The University of Victoria’s Climate Disaster Project has won a special recognition citation at the 2023 National Newspaper Awards — only the second time the honour has been presented.
This project is an international teaching newsroom that trains students to work on the frontlines of humanitarian crises and develop archives of eyewitness accounts. So far, 219 students in 13 post-secondary institutions have been trained in trauma-informed interviewing skills.
They have worked together to create 288 disaster-survivor testimonies. Many of these have been used in local, national and international publications.
“Each semester, educators at post-secondary institutions across Canada and around the world spend hundreds of hours teaching students how to compassionately help survivors share their stories,” said Sean Holman, UVic’s Wayne Crookes professor of environmental and climate journalism.
Holman set up the project in 2021.
The award, announced April 26 in Toronto, recognizes exceptional journalism that doesn’t fit into existing categories and encourages experimentation in journalism.
“We are entering a new era of disaster, where our seasons will become increasingly defined by the traumatic events they bring, and we need to learn how journalism can help us survive those traumas together,” Holman said.
New CEO for Island Corridor
Thomas Bevan has been hired as the new chief executive of the Island Corridor Foundation starting June 1, replacing outgoing head Larry Stevenson, who had been with the organization since 2018.
Bevan has more than a decade of experience in urban planning and real estate development, with a track record of leading successful projects that prioritize affordability, walkability and transit-oriented development, the foundation said. Bevan is a certified registered professional planner with a master’s degree in planning from the University of British Columbia and a bachelor of commerce in real estate from the University of Guelph.
“My passion lies in working with communities to bring them together to co-create plans that respond to the needs and aspirations of the people who live in these communities,” he said in a statement.
Projects he has worked on include the Te’tuxwtun Project in Nanaimo, a 390-unit mixed-use development partnership involving the Snuneymuxw First Nation, City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo Ladysmith School Board and B.C. Housing.
He also worked on Victoria’s Evergreen Terrace redevelopment on eight acres at 2501 Blanshard St.
“His experience, energy, and collaborative approach are exactly what we need as we explore the full potential of the Island Corridor for the benefit of all Vancouver Islanders,” said Daniel Arbour and Judith Sayers, co-chairs of the foundation.
Rosemead House chef appointed
The new restaurant coming to Rosemead House, previously known as the English Inn, on Lampson Street in Esquimalt, will be headed up by chef Andrea Alridge.
Janevca Kitchen and Lounge is scheduled to open in June. Alridge will be working with a woodfire oven and grill, visible to guests in the lounge of the hotel. The restaurant will have indoor and outdoor seating.
