Sportswriter Cleve Dheensaw and photographer Bruce Stotesbury are being honoured for their work in the Times Colonist with awards that recognize excellence in sports journalism.
Dheensaw, cited for his coverage of multiple sports in Greater Victoria and stories about the Olympic Games, has won the Paul Carson Broadcast and Media Award as sportswriter/reporter of the year for B.C. outside Vancouver while Stotesbury earned the Carson award for best sports photographer for B.C. outside Vancouver.
Named after a former television and radio pioneer, the Paul Carson awards recognize excellence in sports broadcasting and journalism in British Columbia.
“The honour is a reflection of our commitment to providing quality journalism to our readers,” said Times Colonist editor-in-chief Dave Obee. “We are determined to offer the best sports coverage that we can. Cleve and Bruce are among the best in B.C. at what they do, a fact that has been recognized in these awards.”
Carson began his career at CHEK-TV on the Island, covering the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League and the University of Victoria 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.
Half-hour sports highlight wrap-up shows are standard now, but Sports Page trail-blazed the concept in Canada. Carson was also a founder of Team 1040 Radio, long before sports-talk radio was wall-to-wall on the airwaves. Carson died of pancreatic cancer at age 60 in 2010. The Carson awards help to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society and KidSport.
Other winners this year include Jason Botchford, who covers the Vancouver Canucks for The Province, named Vancouver sportswriter/reporter of the year; Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun, best Vancouver sports columnist; Scott McKenzie of the Nanaimo Daily News, best sports columnist in B.C. outside Vancouver; and Jeff Vinnick of Getty Images/Vancouver Canucks as best Vancouver sports photographer.
“I’m honoured to be in this company, especially considering the high standard of sportswriting in B.C.,” said Dheensaw, who has been covering sports for the Times Colonist since 1981. “I’ve been fortunate to have so many world-class, and engaging, athletes to write about on the Island.”
Stotesbury has been taking photos for the Times Colonist since 1991. “I love sports, and photographing sporting events is one of my favourite assignments,” he said. “I feel very fortunate to work at a newspaper that understands and covers local sporting events.”
The winners will receive their awards on Feb. 6 in Vancouver.
