Issued June 19, 2023

The coveted Travel Media Association of Canada Awards were presented on Saturday June 17, 2023, recognizing excellence in travel media. The awards presented celebrate travel stories, across all communication platforms, published in 2022. Each showcasing travel destinations and experiences in Canada, and around the world, as experienced by the writer.

Among the 12 National Categories, a collection of some 400 submissions had been received from 106 members, published in more than 160 publications/channels. Submissions within the Member Voted Awards were equally impressive with over 200 submissions received.

The 12 National 'judged' category results below reflect the independent evaluation undertaken by our accomplished and respected panel of nine judges, including Andrea Rees, Don Genova, Jay McDonald, Magalie Boutin, Pete Heck, Pina Crispo, Rebecca Bollwitt, Ursula Beamish-Mader, and Zane Buchanan. Reviewing submissions against a comprehensive scoring matrix, their approach was thorough and intensive. Member Voted Awards were reviewed by TMAC members themselves. The BC & Yukon presented awards were judged by Fred Lee, Dr, April Lie, Dixon Tam, Sandra Thomas, Diane Selkirk and John Geary. 

TMAC acknowledges and appreciates the support of an extensive list of champions for these awards, namely the sponsors. Their support contributes to the success of the program, including more than $15,000.00 in prizes. Their commitment to travel media and recognizing excellence in travel media is applauded. 

Surrounded by their peers, winners were revealed at the TMAC Awards Gala on June 17th in Sudbury, Ontario, as part of the sold out 2023 TMAC Conference & Media Marketplace hosted by Sudbury Tourism, June 14 -18.

Congratulations to all the finalists, and the winners. 

TMAC NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS

Best Canadian Indigenous Tourism Experience Story *NEW*

1st Place: Nancy Besharah
What is ReconciliAction? A Banff Tourism Spectacle Shines a Light , Montecristo Magazine
2nd Place: Jacqueline Louie
In Alberta, Indigenous Blossoms with Winter Experiences, Vacay.ca
3rd Place: Darcy Rhyno
Relearning, Reconnection, Reconciliation: Mi’kmaq tourism operators offer authentic experiences to visitors & their own communities, Toronto Star

Honourable Mentions:
Amy Rosen: What do you eat by the Mackenzie Delta?, Globe and Mail
Debbie Olsen: Nightlight - How to See the Northern Lights with an Indigenous Eye, Nations Magazine

Best Cultural and Historical Story

1^st Place: Darcy Rhyno
Walking Around a Poem | Saltscapes Magazine
2^nd Place: Diane Selkirk
Inside the Nisga’a Nation’s Fight to Get a 36-Foot Totem Pole Back From Scotland | Smithsonian Magazine
3^rd Place: Wing Sze Tang
The making of Chanel No. 5 | Fashion Magazine

Honourable Mentions:
Diane Selkirk: A cutting-edge tourism model in Newfoundland | BBC Travel
Natalie Preddie: In Memphis, I took a journey through Black music history, from the guiding songs of freedom seekers to the blues of Beale Street | Toronto Star


Best Emerging and Broadcast Media

1st Place: Solmaz Khosrowshahian
Indigenous Tourism Experience – Wendake Quebec
2nd Place: Solmaz Khosrowshahian
Montreal Travel Guide
3^rd Place: Will Tang
10 Things to do in the Magdalen Islands in the Winter

Honourable Mentions:
Brandy Yanchyk, Seeing Canada, Episode 302: Black History in SW Ontario
Will Tang: Ultimate Smoky Mountains Road Trip

Best Food / Drink Story

1^st Place: Cinda Chavich
Corn's Cultural Shift | Edible Vancouver
2^nd Place: Diane Selkirk 
The Sacred Sisters of Ancient America | BBC Travel
3^rd Place: Darcy Rhyno
When the Tide is Out, Dinner is Served | Enroute Magazine

Honourable Mentions:
Claudia Laroye: Hound found: on the hunt for truffles in British Columbia, Canadian Geographic
Jessica Lockhart: Where’s the beef? | Toronto Star

Best Landscape or Evocation of Place

1^st Place: Oksana St John
Into the shimmering blue. Inside the glacier ice cave in South Iceland
2^nd Place: Jane Canapini (Grownup Travels)
Starry Shaunavon
3rd Place: Robin Karpan
Sunset on Anglin Lake

Honourable Mentions:
Jami Savage: “Mom, hand me the Camera.” Making Mother Daughter memories, one adventure at  a time.
Will Tang: The Little Lighthouse

Best Nature or Environmental/Responsible Story

1^st Place: Chloe Berge
This Canadian river is now legally a person. It’s not the only one. | National Geographic
2^nd Place: Zack Metcalfe
Linguists of the Sea | Canadian Wildlife Magazine
3^rd Place: Diane Selkirk
Restoring Balance in Haida Gwaii | BC Magazine

Honourable Mentions:
Hans Tammemagi: Swimming with Salmon – A watery adventure in Campbell River | Altitude Magazine
Diane Selkirk: How to Stop a Gold Rush | Canadian Geographic

Best Outdoor Adventure, Sport or Recreation Story

1^st Place: Zack Metcalfe
Paddling Killarney Provincial Park, Saved by Artists Before Me | Explore Magazine
2^nd Place: Chloe Berge
Walking in the Footsteps of Scotland’s Revolutionary Mountain Women | Conde Nast Traveler
3^rd Place: Jayme Moye
We are a Mountain Nation | Adventure Journal

Honourable Mentions:
Claudia Laroye: In the ranches of B.C.’s Cariboo Chilcotin, I gained deeper understanding of the connection between human and horse | Toronto Star
Tamara Elliott: Snorkeling between two continents in Iceland’s Silfra Fissure | Globe Guide

Best People Photo

1^st Place: Kim Pemberton
Ocean house at Tlaga Gawtlaas crab fishing experience
2^nd Place: Gemma Taylor
Digging for dinosaurs in Grasslands National Park
3^rd Place: Jami Savage
Adventure Awaits In Peggy's Cove

Honourable Mentions:
Leigh McAdams: Nova Scotia's Master Dory Makers
Oksana St John: Preserving tradition, one repair at a time. A craftsman in Quito, Equador

Best Photo Series*NEW*

1^st Place: Robin Karpan
Colourful Bird Mating Displays to Photograph this Spring
Image #1, Image #2, Image 3, Image 4
2nd Place: Will Tang
Winter Magic on Iles de la Madeleine
Image #1, Image #2, Image #3, Image #4
3^rd Place: Max St John
Puffins of Newfoundland
Image #1, Image #2, Image #3, Image #4

Honourable Mentions:
Greg Olsen, Wellness and Wilderness - Floating Sauna in Clayoquot Sound, BC
Image #1, Image #2 , Image #3, Image #4
Lindsay Nieminen: More Than Just a Primal Connection: Uganda as an Underrated Safari Destination
Image #1, Image #2, Image #3, Image #4

Best Spirit of Canada Story 

1st Place: Debbie Olsen
Iniskim Umaapi: Is this Canada's 'Stonehenge'? | BBC Travel
2nd Place: Jody Robbins
Boundless: Wild and Free | Financial Times
3rd Place: Sandra Phinney
How To Craft A Canoe | Canadian Geographic

Honourable Mentions: 
John Geary An Island of Hills on a Prairie Sea | Vancouver Sun
Lisa Kadane  The True Origin of Sasquatch | BBC Travel

Best Travel Book *NEW*

1st Place: Josephine Matyas
Chasing the Blues: A Traveler's Guide to America's Music
2nd Place: Marie-France Bornais
Le Noveau Brunswick en camping 
3rd Place: Marie-Julie Gagnon
Voyages de rêve en train - 50 itinéraires de rêve

Honourable Mentions: 
Laura Paquet: Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide
Robin Karpan: The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List

Best Travel Website (includes Blogs) *NEW*

1st Place: Pamela MacNaughtan
Urban Guide Quebec
2nd Place: Kevin Wagar & Christopher Mitchell
We Explore Canada
3rd Place: Cinda Chavich
Taste Report

Honourable Mentions
Will Tang: Going Awesome Places
Yashy Murphy: Parenting to Go

2022 MEMBER VOTED AWARD WINNERS

The much anticipated Member Voted Awards welcomed the return of our Conference Host Destination Award
along with the TMAC BC & Yukon presented Awards. 
 

2022 Conference Host Destination Award 

1st Place: Jody Robbins
Trout Point is Wildly Peaceful  | Montreal Gazette

Honourable Mentions:
Craig Silva: Discover the Incredible Flavours that Southwest Nova Scotia has to Offer | BigDaddyKreativ.ca
Will Tang: 10 Can't Miss nova Scotia Lighthouses in the Southwest | GoingAwesomePlaces.com 

Ann Britton Campbell Award

1st Place: James Ross
Dusting Off My Memories | Journal 

Honourable Mentions:
Claudia Laroye: Bittersweet in Banff | Published in A Gelato A Day
Jessica Lockhart: Travels with Doris | Published in A Gelato a Day
Lisa Kadane: Autism-friendly destinations abound | Toronto Star
Lucas Aykroyd: Blame It on the Bears | Published in A Gelato a Day

Nathan Fong Memorial Award

1st Place: Carolyn Heller
Behind the Stories at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre | Monte Cristo Magazine
2nd Place: Erica Hargreave
Podcast: Mochi cooking class | Culture Travels Podcast
Erica Hargreave: Audio Editor,Host, Director, Producer & Researcher
Manami Calvo: Guest Host, Creative Director
Maya Calvo: Guest Host, Creative Director
3rd Place: Diane Selkirk
Business Owner Carol Lee's Guide to Vancouver's Chinatown | Viator

Honourable Mentions:
Diana Ballon: Dig into Richmond, BC's Stellar Asian Food Scene | Travel Life
Yashy Murphy: Sri Lankan Mani Pittu Recipe | Parenting to Go

People's Choice Photo of the Year Award

1st Place: Jane Canapini (Grownup Travels)
Ghosts of Prairies Past
2nd Place (TIED)
Max St John
An Unlikely Friendship
Robin Karpan
Fire in the Sky
3rd Place: Kevin Wager
Tea Time in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Honourable Mentions:
Amy Rosen: Foraging in the city (Vancouver)
Tamara Elliott: Leopard among the trees in South Africa

The 2022 TMAC National Awards program was curated on behalf of the National board of Directors by the Awards Committee consisting of  Tracy Ford, Co-Chair (Industry), Diane Selkirk, Co-Chair (Media), Rhonda Krause (Media), Erica Hargreave (Media) and Sabrina Pirillo (Media)

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View the Awards Presentation as PDF or video on Youtube.

For more information about the Awards, and TMAC, visit travelmedia.ca, follow us and contribute to the conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook.

About TMAC:
Rooted in Canada with an international reach, the Travel Media Association of Canada creates a positive space for travel media and travel industry professionals to cultivate relationships that result in relevant collaborative, comprehensive opportunities and successful outcomes to foster and inspire travel.

Founded in 1994, TMAC represents Canada’s most professional and productive experts in the field of travel. The Association currently has nearly  400 members — Canadian writers, photographers, videographers, bloggers and social media curators, as well as highly respected media relations representatives of the travel industry in Canada, and around the world.

Each year, TMAC members gather for an ambitious and wide-ranging annual conference in a new, local host destination. Over 4 days, plus pre/post media tours, they exchange story ideas, explore new destinations and keep up to date on skills, trends and techniques. Most importantly, industry partners are able to showcase their destinations at the Media Marketplace, a scheduled one-on-one networking session that brings together industry and media members. With attendance limited to 200-250, this intimate annual conference nurtures networking for media professionals across  the country.

Recognizing excellence in travel media, the annual TMAC Awards welcomes and celebrates the work of its members. Categories may evolve to reflect the changing landscape and channels of storytelling, but the coveted awards garner national attention for our members, and TMAC as a professional organization.

Media Contact:
Donna Hatt, CAO
administration@travelmedia.ca