2007 Achievement Awards Luncheon Great Success

By Don Goodwin

The 2007 Sports Media Canada Achievement Awards presentation luncheon sponsored by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment was a great success. Planning is already underway for the 13th edition of Sports Media Canada Achievement Awrds with the 2008 presentation luncheon tentatively scheduled for October 16, 2008.

Again this year Awards recognizing outstanding Canadian sports writing, sports broadcasting and sports photography were presented during the 12th Annual affair in the Ballroom of the Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto.

Achievement Awards recognizing a body of work (career accomplishment) in Canadian sports journalism were presented to Christie Blatchford, groundbreaking sportswriter and columnist and veteran TV sports director, producer and executive Ron Harrison. The 2007 Magna International Canadian Sports Executive of the Year Award went to Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo.
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An outstanding student in post-secondary studies of Sports Journalism, who received a $2000 bursary to aid the completion of her studies was Leila Boyadjian, in her final year at Ryerson.

Three former notable members of the sports journalism profession in Canada were recognized posthumously and added to the growing Sports Media Canada Honour Roll which now numbers 61. They were hockey broadcaster Bill Hewitt who, with Foster Hewitt named to the Honour Roll a few years ago, becomes the first father-son team in the Honour Roll; writer and columnist Rick Fraser and Windsor Star Sports Editor Jack Dulmage.

The 2007 ‘craft’ awards went to Michael Farber of Montreal, who writes for Sports Illustrated for Outstanding Sportswriting; Dan Shulman of Toronto who has become a lead broadcasterr for ESPN covering major league baseball, college basketball and now NBA basketball for Outstanding Sports Broadcasting and Bernard Brault of Montreal for Outstanding Sports Photography.