Awards

1. Recent Awards

The Word Guild Awards – Various Book and Column Writing Categories
• 2010 – Winner for "There's lots to learn about life, death, from developing world" (Hamilton Spectator)
• 2010 – Award of Merit for "By losing fun we risk much more" (Hamilton Spectator)
• 2010 – Shortlisted for "There is no Us Versus Them – Danger, Distrust and Homosexuality in Africa" (Christian Week)
• 2009 – Winner for Best Book - Culture, "Ninety-Nine Windows, Reflections of a Reporter from Arabia to Africa and other Roads Less Travelled."
• 2009 – Shortlisted twice in book categories Life Stories and General Readership – "Ninety-Nine Windows"
• 2009 – Winner for "He Shoots! He Scores! — Ugandan Style" (Hamilton Spectator)
• 2008 – Winner for "'God is not a black woman.' Is She?" (Christian Week)
• 2007 - Short-listed five times for various columns
• 2006 - Winner for "Where is African Spirituality Heading?" & "Doomsday Diversions." (Christian Week)
• 2006 - Award of Merit for "Christmas: the luxury to pick and choose." (Christian Week)
• 2005 - Winner for "Life is like a Hazy Mirror." (The Hamilton Spectator)

2. International Fellowships
•  2004 - Salzburg Global Seminar: Trade, Aid, and Development: Policy Tools for Poverty Reduction, in Salzburg Austria. See 2004 column "Doh, o doh, some tourist dough" (Hamilton Spectator).
• 1998 to 2001 - One of five Canadians awarded scholarships by Washington-based Gegrapha, a fellowship of journalists to discuss media ethics and standards worldwide – 2001 in Washington D.C., 1999 in Chichester, UK, 1998 in London, UK

3. Previous Awards (all published in the St. Thomas Times-Journal)

Canadian Association of Journalists
•      1999 nomination in investigative reporting category for “Bound by Faith,” a series on global persecution of various faith groups.

Sun Media Edward Dunlop Awards of Excellence
•      1997 Honourable Mention for “Will the Real Mr. Christmas Stand Up?” a Christmas commentary.
•      1994 Winner for “Blood wins over Call for Native Rights,” a series on a native children custody battle.
•      1993 Winner for “Looking for LEM,” a humorous look at the mythical ‘Lake Erie Monster.’

Canadian Press, Ontario News Awards
•      1996 Winner for a series on the plight of disabled Ontario Provincial Police officer Mike Irwin.
•      1995 Honourable Mention for a series relating to False Memory Syndrome and charges of sex crimes within a St. Thomas family.