CBC Quebec wins 9 RTDNA regional journalism awards

CBC Quebec has been recognized for excellence in the work done by our journalists in 2021, picking up nine RTDNA awards in the large market category for the Central Canada region.

Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Canada represents broadcast and digital journalists and news managers in the country, and these awards honour the best journalists, programs, stations and news gathering organizations in radio, television and digital media.

Overall Excellence in Digital

CBC in Quebec was recognized for Overall Excellence in Digital for demonstrating excellence throughout the year to enhance digital storytelling for the audience. CBC's website and our social channels were recognized for compelling journalism told through innovative visual design and functionality.

Among the pieces recognized are:

• Saving Chinatown
• How Canada's vaccines make it from the factory to your arm
• Black Changemakers
• How sports and recreation facilities are unequally spread across Montreal
• Out of the Dark series: VIDEO: 'There's just a gap'

Excellence in Social

CBC Montreal's Out of the Dark project examined the impact of COVID-19 and public health measures on Quebecers age 15 to 30 through long and short form videos on social platforms including Instagram, Youtube and Facebook. 

The social project was a centerpiece of an initiative by CBC Montreal in 2021 aimed at connecting directly with young adults on how they were coping, from the gap created in their lives, the loss of rights of passage, and isolation. 

Myriam Tremblay-Sher, Melinda Dalton, Holly Cabrera, Rowan Kennedy, Pierre Mainville, Luc Robida, Eric Carbonneau, Louis-Marie Philidor contributed to the project.

Here is a selection of other pieces from the series:

• There's just a gap
• Alone, together
• Being, essential
• Small steps: How do you know when to reach out for help
• Small steps: Racialized burden

Excellence in Data Storytelling

In the context of the Montreal municipal election campaign, the CBC Montreal journalists Benjamin Shingler and Leah Hendry and data journalist Roberto Rocha delved into sports and recreation facilities across the city.

They found that higher-income boroughs had better access to public facilities in their report:

• How sports and recreation facilities are unequally spread across Montreal

Enterprise

In the multiplatform Enterprise category, CBC Montreal's digital video Saving Chinatown was honoured.

The video was part of a long-form storytelling project created by Melinda Dalton, Holly Cabrera, Eric Carbonneau, Dave St-Amant, Charles Contant, Jean-Claude Taliana, Amy Husser, Andrew McManus, Dwight Friesen and CBC News Labs. 

WATCH | Could Montreal's Chinatown disappear? 

Could Montreal’s Chinatown disappear?

1 year ago

Duration 5:34

Advocates warn that the historic neighbourhood is nearing a tipping point, where it may not be able to persevere in the face of encroaching development and looming gentrification.

Feature News

CBC journalist Verity Stevenson won for her look at the challenges migrant workers face on a Quebec farm in her long-form piece, Troubled Harvest. Photos were taken by Charles Contant.

• Troubled Harvest, How Canadian temporary worker programs are failing migrants on farms across Quebec

Best podcast

CBC Quebec's podcast won for the episode Telling Our Twisted Histories: Episode 2: School.

The episode was created by Carrie Haber, Ossie Michelin, Kaniehti:io Horn, Sophie-Claude Miller, Kim O'Bomsawin, Francine Allaire, Elodie Pollet and Benoit Dâme.

LISTEN | Take a listen to the episode here: 

23:19SCHOOL

For over 150 years, Indian Residential Schools were one of the primary means by which the government assimilated us in order to “kill the Indian in the child.” These compulsory SCHOOLS shattered our families, our languages, and our cultures. This great pain was passed down from generation to generation and impacts our communities to this day. Together, we will decolonize the word SCHOOL and share our truths about learning. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society has created a helpline for residential school survivors and can be reached at 1-866-925-4419. If you are a survivor and you need to talk, please call.

You can listen to more episodes from the podcast on the CBC Listen page.

Excellence in Editing

Journalist Jennifer Yoon won in the audio category for Excellence in Editing for her story, Montreal taxi driver retires after six decades on the road, which was broadcast on CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

LISTEN | You can listen to Jennifer's story here:

How Canada's vaccines get from the factory to your arm

2 years ago

Duration 3:55

Behind the scenes, there's a complicated system that ensures vaccines leaving a foreign factory are safely administered here.

Video Graphics

CBC Montreal journalists won for How Canada's vaccines make it from the factory to your arm.

The video and digital story were created by Melinda Dalton, Verity Stevenson, Charles Contant and Steven Silcox.

WATCH | Go behind the scenes to follow how a vaccine gets to you:

The Wounds of Bill 21

9 months ago

Duration 5:39

CBC Montreal's Sudha Krishnan speaks with teacher Amrit Kaur about the impact of Bill 21 on her career, following a fiery exchange over Quebec's secularism law during the federal leaders' debate.

Video Opinion

CBC Montreal's Sudha Krishnan's interview with teacher Amrit Kaur was recognized in the category of Video Opinion.

WATCH | Watch the video, Wounds of Bill 21, here:

The regional winners go on to the national competition, and the national winners will be announced at an event in June.