FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Thursday July 7, 2022 

Canada's largest gathering of Canadian Travel Media came together in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on June 25th to celebrate excellence within their industry as part of their annual conference. The Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) announced 71 winners across 16 categories within print, digital and emerging media channels. 

Hosted annually, the TMAC Awards invite submissions from members, published across all mediums of communication in dozens of outlets. Members are judged on their work against an established set of criteria. Curated by the TMAC Awards Committee, the call for submissions ran earlier in 2022. A panel of six accomplished media representatives serving as the judges reviewed 11 categories while the reaming 5 categories were judged by their peers.

While COVID-19 and travel restrictions hindered TMAC media members over the past two years, as is evident in the 400+ submissions received, and the winners revealed, they continued their efforts to build confidence in travel, drew attention to destinations, attractions and businesses, provided unique insights and educated readers about important matters, while offering inspiration for experiences in Canada, coast to coast, and internationally. 

Supported by their sponsors, an awards cash purse of over $14,500.00 was distributed among the winners along with their certificate of excellence and recognition among their peers and sectors in the year ahead.

Surrounded by 200 TMAC delegates and guests at the Awards Gala Dinner hosted as the closing event of their 2022 TMAC Conference, TMAC embraced the theme of their local hosts, Yarmouth & Acadian Shores, "Where the Stars Align" proudly. 

Below, the winners, their work and publishers are acknowledged. Please join us in recognizing their accomplishments.

WRITTEN AWARDS
(category descriptions can be viewed here)

Best Cultural and Historical Story 
Sponsor: Tourism Louisiana

1st Place: Debbie Olsen - Finding Real Treasure in the Yukon , Ottawa Citizen | August 2021
2nd Place: Toby Saltzman - Saxony: A Cultural Gem in East Germany Where the Cars of the Holocaust Are Never Forgotten , Everything Zoomer | December 2021
3rd Place: Debbie Olsen - Discover a Side of Indigenous Canada at Métis Crossing, Newly Expanding in 2022 ,  AFAR| December 2021
Honourable Mentions: 
Diane Selkirk - Bison In Canada Discover Ancient Petroglyphs
Heather Greenwood Davis - In Tulsa, 'incredible America story' of black resilience finally recognized
 

Best Food and Drink Story 
Sponsor: TMAC

1st Place: Mark Stevens - Where to Find the World's Best Jerk , Travel Life | December 2021
2nd Place: Carolyn Heller - Feeding Fairy Creek , Edible Vancouver Island | November 2021
3rd Place: Wing Sze Tang - The Spirits of Scotland , Toronto Star | December 2021
Honourable Mentions: 
Jacqueline Swartz- Mustard Museum in Madison Wisconsin
Zack Metcalfe - Pizza and Other Moral Quandaries

Best Illustrated Story 
Sponsor: Parks Canada

1st Place: Tamara Elliott - 10 incredible things to do during winter in Iceland,  Global Guide | December 2021
2nd Place: Arlene Karpan - The Joys of Winter,  Prairies North, the Magazine of Saskatchewan | November 2021
3rd Place: Maureen Littlejohn - How a 5,000-km African Road Trip Forged a Father-Daughter Bond, Culture Magazine | June 2021
Honourable Mentions:
Gerry Feehan - Exploring Gros Morne
Judi Cohen - Rideau Canal Houseboat Adventure in Canada with Le Boat — A Must Do Small Ship Cruise

Best Nature or Environmental/Responsible Tourism Story
Sponsor: Destination BC

1st Place: Diane Selkirk - Is Ecotourism Harming BC Bears, British Columbia Magazine | January 2022
2nd Place: Diane Selkirk - Regenerative Travel: A Step Beyond "Do No Harm" ,  Verge Magazine | July 2021
3rd Place: Carol Patterson - A Saskatchewan road trip in search of whooping cranes,  Canadian Geographic Travel | October 2021
Honourable Mentions:
Jennifer Bain - On a Desolate Yukon Island, a Story of Nature and Culture Unfolds
Maureen Littlejohn - Call of the Wild Horses on Sable Island

Best Outdoor Adventure, Sport or Recreation Story 
Sponsor: Tourism Belize

1st Place: Jayme Moye - Exploring the Origins of Skiing in China’s Altai Mountains , Canadian Geographic Travel | January 2021
2nd Place: Jennifer Bain - In Yellowknife, an Action-Packed Chase for the Northern Light, Vacay.ca | March 2021
3rd Place: Jessica Lockhart - Wild New Zealand is perfect for tramping (that’s Kiwi for “hiking”), Toronto Star | March 2021
Honourable Mentions:
Jennifer Bain - Hiking Through a Canadian National Park That Protects Farmland
Jane Finn - Challenge Golf - Empowering People Of All Abilities

Best Spirit of Canada 
Sponsor: Tourism Yukon

1st Place: Linda Barnard - Indigenous Retreat, West of the City Magazine | November 2021
2nd Place: Sydney Loney - Chasing Icebergs, Enroute magazine | June 2021
3rd Place: Liz Campbell - Come from Away to Discover Newfoundland,  East West News Service | July 2021
Honourable Mentions: 
Heather Greenwood Davis - In Canada, Caribbean Roots Run Deep
Tamara Elliott - 10 reasons to love Calgary, Alberta

Best Travel Blog Posts or Column 
Sponsor: Le Quebec maritime

1st Place: Marie-Julie Gagnon -Chronique Voyage, Avenues.ca | 2021
2nd Place: Adrian Brijbassi -  Travel Columns During the Pandemic, Vacay.ca | 2021
3rd Place: Claudia Laroye - Claudia Travels, Claudiatravels.com | 2021
Honourable Mentions:
Lindsay Davies - I've Been Bit! Travel Blog  
Arlene Karpan - Photo Journeys

VISUAL CATEGORIES
(category descriptions can be viewed here)

Best Emerging and Broadcast Media *NEW* 
Sponsor: TMAC

1st Place: Heather Greenwood Davis - Podcast: Tarmac Warriors (Intro + Episode 1-3),
2nd Place: Carolyn Heller - As Canadian As A Butter Tart: An American Foodie Dishes on Ontario’s Butter Tart Trail
3rd Place: William Tang - Is Egypt Safe?
Honourable Mentions:
Heather Greenwood Davis: New Zealand Welcome
Arienne Parzei - Small Town Getaways in Ontario's Southwest (ongoing series)

Best Landscape or Evocation of Place 
Sponsor: Tourism Saskatchewan

1st Place: Sharon Matthews Stevens - Heading South
2nd Place: Kevin Wagar - Sunset over the Atacama Desert
3rd Place: Dave Slaght - On The High Wire Banff National Park
Honourable Mentions: 
Robin Karpan - Vemilion Lakes
Gemma Taylor - A foggy day on the West Coast Trail

Best Nature Photo 
Sponsor: Tourism Newfoundland & Labrador

1st Place: Arlene Karpan - Red fox (from Photo Journeys)
2nd Place: Robin Karpan - Ruby-throated hummingbird (from Photo Journeys)
3rd Place: Zack Metcalfe - Humpback
Honourable Mentions:
David Finn - A Tiger-Heron finds his mark (from Planet Golf Review) 
Robin Karpan – Flying into the storm (from Photo Journeys)

Best People Photo
Sponsor: TMAC

1st Place: Leigh McAdam - The governor in the storeroom at Port Royal National Historic Site (from Nova Scotia Road Trip)
2nd Place: Lindsay Nieminen - Into the Marshes of Southern Iraq (from Highlights from Iraq – An adventurers journey)
3rd Place: Kevin Wagar - Fun on the beaches of El Nido, Philippines (from Philippines with Kids)
Honourable Mentions:
Robin Karpan - Trail Rider (from Saddle Up to Explore Banff’s Backcountry)
Rhonda Krause - Wild Rapids (from Things to do in Sundre Alberta)

MEMBER VOTED AWARDS
(category descriptions can be viewed here)
 

Ann Britton Campbell Memorial Award *NEW*
Sponsor: Campbell Family

1st Place:  Kevin Wagar - Fear of Water: Overcoming Travel Anxiety, Canadian Traveller.com | January 2021
Honourable Mentions: 
Josephine Matyas - Make it Eco-Friendly: An Unforgettable Multi-Generational Journey to Antigua
Darcy Rhyno - A Wilderness Canoe Trip to Kejimkujik National Park
Chris Ryall - For the Love of Travel and Family

Nathan Fong Award *NEW*
Sponsor: TMAC BC & Yukon Chapter

1st Place: William Tang - Richmond Night Market, Going Awesome Places, YouTube | 2019
2nd Place: Bianca Bujan - California roll creator Chef Tojo celebrates 50 years in Canada with a must-try menu, Canadian Geographic Traveler | October 2021
3rd Place: Carolyn Heller - When Vancouver’s Chinese Community Protested for Barbecue, Seven Fifty Daily | January 2022
Honourable Mention:
Carolyn Heller - Meet the New Generation of Canadian Winemakers with South Asian Roots

People’s Choice Photo of the Year 
Sponsor: TMAC

1st Place: Lindsay Nieminen -  Teatime in Mesopotamia
2nd Place: Yashy Murphy - Jumping for Joy in Les Îles de la Madeleine
3rd Place: Lauren Yakiwchuk - The Jewel of the Rideau
Honourable Mentions: 
Robin Karpan - Vermilion lakes
Zack Metcalfe - Humpback

Volunteer of the Year Award:
Sponsor: TMAC

Jamie Savage, Adventure Awaits

Rodd Charles, Vacay.ca 

Industry Member of the Year: Pam Wamback, Tourism Nova Scotia 
Sponsor: TMAC
 

The Travel Media Association of Canada is Canada's largest and only Canadian travel media association. Consisting of a growing list of more than 350 members from both travel media and tourism industry professionals who work with travel media,  TMAC is a non-profit organization with representation across Canada and internationally.  

For more information on the association, visit travelmedia.ca.

Contact:
Travel Media Association of Canada
Donna Hatt, CAO
donna@travelmedia.ca