Times Colonist staff among Paul Carson Media Award winners
Sports editor Brian Drewry, sportswriter Cleve Dheensaw and photographer Darren Stone have been honoured for their work in the Times Colonist with 2017 awards that recognize excellence in sports journalism.
Dheensaw, cited for his coverage of multiple sports on the Island, has won the Paul Carson Broadcast and Media Award as sportswriter/reporter of the year for B.C. outside Vancouver for the third year running, while Stone earned the Carson award for best sports photographer for B.C. outside Vancouver. Drewry won the Carson award as best sports columnist outside Vancouver for his Names and Games column which highlights Island sports achievements every week.
Named after a former television and radio pioneer, the Paul Carson Awards recognize excellence in sports broadcasting and journalism in B.C.
Carson began his career at CHEK-TV on the Island, covering the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League, the Olympic rowers on Elk Lake, and the University of Victoria Vikes men’s and women’s basketball dynasties of the 1980s.
Later, as one of the hosts, he helped establish the Sports Page TV program in Vancouver. Halfhour nightly sports highlight wrap-up shows are normal now, but Sports Page pioneered the idea in Canada.
Carson was also a founder of Team 1040 Radio, long before sports-talk radio was all over the airwaves.
Carson died of pancreatic cancer at age 60 in 2010. The Carson Awards help raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society and KidSport.
The winners received their awards Friday night in Vancouver.