and in 1977 was named publisher of the Brampton Guardian...
Jack Morris began his newspaper career at the Chesterville Record in the 1920s as a "printer's devil" and spent 65 years in the community newspaper business. It would have been more, but he served as an intelligence officer in WWII...
Joanne first walked into the Oshawa This Week newsroom 39 years ago as an intern. One month later, she was hired as a reporter, and five years into her career, she was appointed Community Editor. Ever since then her passion for the newspaper industry...
Art, born in Sudbury in 1912, was a newspaper publisher, editor and innovator. In 1920, while working at a newspaper in North Bay, the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression hit. After being laid off, he sold his Model T for the price of a new...
Jim Cumming was born with ink flowing through his veins. His father, grandfather and grandmother all worked in the newspaper industry, from Ontario through to Saskatchewan. Sure enough, Jim followed in the footsteps of his relatives.
Rick's long career and love for the newspaper industry began in 1967, after answering an ad he spotted in the Globe and Mail looking for a reporter at the Gore Bay Recorder on Manitoulin Island. When asked if he could type, Rick replied 'yes' and...
Jean (nee Bier) Morrison was an integral, active and admired leader in the community newspaper business for many years. Born in New Hamburg, she was a teacher by trade. After graduating from the University of Western, she taught mathematics at Napanee...
Born in 1885, Rixon lived to become recognized as a pioneer in weekly newspapers, despite losing his eyesight as a youth. With an intense love of journalism, and a degree from Queen's University, he purchased a weekly newspaper, the Arthur Enterprise...
Rick Shaver started his newspaper career in 1978 after graduating from St. Lawrence College in Cornwall. His first seven years were spent in sales with daily papers in Cornwall, Kirkland Lake and Brampton. In 1985 he opened the Cornwall Seaway News...
Donald George (Gummer) Spearman worked in the community newspaper industry in Ontario for approximately 45 years. Born and raised in Dresden, he was hired in 1939, at the age of 17, as a reporter for the Dresden News, where he was eventually promoted...
A long-time newspaperman, Charlie was most recognized for his weekly editorials. He usually wrote three per issue! And they explored all topics and included everything from municipal matters to medieval engineering. He worked for the London Free Press...