Bob Scammell, the Red Deer Advocate’s outdoors columnist, has won two 2016 awards from the Outdoor Writers of Canada for work published last year.
The National Communications Awards are designed to encourage excellence in outdoors writing and photography by OWC members in communicating outdoors issues and experiences.
Scammell won the second place award in the Magazine Feature Other (than hunting and fishing) Category for “Gourmet Gardening” published in The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2015 Garden Guide.
In the Newspaper – Internet Column Category, Scammell was awarded third place for “Democracy Denied,” about Alberta’s non-proclamation in 1998 of legislation related to Alberta public land grazing leases, published in the Aug. 6, 2015, issue of the Advocate. Scammell raised the issue about fees certain leaseholders receive for surface access to public land, calling it “cowboy welfare.”
Competition in the awards was brisk this year, with up to 30 entries in many award categories.
These were the 41st annual communications awards administered by the Outdoor Writers of Canada, a national organization of professional writers, broadcasters and photographers who specialize in outdoors activities and environmental concerns.
They are sponsored by Shimano and the Canadian National Sportsmen’s Show.