2008 OWC Conference Wrap-up
By Len Rich, Site Chair
Thanks to a small but dedicated and hard-working committee, the 2008 OWC Conference in
Elora, Ontario, is now history. By every possible measurement and in the opinion of those who
attended, it was one of the best conferences in living memory.
That is an amazing observation considering that in late January there was no convention
planned at all for 2008! My conscience would not let me accept that option when I knew, from
past experience in coordinating such events, that it could be achieved.
It was only through my limited knowledge of the Elora area, having covered it for the Canadian
Fly Fishing Championships in 2006 that I proposed to the BOD that I could investigate the
possibility of pulling it together on short notice.
Thanks to Jack Bramm, a good friend I made at the 2006 event, I was provided with names of
people I should contact. That’s when I met Deb Dalziel of the Elora-Fergus Tourism office.
During a quick trip around town it became obvious that we would have to break the mold of past
conferences and throw the book out the window.
What’s Inside:
2008 Conference W rap-Up
Snapshots from Elora
From the President’s Desk
Executive Director’s Report
Central Region Report
Midwest Region Report
Eastern Region Report
Western Region Report
New Member Profiles
Annual Communications
Awards Winners 2008
CSIA National Fishing Week
Writers Award
Canada’s 2009
By thinking outside the box, I put together a proposal for the Recreational Fisheries Awards
BOD which included staying at local B&Bs and Inns, holding The Business of Communicating
our dinner events at a racetrack, and offering a variety of new New Member Profiles
activities that included fly fishing on the world-famous Grand Market News
River, spin fishing at Belwood Lake, hiking, canoeing, Corporate News
educational tours, taking a zipline across the Elora Gorge, and
learning what it felt like to be in a 1racing sulky at the
racetrack. Continued at Page 3
OWC Executive,
Board of Directors and
Committee Chairs
President Midwest Region Director
Don Meredith Duane Radford
Telephone: 780-892-2870 Telephone: 780-487-4931
E-mail: don@donmeredith.ca E-mail: radford@telusplanet.net
Inside Outdoors is the Chairman of the Board / Central Region Director
official newsletter of the Treasurer Daniel Kennaley
Outdoor Writers of Canada, Susan Kane-Doyle Telephone: 519- 856-0375
a non-profit professional Telephone: 905-987-5813 E-mail: dan.kennaley@cogeco.ca
and educational E-mail: suekane@rogers.com
organization.
Vice President Eastern Region Director
Executive Director Brad Fenson Perry Munro
T.J. Schwanky Telephone: 780-450-3970 Telephone: 902-542-2658
E-mail: bfenson@shaw.ca E-mail: mountain.maple@ns.sympatico.ca
Editor
Vanessa Harrop 2nd Vice President Corporate Director
Chris Hockley Peter Wood
National Headquarters Telephone: 705-357-9919 Telephone: 519-220-0223
P.O. Box 934 E-mail: chris@blitzcreek.com E-mail: peter.wood@rippleoutdoors.com
Cochrane, Alberta
T4C 1B1 Executive Director Awards Chair
403-932-3585 T.J. Schwanky Shirley Teasdale
outdoorwritersofcanada@shaw.ca Telephone: 403-932-3585 Telephone: 519-795-7991
E-mailoutdoorwritersofcanada@shaw.ca E-mail: icanwrite2@yahoo.ca
Western Region Director Mentor Program Chair
James Murray Len Rich
Telephone: 250-833-1976 Telephone: 519-943-0692
E-mail: storyteller@shuswap.net E-mail: len@lenrich.net
2
2008 OWC Conference Wrap-up (Continued from Page 1)
By Len Rich, Site Chair
That’s when our committee was formed. Jack Bramm and John Dadds accepted the job of pulling together
the fishing activities, which they achieved with professionalism and panache. Lloyd Fridenburg, who at
the time was our acting ED, and Peter Wood, the newly appointed Corporate Director, came on board
with no hesitation whatsoever. Of course, Deb Dalziel was a key player, as was staff of her office, and we
could never thank them enough for their huge involvement.
President Don Meredith gave us carte blanche to proceed, and I kept him informed on our progress with
periodic reports as the conference materialized. The committee kept in touch electronically through
emails and met every two weeks leading up to the final week.
The rest is history. The conference proceeded as planned and went off without a snag.
I believe we proved that a small town with sufficient points of interest and activities could (and did) hold
a conference for a group of our size. We enjoyed the small town atmosphere, learned that we didn’t all
have to stay under one roof, found that events could be held successfully in non-traditional venues (the
raceway), and that a small but dedicated committee could make it all happen on short notice if given the
flexibility and confidence of the BOD to work unimpeded.
3
4
From the
President’s Desk
By Don H. Meredith
It was a beautiful day to be canoeing. It wasn’t too hot or cold and the
water on the Speed River was tranquil, betraying the stream’s name.
My wife Betty and I, along with Adrienne and Duane Radford, were in
Guelph on the Sunday morning after the OWC conference. We were on
the “Poppies and Paddles” FAM tour, sponsored by Grand River Country, a tourism partnership of the
municipalities along the Grand River. The tour started in Guelph on the shore of the Speed River—a
tributary of the Grand—where we boarded two canoes provided by Speed River Paddling, a small canoe
and kayak rental business. The student owner of the business, Gregory Mungall, gave us the requisite
lecture about being safe in a canoe, wearing the provided flotation devices and being aware that canoes
can easily tip, so don’t stand up or make quick movements. All good advice Betty and I had heard many
times since we each learned how to paddle canoes in scout camps, many eons ago.
Splash
We paddled up the gentle river, stopping along the way to view the sites listed in the self-guided tour. The
Radfords stayed well ahead of Betty and I, which worked out well, as I was able to get some photos of
them on the river. We followed them around the course, enjoying the scenery and occasional wildlife
sightings. On the return leg the Radfords were about 200 metres ahead of us when we traversed a
shallow portion of the river. Betty was in the forward seat trying to steer us through the narrow channel
when she saw we were about to collide with a large rock sticking out of the water. She swung out her
paddle to push us away when suddenly I found myself in the water, splashing about to get my footing and
watching water pour into the suddenly swamped canoe. Standing up in the calf-deep water, I saw Betty
was all right as she stood up while holding onto the gunwale of the canoe and laughing, saying, “I can’t
believe I did that!” After confirming we had not lost anything (and my turning the air blue with my
comments on the situation), we proceeded to drag the waterlogged craft to shore, where we dumped out
the water, repacked our drenched gear, and re-boarded.
We speedily made our way back to the canoe rental where we were late for lunch. By this time Hugh Best
had joined our group, and everyone had a good chuckle after learning no real harm had been done in our
accident (well, there was a point-and-shoot digital camera that didn’t completely survive). Lessons re-
learned: 1) don’t make sudden moves in a canoe; 2) pack the gear you don’t want to get wet in a dry bag;
and 3) stuff happens, especially in a canoe, even on a tranquil stream in beautiful weather!
After changing into dry clothes, we continued our tour to McCrae House, the historic home of Colonel
John McCrae, author of the famous Remembrance Day poem, "In Flanders Fields". The home is a well
looked after museum of the time and worth a visit. All-in-all an interesting day to be sure—not to
mention the story opportunities.
5
Thanks to Deb Dalziel, Coordinator for Elora and Fergus Tourism, for putting this and other FAM tours
together for the conference with the help from people like Sue Trerise, Senior Business Development
Specialist for Tourism for the City of Guelph.
Board Meeting
The Elora conference will go down as a turning point in OWC history. The Board of Directors met face-to-
face for the first time in 17 months on May 29 and had a frank discussion about what had happened over
the last nine months, as well as the last ten years, and where we should be going in the future. A draft
revised bylaws document was presented, debated and amended. That amended document will be
presented to the membership for ratification (as required by the present bylaws) via e-mail and postal
mail in the fall. If ratified by a simple majority of votes cast, the bylaws will come into effect in the New
Year. These bylaws will ensure the Board does its due diligence in looking after OWC business and
protecting the confidence members must have in the organization.
AGM
The Annual General Meeting on Saturday, May 31, was also a success. The members present ratified what
the board has been doing and its approach for the future. Some concern was expressed for recruiting new
members, especially those outside the traditional outdoor writing genres of fishing and hunting. I made it
clear that that was indeed the approach I had hoped to follow a year ago. Now that we once again have
our feet under us (or is it our canoe re-righted?), the Board is going to proceed to revisit the strategic
plan and develop a marketing plan that will attract all outdoor writers. If you have ideas in these areas,
do not hesitate to contact your regional director or myself.
Awards
Like the rest of the conference, our awards banquet was a triumph. We once again honoured the best in
outdoor writing for 2007. Congratulations to all the winners, and a big thank you to all the sponsors,
without whom these awards would not be possible. Also, over 30 volunteer judges participated this year
in the competition. I wasn’t aware we used that many different people—many of whom are not OWC
members—until I wrote them thank you letters after the conference. That’s a lot of people who care
about quality writing. Hats off to Shirley Teasdale who puts this program together, year-after-year.
Thanks again to Len Rich and the conference committee for making the conference so successful! It took a
lot of work to get all the pieces together in a short period of time; but it was done with panache. Elora and
Fergus are in a very unique part of Ontario where Deb Dalziel’s idea of “boutique conferencing”— people
staying in a variety of accommodations and gathering in one place—made for a memorable experience
for all.
Did you know?
For members that cover hunting and shooting, you may be
interested in a story idea about the mayor of Toronto moving to not
only ban all handguns in the city but to cancel the leases of several
gun clubs. For more information:
http://www.ofah.org/News/index.cfm?ID=3&A=GetDoc&DID=411
6
Executive
Director’s Report
By T.J. Schwanky
It was Bob Dylan in his 1964 classic, The Times They Are A-Changin’, that
warned people that the times were indeed changing and how it was
important to recognize and accept that change. Well, I’m not sure a
warning is in order here but a promise most definitely is and that promise
is that times are changing within the OWC. At the Board of Directors
Meeting held in Elora, Ontario on May 28, the Board was finally able to
switch from damage-control mode to looking at the future of the organization and how the OWC can
better serve its members. As part of my commitment to that future, count on this organization being run
like a business and count on this organization offering great value for your membership dues. Our
members are all professionals in the world of communications and they deserve an organization that
reflects that professionalism.
One of the first orders of business will be to revisit the OWC’s strategic plan and see where we have fallen
off track and to see if the document needs updating to better provide for the needs of our members. Over
the ensuing months you’ll also be seeing many changes and improvements to the newsletter, website and
membership services. Our goal is to have members look at their membership dues as a business expense
that helps them earn money. You’ll also notice that the Market News section is back in this edition of
Inside Outdoors and you’ll find a new section titled, The Business of Communications. Both of these
sections are tangible ways for you make money as part of your membership in the organization.
For those of you that didn’t make it to conference in Elora, you missed a good one. Len, Lloyd and Peter
did a great job of putting this event together at the last minute and special thanks go to local Tourism
Coordinator, Deb Dalziel, for her effort in making the event a success. In addition to the regular
conference activities, members were treated to a variety of activities before and after the convention and
during the Friday breakout day. One of my highlights was fishing with Canadian Flyfishing Team member,
Aaron Varga. The few hours I spent nymphing with him on the Grand River were worth the price of
conference alone. I also received some much-needed casting lessons from casting instructor, Al Newsome
and his patience and quick wit made for a day I’ll never forget.
Putting some faces to names was another thrill for me at conference, including that of Doreen Fawcett.
For those of you that don’t know Doreen, she was the first woman president of the organization and she
broke new ground as a journalist during a time that the industry was definitely male dominated. After
meeting her, I suspect she ruffled a few feathers as well. This organization has a long history and people
like Doreen have done much to shape the OWC into what it is today. It was a thrill to meet her and to have
a chance to share a brief conversation.
I also want to thank Bill and Kath Troubridge from Excalibur Crossbows for all their hospitality. They
opened their home to many of us to socialize in and they organized a tour of their plant for OWC
members. While this was my first visit to the Elora/Fergus area, I know it won’t be my last.
7
Central
Region Report
by Dan Kennaley
As I write this, I am lucky to be alive.
When our Chairman of the Board and Treasurer, Sue Kane, sent out an email soliciting someone to
replace Chris Hockley as Central Region Director, I carefully, and perhaps a little obliquely, broached the
idea with my wonderful, understanding, and long-suffering wife, Jan. And I am prepared to swear an
affidavit that she did not say no. I will admit that she was not enthusiastic about me taking on yet
another responsibility, but damn it, she didn’t say no. However, when she found out that I had actually
taken on the job, she was even less enthusiastic, to the point where I thought she was going to strangle
me. I did try to reassure her that it wouldn’t be too much more work, and she did eventually calm down,
but, like I said, I am lucky to be alive.
Thought I should start off by introducing myself to those of you who I haven’t met yet. Probably like
most of you, I have always loved nature and the outdoors, something that I think my father passed on to
me. I am an avid fly angler and have been the Fly Fishing Editor with Ontario OUT OF DOORS magazine
since 1998. I also hunt ducks and small game, although family responsibilities have meant less hunting
for a lot of years now. However, my son Ian is sixteen and my daughter Erin is fourteen and they are both
great kids, so Jan may allow me some additional hunting soon. I also enjoy a lot of other things connected
to the outdoors, like canoe tripping, birding, fossil hunting, hiking, wildflowers, art history, oh, and books.
Growing up, I liked reading about nature and the outdoors almost as much as I liked being in the
outdoors. This interest in the literary side of things led to me to start writing about it, and in 2001 I
joined the Outdoor Writers of Canada.
When I’m not in the outdoors or writing or reading about the outdoors, I work with the Township of
Woolwich where I’m the Director of Engineering and Planning Services. I have an undergraduate degree
in Recreation from the University of Waterloo and a Masters degree in Planning from the University of
Guelph.
And probably like most of you, I’m concerned with the declining rate of participation of Canadians in
hunting and fishing. This declining rate of participation is well documented in the Survey of Recreational
Fishing in Canada 2005, which actually was published in 2007. The survey is a project of Fisheries and
Oceans Canada with lots of co-operation from provincial and territorial fisheries licensing agencies. They
have been conducting the survey at five year intervals since 1995 and the results are discouraging. In ten
years overall participation rates in Canada have fallen from almost 3.3 million people to under 2.5
million, a decline of 24% in ten years. In Ontario, the numbers are just as much a concern with
participation rates falling from just over 1 million down to about 764,000, a decline of, again, about 24%.
8
The 50 page report concerning the survey is available on-line through the Fisheries and Oceans Canada
website. The good news is that many other people, including the Ontario Federation of Anglers and
Hunters, are concerned about declining fishing participation rates and are doing something about it.
More about those efforts in my next report.
Also wanted to thank Chris Hockley who I am taking over from, for doing an excellent job as Central
Region Director. I hope I can continue to keep you as well informed as Chris did about issues that affect
outdoor communicators in this Region.
Finally, I wanted to invite you to help me do my job by keeping me abreast of noteworthy items you come
across or are involved in. From winning awards to writing books to perspectives on issues, I’d love to
hear from you.
Dan Kennaley Wins
2008 Gregory Clark Award
OWC member and Central Region Director, Dan
Kennaley, has won the annual Gregory Clark
Award for outstanding contributions to the arts of
fly fishing at the recent Canadian Fly Fishing
Forum in Burlington, Ontario.
In accepting the award Dan said that he was
particularly pleased and honoured because the
award was named after one of his heroes, Greg Clark. Greg was a journalist with a long and distinguished
career that stretched from the 1920’s through the 1970’s. His great stories about fly fishing inspired Dan
to not only try fly fishing, but also to write about it.
Dan has been fly fishing for 23 years and has been the Fly Fishing Editor with Ontario OUT OF DOORS
magazine since 1998. He has fished extensively throughout Ontario and across Canada and the United
States. Dan has lectured on fly tying and fly fishing in numerous venues including the Canadian Fly
Fishing Forum, the Winter Hatches Fly Tying Symposium, and the Grand Opportunities Fly Fishing Show.
He is also a frequent presenter at a number of Ontario’s fly fishing clubs.
Did you know?
For our boating writers, did you know that the Canadian Government is
considering passing a law that will require the mandatory use of Personal
Floatation Devices ("PFDs") on small recreational vessels under six metres in
length? The Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons is currently conducting a
survey at:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB227UXU7V5YX
9
Midwest
Region Report
By Duane Radford
Regrettably, some members of the Midwest region did not receive
invitations to the Calgary and Edmonton Boat and Sportsmen Shows, for
unknown reasons. T.J. Schwanky, OWC Executive Director, is working to put
everyone on a database so each director will be able to get a list of the
members in his or her region without too much trouble in the future.
Hopefully, this will help correct previous distribution mailing shortfalls.
Sports Scene Publications Inc. initiated the “Outdoorsmen Forum Digest” in March
(http://www.albertaoutdoorsmen.ca/digest/index.html) with the following stated purpose: The purpose of this
Digest is to help keep Alberta's outdoorsmen and women up-to-date on issues and events as they happen in
Alberta related to our outdoor pursuits. From breaking news to press releases from Sustainable Resource
Development, Alberta's outdoor stakeholders, and special events, special deals and a regular forum update,
we hope you enjoy this first issue of the Outdoorsmen Forum Digest.
SHAW TV ran video of Brad Fenson, Neil Waugh and I on April 14 (several times) based on interviews
with Tim Dancy, SHAW TV Sports Host/Producer regarding fisheries issues in Alberta. The coverage was
arranged through Rob Miskosky, Sports Scene Publications Inc., to draw attention to issues of concern to
Alberta’s outdoorsmen.
There was an article in the Edmonton Journal on April 17 about a regulatory requirement for commercial
photographers to have a permit from the provincial Department of Tourism, Parks and Recreation to take
photographs in Kananaskis Country if they’re sold commercially. The same article ran in the Calgary
Herald (http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=445a6724-5b17-4b6d-ac08-b7c2d110946d). When
questioned about this requirement, a photographer was told he needed a permit to take photographs in
the park and while he later did get a free one-year permit, he apparently had to obtain $2 million in
liability insurance at a cost of $600. This seems like a
rather heavy-handed approach for freelance writers
and photographers; the requirement is apparently
under review by government officials.
The St. Albert and District Fish and Game Association
received a national recreational fishing award from
Fisheries and Oceans Canada as long-standing
sponsors of their Fun Fishing Day for disabled people
at Camp He Ho Ha on Lake Isle, west of Edmonton –
the award was presented to Randy Collins and Rene
Lamoureux at a ceremony in Ottawa on May 5. The
disabled fishing derby got its start in 1977 under
Nestor Romaniuk - the late past president of the AFGA
10
– and his wife, Carole, who coordinated the event for the next 17 years, until 1994. See details elsewhere
in this newsletter related to the National Recreational Fishing Awards Program and particulars regarding
the nomination process and deadline for 2008 nominations.
The year 2008 marks some significant anniversaries in the outdoors community: 10th anniversary of the
Alberta Conservation Association and The Canadian Fly Fisher magazine, 15th anniversary of Outdoor
Women’s Program delivered over a five-day period by Alberta’s Hunting For Tomorrow Foundation, 25th
anniversary of the Alberta Fish and Game Association (AFGA) Wildlife Trust Fund, 40th anniversary of the
Western Sportsman Magazine, 70th anniversary for Ducks Unlimited Canada, 100th anniversary of the
AFGA. There’s got to be an article just waiting to be written regarding each of these events. Hats off to
these organizations on reaching these important milestones!!
While not breaking news, last year Grande Prairie’s Peace Country Flyfishers Association published The
Guide to Flyfishing in the South Peace Country which is available from any club member, The Tackle Shack,
Barton’s Big Country Outdoors Superstore, Canadian Tire (all in Grande Prairie) and the Grande Prairie
Regional Tourism Association. For more information call Jim Epp, club president at (780) 402-7850 or e-
mail: jim@menziesprinters.net.
I attended the OWC board of directors meeting and annual conference in Elora, Ontario May 29-30, 2008
and would like to congratulate the conference organizers – Len Rich, Lloyd Fridenburg and Peter Wood –
for planning and hosting an excellent conference, and Deb Delzeil, Tourism Coordinator for Elora &
Fergus Tourism. More on this conference in a later Inside Outdoors newsletter as space does not permit
further details at this time.
In a June 2, 2008 news release Alberta’s “New hunting and fishing community website launched” details
were provided regarding “Alberta's best hunting and fishing info now found at My Wild Alberta. The
Government of Alberta has launched My Wild Alberta (http://www.mywildalberta.com), a new website
bringing together the best information for and from Alberta’s hunting and fishing community.”
Also, the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) just published a magazine: Guide to Outdoor Adventure
Discover Alberta's Wild Side 2008/2009 in June on recreational opportunities in Alberta which is a must-
have booklet for outdoorsmen; more detailed maps and aerial photos of each site are available online
(http://www.ab-conservation.com/properties/downloadguide.htm).
In a release, Western Sportsman magazine, Western Canada’s oldest and most widely read hunting and
fishing publication, announced it is making itself known on every media source: print, Internet, and soon
— radio and television. Beginning in July, Western Sportsman magazine will be airing 30-second
commercials on Canada’s premier hunting and fishing TV network, Wild TV. Viewers can get a special
sneak preview of the commercial on YouTube.com by clicking: http://youtube.com/watch?v=R8om9rqWWT4.
Also in July, Western Sportsman editor David Webb, as well as several of the magazine’s writers, will be
making appearances on Let’s Go Outdoors Radio with Michael Short.
11
Eastern
Region Report
By Perry Munro
It seems now that the Conference in Elora was months ago but in
reality it was but a couple weeks. It was a great conference and
Len Rich and his committee pulled it together under trying
circumstances. My belief that the BOD meeting would put in place
safeguards that would ensure past mistakes could not be
repeated was well placed and it was time to move on. Everyone agreed and that is my intention for the
next year.
I have been looking at old and current membership lists and making inquiries on why membership has
lapsed with some members. I have found some members who found themselves in a situation that they
believed they were members but were not. This is being taken care of by TJ, the new Executive Director
and in short order this will be remedied and all will be back on track. There are a lot of things to get done
but in the end changes are easier after a crisis.
We have had a late spring this year in Eastern Canada which made for good trout fishing but made timing
of other species which spawn in the spring later. The shad run was late but made up for it in numbers.
The smallmouth bass are post-spawn in my area and hard to come by, looking forward to great fishing in
a couple weeks. The stripers are finished spawning as well this week and are now dispensing themselves
into the Bay of Fundy. Fishing for them will pick up in the near future.
The late spring made the breeding of upland birds and waterfowl later as well but the nesting was not
cold and wet so broods by my observation were very successful. The deer herd is still down but definitely
improving in Nova Scotia. New Brunswick had a lot of snow but when I was fishing the Miramichi this
spring there seemed to be lot of deer but the biologists are concerned so a reduction in harvest will be in
order this fall. Newfoundland and Labrador was late as well and it wasn’t till the end of May before ice
out in Labrador. As I write this I realize there are a variety of activities to take part in and put pen to
paper.
In believing there is a new direction and opportunity for members in the future as a Director the more
advantages members have make my job in the Outdoor Writers easier with more chance for success. I
have a desire to increase membership and will work towards that objective as the changes take effect.
Corporate membership I think can increase but it is the same for them as it is for active members, there
has to be advantages in belonging so I would encourage members to read the list of corporate members
and support them whenever it is in your ability to do so. I think an improved web site can also help in this
regard.
In closing it was a pleasure to see old and meet new members at the Conference and hope all members
have a great spring with lots of opportunity in the world of outdoor communications.
12
Western
Region Report
By James Murray
Time certainly seems to have flown by since I sat down to write
the last Western report. It would seem that time and the process
of writing are the key to this particular report.
Several years ago OWC member Roger Brunt interviewed a lady
by the name of Vi Lillos for an article on the BC Sportfishing Hall
of Fame. "Vi was just as enthusiastic about fishing then as she was when she hooked her first steelhead
almost 50 years ago, wrote Brunt. What's so unusual about that, one might ask ... Canada is full of lady
anglers who are passionate about fishing. Well, on December 8, Vi will turn 90 years old." Roger informs
me that Vi Lillos has since passed away, but how many of us can only hope to be casting a line to a bright
shiny steelhead when we are in our 90's.
Brunt is currently awaiting delivery of his new book Salt Spring Chronicles. It is a collection of 30
vignettes written over the past ten years about people who have lived on Salt Spring Island ... with a
couple of surprises thrown in he says. List price is $22.95 but I have it on good authority that OWC
members will receive a discount.
Congratulation to OWC member Lyn Hancock, who's book Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon (her 19th book to
be precise) recently passed the 5000 mark in sales - which, if I'm not mistaken makes it a Canadian
bestseller. It has also been nominated for the Saskatchewan Readers' Choice Diamond Willow Book
Award. Hancock is currently doing Books Begin in Backyards presentations and writing workshops on
the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. "Sometimes one makes more income talking about writing
than writing," says Hancock.
While on the subject of OWC members who have written books, 79 year old world traveler, scuba diver,
white water kayaker, and author Betty Pratt-Johnson was recently in the interior of the province signing
copies of her most recent book 151 Dives in the protected waters of British Columbia and Washington
State.
And, while on the subject of 'people who are of a certain age', young at heart Mr. Bill Otway, who is
President of the BC Family Fishing Society, says that the BC Family Fishing Weekend, held June 13 to 15
throughout the province, was a huge success.
From Abbotsford to Alexis Creek, Castlegar to Clinton, and Smithers to Salmon Arm there are a whole
whack of family fishing events. I'm sure that many would have provided any number of opportunities for
articles and photographs. Here at home we held the 12th Annual Salmon Arm Kids Fishing Derby which
drew 275 participants, handed out some $5,000 in prizes and scholarships, and attracted close to 1,000
people.
13
On a related matter, well known BC fishing lure manufacturer Gibbs/Nortac is celebrating its 100th
Anniversary. The company, started by Rufus Gibbs in 1908, was originally known as the Gibbs Tool and
Stamping Works. The fishing tackle era began in 1946 when Stan Gibbs whittled his first wooden plug.
The rest, as they say, is history. Gibbs recently had a big shindig for past employees and invited guests.
Mr Otway attended the function ...he was the only person in attendance that was actually older than the
company.
I had an editor once who said that if you are desperate to fill space and have absolutely nothing
newsworthy to write about, talk about yourself. So for what it's worth I am just finishing up the first leg
of the 2008 Tim Hortons Senior's Entertainment Tour. I have had the privilege of sharing my stories with
audiences throughout the interior (38 shows) and will be taking a bit of time off in August before
heading out on the northern leg of the tour in September. Sometimes it seems like having a full time job
at the newspaper gets in the way of what has become my other full time job performing on stage. This
year I've shared the stage with the likes of Valdy, Gary Fjellgaard, Garnet Rogers, Ted Crouch, and Siri
Hermanski. Not bad for a 'storyteller' I guess.
I regret to have to end this report with the news that past OWC member and friend to many, Bob Jones is
in the hospital. I know I speak for many, when I say that we all wish him a speedy recovery.
Just a reminder to western OWC members, let me know what it happening so that I can put it in the next
Western report ... that way you won't have to read about me.
Did you know?
There’s a great story idea at:
http://www.eftta.com/english/news_indepth.html?cart=12138514
522004061&SKU=2047259523 regarding the Swiss Government
banning catch and release fishing in the upcoming year. The new
legislation states that fish caught should be killed immediately
following their capture, with a sharp blow to the head from a blunt
instrument. Under the new regulations, the use of livebait and
barbed hooks is also prohibited except in certain situations.
With Germany already banning catch and release fishing and
competitive fishing, and the Swiss now introducing their new laws,
the bloggers are saying Australia will follow suit within the next 5
years.
14
New-Member Profiles
Harold Ball
An avid fisherman and photographer I have travelled
extensively throughout Alaska, Ontario, the Northwest
Territories and Nunavut, and currently hold 2
International Game Fish Association World Records.
I am a freelance writer whose writings focus on the places,
people and characters that have shaped and defined my
outdoor experiences.
Together with several magazine and web based articles
my recently self published book of short stories and pictures “Tales from Cabin 14…..and other exotic
places”, feature stories and images that reflect my passion for people and the outdoors.
Leslie Ballentine
Leslie Ballentine has over 25 years experience in communications.
Ballentine Communication Group, started in 2004, specializes in
strategic communications and information services for animal-based
sectors. Clients include those in the farming, research, entertainment
and wildlife communities. Leslie also serves as communications officer
for the Fur Institute of Canada.
For 16 years Leslie was executive director of the Ontario Farm Animal Council, an organization she
helped form in 1988. She has partnered with the outdoors community for nearly 20 years. Her written
editorials and presentations to hunting, fishing and trapping groups focus on animal use issues and
activists.
Karlin Creed
Karlin Creed lives in Duncan on Vancouver Island. She is a
student of the North American School of Outdoor Writing
and is keenly interested in people's reconnection with the
environment through recreation and restoration projects.
She has hiked the West Coast Trail, Nootka Trail, and Cape
Scott. In July 2006, she paddled 165 km through Glacier
Bay, Alaska on a two-person kayak expedition.
She works in a hunting/archery/fishing/outdoor store,
shoots traditional-style archery, and is learning to fly fish
the Cowichan River. In April she published a Character
piece in Outdoor Canada magazine.
15
Wes David
I was born and raised in Alberta on the family cattle farm. I
started as a young boy steer riding and worked my way up to
become a professional bull rider. This was my profession for over
10 years. Hunting and fishing has always been a big part of my
life and hope to pass this on to my son who has already shown a
keen interest for it. I love to hunt all big game and fish all species.
I'm continuously working to better my skills and spend even
more time in the outdoors. If I'm not hunting or fishing I may be
out hiking, camping, or scouting for the next hunting season
Tony Scavo
I have been hunting and fishing for 24 years since the age of 16 but I
have taken up both sports much more seriously the past 7 years. I
was born and raised in Niagara Falls and I have been taking
advantage of the world-class hunting and fishing I have right in my
own backyard.
From fishing for the giant muskellunge on the mighty Niagara River
to hunting for enormous bull moose in northern Ontario, I have had
the opportunity to hunt and fish for a variety of game all across
Ontario. I have a passion for the outdoors and I want to become a
freelance outdoor writer/photographer. I enjoy writing about my
experiences and focusing on various outdoor topics on hunting and
fishing.
I am currently enrolled in the North American School of Outdoor
writing and I am a proud member of Outdoor Writers Association of America, Outdoor Writers of Canada,
North American fishing Club, North American Hunting Club, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.
This is all part of my latest labour of love showing others just how exciting and rewarding hunting,
fishing, and writing can be.
Jessica Simon
Jessica Simon yukonwriter@lycos.com is a wilderness guide and author
of the Log Cabin Adventure crime series to debut November 2009. She
won the 2007 Dawson City Authors on Eighth short story competition
with “Washed Out” and contributes to the Outdoor Edge, Yukon: North of
Ordinary, Yukon News, San Francisco Chronicle, ultraRUNNING Magazine,
as well as police publications Blueline and 24/Seven. She's a web
columnist for www.arcticultra.de , www.copperhaultwister.blogspot.com
and a member of Alaska Sisters in Crime www.aksinc.ning.com . In
summer she guides the Klondike Writers Tour,
www.naturetoursyukon.com on the trail of Yukon literary giants Jack
London, Pierre Berton and Robert Service.
16
Judie Steeves
I’ve been writing a weekly outdoors column called Trail Mix for the Kelowna Capital News for the past 14
years and I co-authored Okanagan Trips and Trails with Murphy Shewchuk in 1997, then an expanded
version of the book was published by Fitzhenry and Whiteside in 2006.
This year I was presented with the Art Downs award by the B.C. Wildlife Federation for a piece titled
Gender Bender on the introduction of pharmaceuticals to Okanagan Lake through sewage treatment
plants, and their possible impact on aquatic life. I also received a gold award from the B.C. Community
Newspapers Association for that piece and came second in a competition for outdoor recreation writing
from the BCYCNA for a piece on hunting and poaching.
I’ve also received awards for my outdoors writing from the Federation of B.C. Naturalists and the
Kelowna Mayor’s Environmental Awards, as well as the provincial environment minister.
I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and began writing about it with a series about the degradation of the
Coquitlam River for the Columbian Daily Newspaper in 1973 (in which I interviewed Bill Otway, perhaps
a familiar name to my fellow members...)
Mickey Wright
I am an Environmental Consultant and Taxidermist. I
enjoy hunting, fishing, scuba diving and boating. I
prefer using traditional equipment such as longbows
and split bamboo fly rods. I started my outdoor
journey as a youngster in the woods and mountains of
New York State and continue this journey now
throughout the world. I am passing the journey on to
my children as well. Until a few years ago most of my
writing has been in the children's genre. I am hoping
that my experience writing for children will allow me
to write to that audience and motivate them to spend
more time enjoying the outdoors.
David Chong
David Chong is one of Canada’s most successful and well-known
tournament anglers who has been featured in many major magazines
and is also a freelance writer/photographer who contributes to several
publications. He is one of the organizers and a lecturer on the very
popular Bass Talk seminar circuit. Throughout the off-season David
makes numerous appearances and speaks at various Outdoor, Boat and
Sportsman Shows. Though his schedule is extremely busy he still
manages to find time to organize and host the highly successful “Catch a
Dream!” Kids Fishing Derby for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of York!
17
Hendrik Breuer
Hendrik joined the OWC in 2006 shortly after moving
to Toronto from Germany.
Currently, he is taking journalism classes at George
Brown College and works as free-lance outdoor and
travel writer. Hendrik’s main interests are fly fishing,
canoeing, hiking, and related outdoor activities, which
he pursues in Southern Ontario as well as in farther
destinations all over North America.
Hendrik mainly writes in German for European
outdoor magazines such as Fliegenfischen, the largest
German fly fishing magazine, and the travel sections of newspapers including Tages-Anzeiger
(Switzerland), Berliner Morgenpost and Welt am Sonntag (Germany). He has been published in Eastern
Fly Fishing and has an article forthcoming in Northwest Fly Fishing.
Hendrik hopes to continue to travel Canada and the United States with a focus on writing feature stories
for North American and Europen outdoor magazines.
18
Outdoor Writers of Canada
Annual Communications Awards
Award Winners 2008
NEWSPAPER COLUMN
1st Robert Scammell
Title: The Courts Have it All Wrong
Publication: The Red Deer Advocate
2nd Robert Scammell
Title: Deer Holocaust Can’t Work
Publication: The Red Deer Advocate
3rd Ken Bailey
Title: The Bear Necessities
Publication: Grain News
MAGAZINE COLUMN
1st Gord Ellis
Title: Trout in Turmoil
Publication: Ontario Out of Doors
2nd Don Meredith
Title: No Child Inside
Publication: Alberta Outdoorsmen
3rd Gord Pyzer
Title: The Japanese Invasion
Publication: Outdoor Canada
NEWSPAPER FEATURE
1st John Kaplanis
Title: Tracking the Wolf
Publication: Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal
2nd John Kaplanis
Title: Bears at Eye Level
Publication: Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal
3rd Gord Ellis
Title: On The Trail of Wild Mushrooms
Publication: Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal
19
MAGAZINE FEATURE “OTHER”
1st James Smedley
Title: Wabakimi Experience: Closing a Family Paddling Chapter
Publication: Kanawa Magazine
2nd Duane Radford
Title: Andy Russell: Canada’s Conservation Icon
Publication: Outdoor Edge Magazine
3rd James Smedley
Title: Honing Skills and Hooking Steelhead
Publication: Lake Superior Angler
MAGAZINE FEATURE FISHING
1st Ken Bailey
Title: Confessions of a George River Junkie
Publication: Outdoor Canada Magazine
2nd James Smedley
Title: Don’t Blame the Walleye
Publication: Ontario Out of Doors
3rd Bob Sexton
Title: Making History in Mexico
Publication: Outdoor Canada
MAGAZINE FEATURE HUNTING
1st T.J. Schwanky
Title: Quite a First Day
Publication: Western Sportsman
2nd Al Voth
Title: Coyote School: Missed Shots are OK
Publication: The Varmint Hunter Magazine
3rd Jeff Helsdon
Title: A Sneaky Approach
Publication: Ontario Out of Doors
PHOTOGRAPHY
1st James Smedley
Title: Winter Walleye
Publication: Ontario Out of Doors
2nd TJ Schwanky
Title: Bugles in the High Country
Publication: Alberta Outdoorsmen
20
3rd James Smedley
Title: Smiling Walleye Boy
Publication: Canadian Sportsfishing Industry Association
DUCKS UNLIMITED WETLANDS APPRECIATION
1 st T.J. Schwanky
Title: Wetland Safari
Publication: Alberta Outdoorsman
2nd Don MacLean
Title: Wetlands and Trout
Publication: Cape Breton Post
3rd Ron Montgomery
Title: DUC Committed to Science and Education
Publication: MacLeod Gazette
THE BROCK MACRITCHIE AWARD
1st Don Meredith
Title: No Child Inside
Publication: Alberta Outdoorsmen
2nd Gord Ellis
Title: A Great Day Afield
Publication: Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal
3rd James Smedley
Title: Family Fishing at Lodge 88/The Family That Fishes Together…
Publication: The Sault Star
BOOKS
1st Betty Pratt-Johnson
Title: 151 Dives in the Protected Waters of British Columbia and Washington State
Publisher: Betty Pratt-Johnson/Adventure Publishing
2nd Len Rich
Title: Memoirs of a Fly Fisher
Publisher: Jesperson Publishing
3rd Dennis Reid
Title: Maximum Salmon
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
21
Presentation of CSIA National
Fishing Week Writers Award on
behalf of the CSIA Judging Committee
The Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association’s National Fishing Week Writers Award comes
along every year at this time while you are probably in the middle of writing about this year’s
National Fishing Week. The awards about to be presented today say, "What you're doing right
NOW for this year is important. So please finish it!” You could be next year’s winner and reap the
financial rewards and recognition.
The theme for this year and for 2009, the 10th anniversary of National Fishing Week, is “Catch a
Memory – Take someone special fishing!” We hope that all the members of the Outdoor Writers
of Canada will share some of their old photos and write about their nostalgic moments while
encouraging the creation of new fishing memories.
This year’s winners were chosen based on the quality of the writing and the clarity of the
message. In keeping with the basic requirement that the piece promotes the benefits of sport
fishing in Canada and/or National Fishing Week, the submissions by the winners reflect
excellence in these areas. Choosing the winners was made difficult by the many very well written
articles CSIA received from OWC members.
The winning articles cover a range of positive messages about fishing: the simplest outdoor
activity for a family, the value of a lifetime of fond memories, and the recognition that fishing is a
life-long sport.
THIRD PLACE - “TAKE A KID FISHING”, BY LEN RICH
Len’s article reminds us that fishing is the ultimate tool for teaching a child about natural
resources and conservation. The best way to do this is to keep things simple and enjoy the
moments. Len also reminds us that National Fishing Week is a special time to introduce a child to
this “life sport” – enjoyment from childhood to old age. What other sport can boast that?
SECOND PLACE – “HOW TO GET HOOKED ON A LIFETIME OF FOND MEMORIES” BY PETER WOOD
Most of you in this room know how fishing is the catalyst to lifelong friendships and treasured
memories. Peter shares his memories by taking you on a journey with some of his friends. He
skillfully recreates in the reader’s mind his fond memories – it makes you just want to be there as
his friend! He encourages everyone to take a special friend fishing and create more “Fish On”
time together.
22
FIRST PLACE – “FAMILY FISHING IS CHILD’S PLAY” BY GORD ELLIS
In this article, Gord simply breaks down the steps to help a family successfully enjoy
fishing From using the KISS principle, to introducing the Tackleshare program, to
capturing those special moments, to safety and license issues, his formula ensures
that every kid should and can try fishing. After all, it’s healthier than playing video-
games. This article was well written, concise and to the point. We found it very well
deserving of the first place award.
"I'm really pleased and honoured to win this award. Family fishing, and the
promotion of fishing among youth, is something I strongly believe in. I'd not
be doing what I do if my parents hadn't introduced me to angling at an early
age. The fact the fishing industry is so strongly behind getting families
outdoors is a real sign of leadership on this issue. Getting kids outdoors is not
only important for the fishing industry, it is critical to our waters and
environment. We need more young people to experience the outdoors, and to
see firsthand why it's worth saving. I'd like to acknowledge the editorial
team at Ontario Out of Doors, particularly Matt Nicholls and John Kerr, and
publisher Alison de Groot, for making the sharing of family fishing
experiences a priority at the magazine."
The CSIA Judging Committee wants to thank everyone who submitted articles and the OWC for
their participation on behalf of promoting fishing across Canada. They look forward to seeing
your old photos and the “you should have been there” moments that you will be writing about in
the future.
Now it’s your turn to Catch a Memory and Take someone special fishing now and during National
Fishing Week. Will you be next year’s winners?
23
National Fishing Week TV Commercial - Watch it on You Tube and on TV stations across the country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Nj3BEttuc
24
Canada’s 2009
Recreational Fisheries Awards
The Recreational Fisheries Awards Program was created in 1989 by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)
to honour individuals and organizations that have contributed to the conservation, restoration or
enhancement of Canada's recreational fisheries and fish habitat through activities such as community
leadership, restoring and enhancing fisheries and fish habitat, and the promotion of conservation and
sustainable recreational fishing.
During the past 19 years, individuals and organizations have been recognized from coast to coast for
their outstanding contributions to the nation’s recreational fisheries. Information on some of the
previous award winners, and a brief description of their work, can be found at http://www.dfo-
mpo.gc.ca/rfa-ppr/recipients-laureats_e.htm.
DFO invites you to help honour those individuals and organizations that uphold these ideals. If you know
of an individual or organization that deserves recognition, please consider nominating them for Canada’s
2009 Recreational Fisheries Awards. Nominees must meet the following criteria:
• be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident
• not be affiliated with the government of Canada
• have undertaken a fishery-related activity or project in Canada that has made an outstanding
contribution in areas such as recreational community leadership, restoring and enhancing
fisheries and fish habitat or promoting conservation and sustainable recreational fishing. These
activities and projects must be separate from those undertaken by government organizations and
employees
Any individual, group, business or association is eligible to receive the award and can be nominated at
any time during the year by an individual or organization, and a co-sponsor. Details about the
nomination process can be found at: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/rfa-ppr/process-processus_e.htm. For
additional information, please contact the Recreational Fisheries Awards program at (613) 990-0091.
Completed nomination forms can be emailed: XNCRAwards@dfo-mpo.gc.ca, faxed: (613) 954-1407 or
mailed:
Canada’s Recreational Fisheries Awards
Resource Management – National Programs
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
200 Kent Street 13SO29
Ottawa, ON K1A 0E6
Thank you for assisting in making Canada’s 2009 Recreational Fisheries Awards a success. Nominations
received after August 1st will be considered for the following year’s Recreational Fisheries Awards.
25
The Business of Communicating
“One-Time Serial Rights in English”
How to Write a
Fish and Game Recipe Column
by Duane Radford
I’m only aware of a handful of writers who pen a regular fish and wild game
recipe or outdoor cooking column in Canadian publications so perhaps
there’s a market for one in your neck of the woods.
I’ve been writing a monthly recipe column in Sports Scene Publications Ltd. Alberta Outdoorsmen
magazine since it was launched in April, 1999 and now have more than 100 recipes under my belt – my
first recipe was “Tasty Trout.” I was a bit apprehensive about this assignment when the publisher, Rob
Miskosky, first approached me and must admit I’ve faced many challenges over the years.
Miskosky had earlier asked me to write some columns on the care, handling and cooking of fish and wild
game but those were my only real qualifications. And I enjoy cooking. Plus my wife, Adrienne, had dozens
of cookbooks from around the world to resource for recipes that could be adapted for fish, wild fowl and
game. This was back in the days when the internet was still in its infancy. As the story goes, the rest is
history and my column, From the Field to the Table – Fish and Wild Game recipes was spawned.
I’ve since parlayed 84 of my recipes into a
2007 award winning cookbook: From the
Field to the Table – Fish and Wild Game,
Volume I, Sports Scene Publications Ltd.
(2006), (http://www.albertaoutdoorsmen.ca/ao-
gear-can.html) which is now in its third
printing and still selling well.
Today it’s an easier task coming up with
recipes because the internet is an unending
source, although cookbooks, as well as
newspapers and magazines, are still very
reliable and popular sources.
One thing I’ve discovered is that not all
recipes are genuine – some are bogus so
keep your guard up and learn to recognize errors whatever your source might be. Common mistakes in
recipes centre on cooking temperatures and times, ratios of various ingredients in marinades, overloaded
ingredient lists or incompatible ingredients, inflated quantities of wine and beef/chicken broth, and the
26
like. And remember, wild fowl and game are lean compared with beef and pork so care must be taken not
to overcook game birds and venison. “Fish”, on the other hand, are basically “fish” and there’s usually no
special care necessary in this regard, except for some farmed products.
The key to writing a recipe column is to get ahead of the game – fast – and bank some recipes that fit the
various seasons well ahead of time. You want BBQ recipes in the summer, for example. This is much
easier to do nowadays as compared with when I first started because digital cameras have revolutionized
photo support requirements. When I began writing recipes, I used film and until the roll was shot you
couldn’t move a recipe – now, you can take a digital photo of a recipe, check it out on the LCD screen (re-
shoot it if necessary), download it on your hard drive and you’re in business because the recipe is in the
bag.
Photos are fundamentally important to a good recipe column, and especially so for cookbooks. Get up
close and personal when shooting the final dish for pleasing results.
I use my judgment regarding which recipes might be
suitable for fish and wild game which only comes with
experience. I test all of my recipes at least once, some
several times, to get them right. Of late, I’ve received
many recipes from chefs, relatives, friends and
acquaintances that I’ve worked into my column. I still use
cookbooks as a primary source for ideas, with the
internet a close second. I have some favorite cookbooks
and internet sites.
It’s important to provide a list of all the ingredients in
bullet form under an “ingredients” list, and then provide
simple, easy steps on how to prepare the recipe. I always
suggest side dishes, salads, breads, perhaps beverages
and wines to round off my column – I find this helps
readers get off on the right foot and takes a bit of the
guess work out of a full meal deal. Some people simply
don’t have much knowledge or experience about cooking
so I like to keep things simple. I’m pleased when my fans
rave about recipes such as a Caesar salad dressing, for
example, so it’s not just about cooking fish and wild game.
Product availability isn’t really an issue for me because I
both hunt and fish but don’t be discouraged if you’re not a hunter or don’t fish either. My guess is that
with a little persuasion you’ll be able to obtain whatever you need for a recipe column. It’s all part of the
sport to share in the catch and harvest of wild game; most anglers and hunters will not hesitate to
provide you with some of their fish and game bounty.
While fish and wild game recipe columns might be a niche market don’t underestimate their popularity
and potential earning power – secondly, with the greening of society my guess is they will continue to
grow in popularity in the future, as a trend to eat lots of fish and venison is well underway.
27
iCopyright
by Don H. Meredith
If you post content on the World Wide Web, either through online
magazines, web sites or blogs, you should be interested in a new
service that Access Copyright is investigating. It’s called iCopyright
(www.icopyright.com) and it just could provide you with some
additional revenue. The Washington State company has been
around since 1998 helping publishers and other corporations (e.g.,
Toronto Star, Associated Press, Reuters) protect their copyrights and collect licence fees for use of their
work. Recently, it has launched a beta version of a new free service for web content providers, and Access
Copyright is considering recommending the service to its members.
The system is designed to simplify the licensing process and protect both the content creator and
licensee. Copyright holders register an account on the iCopyright web site
(http://creators.icopyright.com/signup.html) and select licence services to offer customers. These could
be certain free uses, such as printing single copies of a posted article for personal use; or paid services,
such as making classroom sets of articles or distributing the article in a newsletter. You then place a
copyright notice on the articles or pieces you wish to protect, which includes an iCopyright logo and a
link to your account on their web site. Viewers click on the link and are offered the services. If payment is
involved, then you have a choice of offering PayPal or having the customer mail you a cheque or money
order. iCopyright does not see the money. They plan to make their money from advertisements on the
service web site.
I’ve registered with iCopyright and it was painless. There are still a few bugs that need to be worked out,
including some flexibility in what services to offer, but I’m sure that will come. If you are interested, give
them a try. If you register and then decide not to use the service until improvements are made, you just
don’t put the links on your material. However, registering early can ensure you are able to protect the
name you use in the link to your iCopyright account.
Did you know?
Did you know that there are several internet news services that
keep outdoor communicators up to date on industry news?
Subscribing is a simple matter of sending them an e-mail and
asking to get on their list. While much of the news is U.S. based,
there are enough tidbits to give you plenty of story ideas. Here
are a few you may want to check out:
https://www.nssf.org/BP/subscribe/index.asp
http://www.theoutdoorwire.com:80/
http://www.shootingwire.com:80/subscribe_shooting.php
http://www.thefishingwire.com:80/subscribe.html
28
Competition Judges
Toil Away in Obscurity
By Shirley Teasdale
Now that the 2008 OWC Communications Awards program has been put
to bed, I am fulfilling an undertaking I made to our judges. In the past
couple of years, judges have asked if I am able to provide feedback to
the entrants so that writers may benefit by some objective criticism,
consequently upgrading their skills. Our judges are a group who toil
away in obscurity, but without whom we’d have no program. Their
credentials range from newspaper and magazine editors to highly qualified professional writers. We
are also fortunate to have five members of the Editors Association of Canada on the team. All of them
can provide valuable advice. This story is in response to their request to provide feedback, and what
follows is a précis of some of their comments and advice.
As we all know, the lead is probably the most important part of your story. If you don’t grab the
reader up front the valuable prose that follows is very often irrelevant. Many judges stressed how
important the lead is. Note what one judge, who has judged in both newspaper and magazine
categories, said:
“There were a couple of good leads but generally, this group, like last year’s, seems to have difficulty
with leads. They need to know what a good lead is and how important it is to pulling a reader into a
story. When it comes to the way I judge, five points out of 20 in the first judging criteria goes
towards the lead. What a writer gets out of five points for the lead can mean the difference between
winning this category, or ranking second or lower when two or more articles are running neck and
neck.”
One judge commented that writers fall down on the simplest things. “I look at the submissions as an
editor of a magazine and reflect how much work I would have to do to bring the submissions up to
standard for publication—the more work, the lower the mark awarded. I don’t know any of the
writers, but from four years of judging I now recognize the writing and can almost predict the same
mistakes. For example, one writer perennially leaves verbs out of sentences. I’m not such a stickler
as to say that every sentence needs a verb but if the practice is over-used it begins to grate.”
Perhaps these are harsh words, but maybe we can learn from them.
Writing style also came in for some criticism. As one judge said, “I would really love to see writers
focus on writing clear, comprehensible sentences. It is not always that the grammar is wrong, but
that it is not pleasing. In several cases I docked considerable marks for simply un-pleasing sentences.
Sometimes the sentences were fragmented. Sometimes the sentences were long, rambling affairs
with far too much use of semi-colons, colons, and other punctuation. The writers get so tangled up in
their long sentences that then, in fact, they do make grammatical errors that are difficult to find and
29
fix. True, in Chaucer’s time, sentences were an average of 80 to 82 words long, but in this decade, the
average is eight words per sentence. Writers aren’t doing their readers any favours by throwing
convoluted language at them. Simple, clear language is so valuable! I cringed on behalf of the editors
who had to put some of the stories into shape for publishing.”
Again, tough words, but the same judge had some good things to say too. For example, she gave the
story that took first place in the Magazine Feature Other category a mark of 99 out of 100, saying, “…a
wonderful story that kept me reading and left me with a warm afterglow…beautifully written,
organized, expressed, and polished. I will remember that story for a long time.”
At the other end of the scale, a story about ice fishing brought these comments: “I loved the story,”
said the judge, “but felt that the sentence structure wasn’t polished enough to make a clear and easy
read. Frankly, it was hard slogging. The language was like the snow the writer describes—deep and
hard to navigate. The writer was clearly a talented verbal storyteller, but in writing should work
harder on proper sentence structure for ease of reading.”
That editor also criticized another story for too much repetition. “I liked the article topic very much
but would have loved more meat to it and that could have been done with the same word count if it
had not been so repetitive.”
Comments from the same judge included a plea for more commas in one story, which, he said, would
have made a better experience for the reader. Another story was criticized for unclear writing and
not being focused on the reader’s experience because of lots of name-dropping and in-jokes, even
though the topic was of interest.
Another story lacked, well, writing, as the judge put it. “It was mostly verbatim quotes. I felt the
writer could have done a much better job with transitions, introduction, and conclusion.”
A story with a scientific base rated fairly highly with judges. However, one said that they believed the
writer could write even more compelling stories in the future by interspersing scientific details with
dramatic spice and narrative sentences. “The writer began just beautifully—could they carry that
energy through the article next time?” asked the judge.
Ending on a more positive note, a story entitled “My Brother’s House” gained kudos from one judge.
He said: “It was well written and very personal. The piece featured plenty of great description,
which provided some powerful imagery. Most of all, it was a good story with a real twist, a narrative
told in an understated fashion. The punch line had a powerful impact.”
So there we have it. Feedback directly from the judges. All of these critiques are designed to assist
our writers in polishing their craft, and were not intended to be disparaging. Hopefully, we can all
learn from them.
- end –
30
31
Market News
Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS)
Red Willow Outdoors is seeking Alberta photographers for photos to use for marketing the Alberta
Professional Outfitters Society. Wildlife photos of species hunted in Alberta for non- resident hunters
needed (no grizzly bear, turkey or goat). Use photos in marketing programs developed by Red Willow
throughout the year and in the annual outfitters directory produced in December.
For more information or submissions please contact:
Laurette LaPlante
1028 10th Ave SE
High River, AB T1V 1L3
ph: 403-601-2334
email: redwillowoutdoors@shaw.ca
Great Lakes Angler
Great Lakes Angler would like to receive some queries on hot fishing holes in the Canadian waters of the
Great Lakes for 2009. All of the lakes (well, other than Lake Michigan) could use some Canadian
contributions, even Lake St. Clair. We're looking for 600-word "port of calls" that focus on one port,
talking about the fishing as well as amenities such as places to launch and dock the boat, nice places for
anglers to stay and good, fisherman-type restaurants. These pay $150 with a small assortment of
supporting photos that show something unique about the port and a fish caught there. We accept
manuscript packages from first time writers on specification--we don't change our mind about the topic,
only if the contribution didn't meet our requirements.
Send queries to Editor Dave Mull at editor@glangler.com
Did you know?
Did you know that non-profit groups have communication personnel that post
regular news about the outdoors on their websites? Many also send out regular
e-mails about important outdoor issues. Check out the news section on their
website often or get on their e-mail list and you’ll receive a wealth of story ideas.
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, http://www.ofah.org/
Contact: Lezie Goodwin, lezlie_goodwin@ofah.org
Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association, http://csia.ca/
Contact: Tina Deutsch, tina@catchfishing.com
Alberta Fish and Game Association, http://www.afga.org/
Contact: Sandie Buwalda, communications@afga.org
Safari Club International, http://www.safariclub.org/
Contact: Nelson Freeman, Nfreeman@sci-dc.org
32
Corporate News
WFN: World Fishing Network
Casts Annual Adopt an Angler Contest
WFN to award a grand prize of a fully rigged
Stratos 176XT boat to a “deprived angler”
TORONTO, June 11, 2008 – WFN: World Fishing Network and Insight Sports announced today the
details of the channel’s annual Adopt an Angler promotion. Set to launch on Thursday, June 12,
WFN’s Adopt an Angler contest will award a grand prize of a fully rigged Stratos 176XT boat, valued
at $15,000, to a “deprived angler”.
Canadian anglers are encouraged to enter the Adopt an Angler contest by submitting a demonstrative
video, or a photo and written description, to www.wfn.tv/adopt to illustrate why they suffer from
“D.A.D. – Deprived Angler Disorder” and need to be “adopted” by the channel.
“D.A.D. – Deprived Angler Disorder” is a term created by WFN to help identify those individuals who
need the most help in improving their fishing performance. Some of the more common symptoms of
D.A.D. include:
1. Empty Net Syndrome
2. Tired Fishing Equipment
3. Poor Hand Eye Coordination
4. Floatation Malfunction
5. Casting Elbow
6. Impoverished Tackle Box
7. Scavenger Impulse Phenomenon
8. Fishing Challenged
9. Worm-O-Phobia
10. Urban-itis
All contest submissions can be viewed and voted on by visiting www.wfn.tv/adopt.
The three Adopt an Angler submissions which receive the highest number of online votes as of July
31, 2008 will each be awarded a $250 gift card to a fishing retailer of their choice along with a WFN
prize pack. Following the contest deadline, a select panel of WFN judges will choose the grand prize
winner.
The Adopt an Angler contest was created in 2007 as a fun and engaging way to help anglers achieve a
greater amount of fishing success. Among the cable providers who are partners of WFN’s Adopt An
Angler promotion are Access Communications, Amtelecom, Cogeco Cable, CRTV, EastLink, Mountain
33
Cablevision, Persona, Rogers PersonalTV, Shaw Cable, Source Cable, Westman Communications and
YourLink.
About WFN: World Fishing Network
Get hooked on the only channel dedicated 24-hours a day, seven days a week to every single aspect of
fishing. WFN provides a daily escape for North America’s 50 million recreational and sport fishing
enthusiasts with an entertaining and comprehensive line-up that covers a wide range of
programming including Canadian and American angling, saltwater and freshwater fishing,
professional competitions, expert advice, international tournaments, travel destinations and
conservation. WFN’s programming schedule features some of fishing’s most popular anglers and
personalities including Al Lindner, Roland Martin, Scott Martin, Babe Winkleman, Flip Pallot, George
Poveromo and Bob Izumi. Get hooked on-line at www.wfn.tv.
About Insight Sports Ltd.
Insight Sports Ltd. is a leading North American sports media and entertainment company which
owns, creates, aggregates and distributes sports and entertainment content across multiple
platforms, including broadcast television, events, on-line, mobile, in-arena and video on-demand.
Among its traditional media assets, Insight Sports operates three specialty television networks:
GolTV Canada (www.goltv.ca), a 24-hour soccer network; WFN: World Fishing Network
(www.wfn.tv), North America's only network devoted entirely to fishing, and; GameTV
(www.igametv.com). The company also owns Aquila Productions Inc., a leader in sports television
and event production, and holds a significant interest in the NHL Network (www.nhlnetwork.ca), a
24-hour hockey channel.
Among its event assets, Insight Sports owns and operates the Grand Slam of Curling
(www.worldcurlingtour.com), a series of eight high-profile men’s and women’s events that feature
Canada’s deepest and strongest curling fields, and Major League Gaming Canada
(www.mlgcanada.com), an affiliate of Major League Gaming, Inc., and the largest organized league
and international sanctioning body for professional video gaming.
Among its other businesses, Insight Sports is the exclusive sponsorship agency of the Buffalo Bills’
eight-game NFL series at Rogers Centre in Toronto (www.billsintoronto.com) and also manages
Wayne Gretzky’s official website, www.gretzky.com.
Based in Toronto, the principal shareholders of Insight Sports include Larry Tanenbaum (Kilmer
Enterprises Inc., a subsidiary of Kilmer Van Nostrand Co. Limited) and MWI & Partners. For more
information see www.insightsports.com.
For further information contact:
Eric Michalko
Communications Manager
Insight Sports Ltd.
Phone: 416.593.0915, ext. 253
Cell: 647.669.0900
Email: emichalko@insightsports.com
34
WFN: World Fishing Network
Sarnia to Host Inaugural Canadian
Open of Fishing
TORONTO – Insight Sports and WFN: World Fishing Network announced today that Sarnia,
Ont. will host the inaugural Canadian Open of Fishing from July 25-27.
As part of the new format of the 2008 WFN Tour Bass Championships, the Canadian Open of
Fishing will be the exclusive event of WFN’s summer tournament schedule. The focus on one
major competitive fishing event provides the industry with a marquee weekend to showcase the
sport in 2008.
The Canadian Open of Fishing will include top professional anglers including Bob Izumi, Wayne
Izumi, Dave Mercer and J.P. DeRose and as well as many international competitors from the
United States and Japan.
The Canadian Open of Fishing remains open to both amateurs and professionals. Amateurs will
battle for a variety of fishing related prizes, while professionals will compete exclusively for prize
money. Coverage of the Canadian Open of Fishing will be broadcast on WFN.
A complete overview of the updated event, purse and registration information for the 2008 WFN
Tour Bass Championships is available at www.wfn.tv/2008basstour.
About Insight Sports Ltd.
Insight Sports Ltd. is a leading sports media and entertainment company which creates and
distributes sports and entertainment content across multiple platforms, including broadcast
television, events, on-line, mobile, in-arena and video on-demand. In addition to WFN: World
Fishing Network in the U.S. and Canada, Insight Sports also operates GolTV, a 24-hour soccer
channel and GameTV. The company also holds a significant interest in the NHL Network, a 24-
hour hockey channel. Principal shareholders in Insight Sports are Larry Tanenbaum (Kilmer
Enterprises, Inc.) and MWI Partners. For more information see www.insightsports.com.
For further information contact:
Eric Michalko
Communications Manager
Insight Sports Ltd.
Phone: 416.593.0915, ext. 253
Cell: 647.669.0900
Email: emichalko@insightsports.com
35
A proud tradition since 1948
Canadian National Sportsmen’s Shows is a non-profit Corporation and the largest producer of boat,
fishing, sportsmen’s, ski and outdoor shows in Canada. Through its family of shows, the Corporation
raises funds to ensure that generations of young Canadians can benefit from Canada’s outdoors. Since the
first show held in 1948, more than $30,000,000 has been committed to these causes.
2008/9 SHOW/EVENT CALENDAR
www.sportshows.ca
Show/Event Date Facility
• Great Ontario Salmon Derby July 5 - Aug. 23, 2008 Lake Ontario, Canada
^ OFSC Go Snowmobiling Show Sept. 26 - 28, 2008 Toronto Congress Centre
♣ Toronto Ski, Snowboard & Travel Show Oct. 16 - 19, 2008 Better Living Centre
Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON
♥ Toronto Motorcycle Show Dec. 12 - 14, 2008 Metro Toronto, Convention Centre,
South Bldg.
Toronto, ON
♠ Calgary Motorcycle Show Jan. 9 - 11, 2009 Roundup Centre, Stampede Park,
Calgary, AB
♠ Edmonton Motorcycle Show Jan. 16 - 18, 2009 Northlands, Agricom
Edmonton, AB
4 Vancouver International Motorcycle Show Jan. 22 - 25, 2009 Tradex, Abbotsford, BC
♠ Calgary Boat & Sportsmen’s Show Feb. 12 - 15, 2009 Roundup Centre, Stampede Park,
Calgary, AB
* Ottawa Boat & Sportsmen’s Show Feb. 26 - Mar. 1, 2009 Lansdowne Park, Ottawa, ON
36
♦ Salon EXPERT CHASSE, PÊCHE Feb 26 - Mar. 1, 2009 Place Bonaventure,
et Camping de Montréal Montréal, QC
Montréal Hunting, Fishing & Camping Show
♠ Edmonton Boat & Sportsmen’s Show Mar. 12 - 15, 2009 Northlands, Agricom,
Edmonton, AB
♣ Toronto Sportsmen’s Show Mar. 18 – 22, 2009 Direct Energy Centre
Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON
♦ Salon EXPERT, CHASSE, PÊCHE Mar. 12 - 15, 2009 Centre de Foires,
et Camping de Québec City Québec City, QC
Québec City Hunting, Fishing & Camping Show
♣ Harley Austin ♥ Darryl Bond * Heather Macrae ^ Denise Hayward
• Walter Oster ♦ Luce Beland ♠ Laurie Paetz 4 Nanette Jacques
CORPORATE OFFICE MONTREAL OFFICE CALGARY OFFICE VANCOUVER OFFICE
30 Village Centre Place, 330-8150 Metropolitain Blvd.East, 340, 1032 -17th Avenue S.W. #800-15355 24th Avenue, Ste 178
Mississauga, ON L4Z1V9 Anjou, QU H1K 1A1 Calgary, AB T2T 0A5 Surrey, BC V4A 2H9
Tel: (905)361-2677 Tel: (514) 866-5409 Tel: (403) 245-9008 Tel: 604-535-7584
Fax: (905)361-2679 Fax: (514) 866-4092 Fax: (403) 245-5100 Fax: 604-535-1463
1-888-695-2677 1-866-704-4412 1-800-663-8815
Canadian National Sportsmen’s Shows (1989) Limited (Schedule subject to change – April 21, 2008) Replaces all others.
The first Canadian National Sportsmen's Show took place in Toronto in 1948. A group of sporting
enthusiasts under the leadership of world-famous outdoorsman, author and dedicated conservationist,
Frank Kortright, were responsible for an event that would eventually evolve into the Toronto
Sportsmen's Show. He saw the approaching environmental crisis and resolved to do something about it,
long before it became a worldwide issue. Kortright devoted the latter part of his life, his full attention
and abundant energies toward the cause of protecting wild animals of the fields, the forests, the waters
and the skies. In so doing, he created for all Canadians a legacy that will be appreciated by many
generations to come.
Canadian National Sportsmen's Shows grew from Frank Kortright's vision. Today, it is a non-profit
corporation and Canada's largest producer of outdoor events. In addition to the Toronto Sportsmen's
Show, Canadian National Sportsmen's Shows produce the Toronto Ski, Snowboard & Travel Show and
shows in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. The company also
produces the Great Ontario Salmon Derby.
For more than 50 years, Canadian National Sportsmen's Shows have helped protect Canada's outdoors
with grants exceeding $30 million. We distributed these funds in the form of grants to organizations
and institutions including the Ringwood Fish Culture Station, Association de Conservation de la Vallee
du Gouffre, Orillia Perch Festival, Camp Winston, Kid's Fishing Days, Credit Valley Conservation
Foundation, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the Ontario Snow Resorts Association, Friends of Toronto
Parks & Trees, the Credit River Anglers' Association, Parkview Hatchery, Project C.A.N.O.E., and Alberta
Hunter Education Instructors' Association.
37
News Release
BASS PRO SHOPS TO OPEN 3rd CANADIAN STORE AS SIGNATURE ANCHOR AT LAC
MIRABEL
Montreal, Canada—April 1, 2008--Bass Pro Shops, ranked the #1 Outdoor Retailer in America by
Sporting Goods Business Magazine, today announced that it is continuing its retail growth with the
opening of an outdoor superstore at Lac Mirabel. The store is scheduled to open in fall 2009. Lac Mirabel
is a joint development between Gordon Group Holdings, LLC and Morgan Stanley Real Estate.
The approximately 150,000 square foot store will be the signature anchor for the state-of-the-art 1.4-
million square foot Lac Mirabel retail entertainment complex located along Highway 15 outside Montreal.
“With the project now well under way, many leading retailers, like Bass Pro Shops, are considering Lac
Mirabel as one of North America's most unique retail shopping environments,” commented Sheldon
Gordon, Chairman of Gordon Group Holdings. “We are excited to welcome Bass Pro Shops to Lac Mirabel-
-they are a retail experience like no other and their addition will attract many other world class retailers
and shoppers from around the world.”
In January of 2008 Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris was recognized as the “Innovator of the Year”
by the National Retail Federation for the companies unique store concepts and designs.
Unique exterior and interior motifs have branded Bass Pro Shops as visually appealing, high quality
outdoor stores. The outdoors is brought indoors with massive log and rock work, large aquariums and
water features stocked with native fish species, along with an extensive collection of museum quality fish
and wildlife exhibits, historic photos, artifacts, and memorabilia. They also feature free outdoor skills
workshops for adults, kids, and families, as well as conservation education.
“Canada has long been known for its great sporting tradition and outdoor heritage and this opportunity
at LacMirabel allows us to further extend our destination retail stores as well as our full line-up of
Tracker boats into this tremendous outdoor market,” said Bass Pro Shops President Jim Hagale. “This
store will be designed and themed as a tribute to the Canadian outdoors and a celebration of the sporting
men and women of the region.”
The Lac Mirabel store will offer outdoor enthusiasts 3 acres of shopping excitement with the area’s
largest selection of equipment and clothing for hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, backpacking, wildlife
viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more. A gift and nature center will also serve up a wide variety of
outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture.
38
An expansive boat showroom will feature Tracker, Nitro, SunTracker, Grizzly, and Tahoe boats built by
Tracker Marine Group--the world’s largest manufacturer of fishing boats. A boat service center will also
be available.
“Bass Pro Shops is a trend-setting, major destination retailer whom we are very pleased to be associated
with at Lac Mirabel,” said Mark Bratt of Morgan Stanley Real Estate. “With its Vaughn, Ontario location
serving as one of Bass Pro Shops’ top performing stores, we look forward to the impact its anchor
presence will have on both retailers and visitors alike as we continue to move ahead to develop Lac
Mirabel as one of Canada’s most distinctive attractions for shopping and entertainment.”
Bass Pro Shops retail stores are rated as top tourist destinations. Over 90 million people visit their stores
annually. Their stores are the top tourist attractions in Maryland, North Carolina, and Missouri.
Bass Pro Shops, known for hiring associates that have a passion for the outdoors, is expected to employ
approximately 300 people at Lac Mirabel, many of whom will come from the local region. Employment
information is available in the career opportunities section of www.basspro.com.
39
News Release
BASS PRO SHOPS CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY IN ROCKY VIEW
Rocky View, Alberta - May 22, 2008 – Construction is underway on the new Bass Pro Shops 150,000
square foot outdoor superstore in the new CrossIron Mills being developed by Ivanhoe Cambridge. The
development is located just north of Calgary in the Municipal District of Rocky View at the intersection of
Queen Elizabeth Highway II and Highway #566. This will be Bass Pro Shops 57th store and is tentatively
scheduled to open in June 2009.
Bass Pro Shops, named the #1 outdoor retailer in America by Sporting Goods Business Magazine, is
known for combining retail with entertainment, conservation and outdoor education. In January of 2008
Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris was recognized as the “Retail Innovator of the Year” by the
National Retail Federation for the companies unique store concepts and designs.
“Bass Pro Shops is a dynamic outdoor retailer that will significantly enhance the retail and entertainment
offering in the western Canadian marketplace and we welcome them to CrossIron Mills,” commented
René Tremblay, president and chief executive officer of Ivanhoe Cambridge.
Bass Pro Shops first Canadian store is located at Vaughan Mills
another Ivanhoe Cambridge destination located in Toronto,
Ontario.
“We look forward to becoming a part of the greater Calgary
community and the Alberta region,” stated Bass Pro Shops
President Jim Hagale. “This highly visible and accessible location
will enable us to better serve our many customers and all
outdoor enthusiasts that visit and live in this beautiful area of
Canada.”
Starting with just eight feet of retail space in a small store in
Springfield, Missouri back in 1971, Bass Pro Shops began by offering a selection of the latest gear from
the fledgling bass tournament fishing trail. Today, the name Bass Pro Shops is world renowned.
Bass Pro Shops stores are much more than just retail stores. The sights and sounds of the outdoors are
brought indoors through museum-quality wildlife dioramas, huge murals and chandeliers depicting
outdoor scenes, massive log and rock work, waterfalls, and other water features, and aquariums stocked
with native fish species. The attention to the finest detail from wildlife tracks in the concrete, to wildlife
carvings on logs and rafters is what helps add to the uniqueness of a Bass Pro Shops store.
A local theme can be felt throughout all Bass Pro Shops stores with use of artifacts and memorabilia from
the area as well as historic photos of local outdoor enthusiast that pay tribute to the great outdoor
40
heritage of the region. Laser galleries, climbing walls, archery ranges, and more add to the family
entertainment.
The Rocky View store will be themed to reflect Alberta’s world class river systems, the Central Flyway
waterfowl migration area, rolling prairies, Alberta’s Badlands, and of course the Rocky Mountains. Huge
murals and museum quality wildlife dioramas will feature moose, mountain lions, elk, black bears, grizzly
bears, mule deer, whitetail deer, goats, sheep, and pronghorn. The stores aquarium will be stocked with
numerous native fish species.
The store will also include an expansive boat showroom featuring a complete selection of Tracker, Nitro,
Grizzly and Tahoe boats as well as SunTracker pontoons built by Tracker Marine Group- the world’s
largest manufacturer of fishing boats.
Known as a very conservation-minded company, Bass Pro Shops provides major support to national and
local organizations for their conservation projects and has received more awards for their conservation
efforts than any other outdoor retailer in America.
Outdoor education is also a key component to Bass Pro Shops strong commitment to our natural
resources and the sportsmen and sportswomen who enjoy them. Weekly free outdoor skills workshops
are offered at all stores for kids, women, novice adults and families. It is also not unusual to see various
groups, including Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, as well as school and church groups, and others on
field trips to Bass Pro Shops stores to learn about the great outdoors in the comfort of the great indoors
of Bass Pro Shops.
More than just a fishing and hunting store, Bass Pro Shops will also offer equipment and clothing for
hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more. A gift and nature center will
also serve up a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and
furniture.
Known for their great customer service, Bass Pro Shops is expected to hire approximately 300 passionate
outdoor enthusiasts from the area. Employment information is available in the career opportunity’s
section of www.basspro.com.
About Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops, an international catalog and internet retailer, is also America’s most popular outdoor
store, offering shoppers the largest selection of quality outdoor gear, clothing and accessories from top
industry names and at value prices.
Bass Pro Shops retail stores are rated high as tourist-destination picks. Almost 100 million people visit
the stores annually. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pro Shops currently has 49 retail
locations in 26 states and Canada. In addition, Bass Pro Shops, also provides products and services for
thousands of independent dealers world wide through its subsidiary company, American Rod & Gun. For
more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit
www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO.
Contact Larry Whiteley, 417-873-5022.
Email: lwhiteley@basspro.com. Website www.basspro.com
41
NEWS RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT
Ann Walden (316) 219-7535
awalden@coleman.com
COLEMAN CANADA OFFERS NEW DEVICE TO FACILITATE DIVERSION,
RECYCLING OF NON-REFILLABLE PROPANE CYLINDERS
New Green Key Tool Is First Step in Making Empties Recyclable
WICHITA, Kan. (June 4, 2008) – Rolling off the production line this spring is the patent-pending Coleman® Green
Key® tool, the first step in facilitating the recycling of used single-trip, non-refillable propane cylinders.
The ubiquitous green cylinders are familiar to campers all over North America and to almost anyone else who has
used a portable, propane-powered cooking, heating or lighting device outside. However, unlike
their large bulk tank cousins, these small single-trip cylinders are not refillable,
and when disposed of, most have found their way to landfill waste sites. With the
Green Key tool, Coleman Canada, a Division of Sunbeam Corporation (Canada) Ltd., provides
consumers with the opportunity to assist in the recycling of every cylinder.
In Canada sealed propane cylinders are classified as a hazardous waste, no matter how much or
how little fuel they contain. However, after the user has purged a cylinder by using it on an
appliance until the fuel supply is exhausted, and after a Green Key tool is inserted into the cylinder
valve, the interior of the cylinder is permanently opened to the atmosphere and – after a short period of time –
there is no longer any pressure or flammable vapour remaining.
“By educating consumers, parks, municipalities and the recycling industry, we want to make the
Green Key tool an easily recognized symbol that a propane cylinder is open, has no propane left in it and, therefore,
provides the opportunity for it to be transported, handled and recycled as scrap metal,” said Darrell Neugebauer,
Coleman’s director of burning appliances and fuels.
Expanding Recycling Programs for More Waste Diversion
Because cylinders without Green Key tools are hazardous waste, municipalities will require the ability to separate
vented cylinders from other cylinders before they can accept them in curbside collection. Until these concerns are
42
addressed, municipalities may use other methods of collection that will allow them to divert vented cylinders for
immediate sale so that they can benefit from their value as scrap metal.
Green Key Canada – ADD ONE
Coleman is offering technical and other assistance to municipalities in Canada to assist them in developing
curbside collection programs that will accept the vented cylinders.
“Coleman and other manufacturers combined produce millions of single-trip propane cylinders annually, creating a
tremendous opportunity for a new source of recycled steel,” Neugebauer said. “With the Green Key tool, we hope
that propane cylinder recycling eventually will become as routine as steel can recycling. In the meantime,
consumers may be interested to know that Coleman’s propane cylinders – like many other steel products on the
market today – are made with an average minimum of 25 percent recycled content.”
Beginning in June 2008, the Green Key tool will be packaged inside the cap of most Coleman-branded propane
cylinders and soon after will be available at select sporting goods and camping equipment retailers in Canada.
Cylinders with the Green Key tool included will be clearly marked, so consumers will know which propane
cylinders come with the tool. The Green Key tools also will be sold separately, in packages of six. Consumers can
find participating retailers at www.colemancanada.ca.
For more information, see the separate Green Key Tool Q&A Fact Sheet.
Coleman® and Green Key® are registered trademarks of The Coleman Company, Inc.
As an international leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, The Coleman Company, Inc., helps people
have fun and make memories by providing the gear integral to their favorite outdoor experiences. The company’s products
include its legendary lanterns and stoves, as well as coolers, tents, sleeping bags, airbeds, backpacks, furniture, and grills under
its Coleman®, Exponent® and Campingaz® brands. The company also provides flotation devices, towables, rainwear, waders,
hunting and fishing gear, and safety and survival equipment under its Stearns®, Sevylor®, Sospenders®, Hodgman®, Nevin®,
Helium® and Mad Dog Gear® brands. Founded in 1900 and based in Wichita, Kan., Coleman is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Jarden Corporation and can be found online at www.coleman.com. Consumers in Canada can call 800-387-6161 or contact us
online at www.colemancanada.ca/contactus. Note to Media: News releases and images are available upon request or can be
downloaded at www.coleman.com/newsroom.
Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. Jarden operates in three
primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®,
Bicycle®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, First Alert®, Forster®, Hoyle®, Java Log®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Leslie-Locke®, Loew-
Cornell® and Pine Mountain®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Harmony®, Health o meter®, Holmes®,
Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain™; and Outdoor Solutions: Abu
Garcia®, Berkley®, Campingaz®, Coleman®, Fenwick®, Gulp®, JT®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Rawlings®,
Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, and Volkl®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden has over 25,000 employees
worldwide. For more information, please visit www.jarden.com.
43
Q&A FACT SHEET (Canada)
Coleman® Green Key® Tool
for Disposal of Non-Refillable Propane Cylinders
The Green Key® tool is a simple plastic device that, when inserted
into an empty non-refillable Coleman® propane cylinder, will open
the cylinder to the atmosphere, rendering the cylinder depressurized,
so it no longer contains flammable material and can be diverted from
the waste stream.
After insertion into an empty propane cylinder, the
Green Key® tool is permanently locked into the top of the cylinder
and becomes a visible indicator that the cylinder no longer requires
the special handling associated with hazardous waste.
Why is the Green Key® tool necessary?
After all fuel is exhausted from a cylinder in use on an appliance, less than 1 gram of fuel remains. The Coleman® Green
Key® tool allows this small amount of fuel to dissipate into the atmosphere, so that the cylinder can be diverted, recycled
or otherwise handled outside the hazardous waste stream.
How does the Green Key® tool work?
The Green Key® tool is manually inserted into the outlet valve of the empty cylinder, opening it to the atmosphere so that
all pressure and vapour is released. The following warning and instructions will be on Coleman® propane cylinder labels
produced as of June 2008, and can be found online at www.colemancanada.ca/recycle.
WARNING: The Coleman® Green Key® tool must be used on an empty propane cylinder in a clear
and open outdoor area. Keep away from open flames or other sources of ignition, tents, buildings
and other structures. Failure to follow all instructions and warnings could result in fire, burns,
property damage, serious injury or death.
INSTRUCTIONS: Ensure the cylinder is empty by operating with an appliance until the flame is
extinguished. Use the appliance cylinder probe (fig. 1) to push the tool from the cap. Place empty
cylinder upright onto level outdoor surface and push tool into valve (fig. 2). Allow two minutes before
recycling or disposal. Do not reinstall black cap on propane cylinder. Recycle cap separately. When
the cylinder is empty, use of the Green Key® tool is unlikely to produce the sound or smell of vapor. If
the cylinder warms, you may hear or smell vapor escaping for a brief moment.
The Green Key® tool is permanently locked into the top of the cylinder and indicates the cylinder is
empty, depressurized and ready for proper disposal or steel recycling.
– more –
44
PAGE 2 – GREEN KEY® TOOL Q&A (CANADA)hat if the Green Key® tool falls off the cylinder?
After proper insertion, the tool will be permanently locked into the cylinder valve. If it comes out, it was not inserted
properly, and should be inserted again, following the instructions on the label.
What if the tool is accidentally inserted into a non-empty cylinder?
The propane will be released into the surrounding air at a controlled rate, with a full cylinder becoming empty after
approximately 45 minutes. That is why it is important that a propane cylinder be used with a propane appliance first
to ensure it is empty before inserting the Green Key® tool. It is also why the Coleman label says to use the tool in a clear
and open outdoor area, away from open flames or other sources of ignition, tents, buildings and other structures.
Can an empty propane cylinder be thrown into the trash?
In Canada, any non-refillable propane cylinder that remains sealed (has not been vented with a Green Key® tool) is
considered to be hazardous waste, whether it contains fuel or not. All non-vented cylinders must be disposed of using the
available hazardous waste facilities.
Municipalities may choose to accept cylinders vented with Green Key® tools in their recycling programs, or may collect
them by other means and divert them for sale as scrap metal.
Can a vented (empty and open) propane cylinder be recycled?
A cylinder with a Green Key® tool inserted in the valve can be considered to be scrap metal. However, because most
municipalities do not yet have the ability to segregate vented cylinders from sealed cylinders, they may not accept them in
their blue box programs at this time. All municipalities have the objective of diverting used cylinders from the landfill
stream and may use other methods to collect the cylinders with Green Key® tools and recover the value of the scrap metal.
Coleman Canada, a Division of Sunbeam Corporation (Canada) Ltd., is cooperating with municipalities to facilitate the
collection of vented cylinders in curbside programs. Coleman Canada also is working with the scrap metal industry by
providing technical information and data to assist in the diversion of the maximum number of empty cylinders from
landfill to recovery and recycling.
When and where will the Green Key® tool be available?
Coleman will begin supplying the new Coleman® propane cylinders with the Green Key® tools in the caps in June 2008. By
late July or early August, these new cylinders will be available on the shelves of select Canadian retailers. Propane cylinders
with Green Key® tools will be clearly labeled for easy identification. For existing cylinders, consumers will be able to
purchase Green Key® tools separately. For participating retailers, go to www.colemancanada.ca.
What does it cost?
The Green Key® tool will come with every Coleman® propane cylinder at no additional cost. Purchased separately, the
Green Key® tools come in packages of six at a nominal retail price.
Why is Coleman doing this?
As a result of its long association with the outdoors, Coleman shares the passion of today’s outdoor enthusiasts to be
responsible stewards of the environment, to keep the outdoors great for future generations. Like many other steel
products, Coleman’s non-refillable propane cylinders already are made with an average minimum 25 percent recycled
content. The Green Key® tool is just one example of the efforts Coleman is making to reduce carbon emissions, improve
its processes and practice the three R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle – in order to minimize waste and conserve our natural
resources.
Coleman® and Green Key® are registered trademarks of The Coleman Company, Inc.
For more information, images or any other media assistance, send e-mail to
newsroom@coleman.com or call (316) 219-7537.
45
46