As I sit at my office staring out my window trying to get through another deadline week, I sometimes wonder if it's all worth it.
The pressure of another week and fighting to get out another edition. Dealing with the emails and phone calls from the community offering their story ideas, tips, praise or gripes.
Sometimes you just want to throw up your hands and say forget it - but then something happens to change all that.
It's funny how one phone call can make all the negative things wash away. That phone call came from our publisher last weekend.
On Saturday night, Peter Kvarnstrom called me from Ottawa, site of this year's Canadian Community Newspaper Association (CCNA) awards.
You may recall we told you in April that Coast Reporter was up for three major CCNA awards, Best All-Round Newspaper, Best Front Page and Best Editorial Page in the General Excellence category for newspapers in a circulation of 12,500 to 24,999.
I thought by the tone of Peter's voice that something big had happened - and it did.
Coast Reporter was named Best All-Round Newspaper in Canada! We finished second in the Best Front Page category and third in the Best Editorial Page category. We also won a Blue Ribbon award, given in the General Excellence category to the top third of all papers in the competition, as determined by the panel of judges.
You'll notice that Blue Ribbon displayed proudly on our front page this week, and it will remain there for the next year.
I went through the roof when Peter gave me the good news. This was my first award as editor of this newspaper - heck, in my career - and it certainly doesn't get any bigger than being named best in Canada.
All of us here at Coast Reporter are pretty excited and honoured to receive these awards.
Being named the top newspaper in Canada is validation for all those late nights spent in front of the glow of a computer screen.
I remember when I first started in this industry. I was just a young kid fresh out of journalism school. I thought I knew everything - boy, was I wrong. My first job with the Merritt News certainly helped dispel that theory. Over the years I've had the privilege to work at many different newspapers and with many talented people, but the staff here at Coast Reporter top them all.
It's no wonder why we've been named best in Canada. We're a family here, and we work hard every week trying to deliver the best product we can. Sure we have our disagreements, but at the end of the day we all usually leave with a smile on our face, knowing that we've done a good job.
We hope that you, our readers, contributors and advertisers, also take pride in this accomplishment. It's not every day you're named best in Canada. When that happens, it's certainly time to celebrate.
