I have to say it’s pretty cool that I won a writing award.
For reference, I’ve put in nearly 10 years of service as a journalist for Black Press, and the North Island hospital closures (that are still unfortunately going on to this day) were definitely some of the most challenging, and controversial, news stories that I’ve ever had to cover during my tenure here.
To put things into perspective really quick for you, residents were outraged about the closures, local politicians were stuck in the middle trying to mediate the situation as it spiralled out of control, and Island Health and its employees were all angry too.
One side was blaming Island Health and demanding the organization take ownership for the closures, whereas Island Health responded in kind by saying they simply just don’t have enough doctors and nurses to keep the hospitals open 24/7. There were all kinds of brazen allegations being thrown around, and I quickly found out that social media was being used as a weapon (I have an immense dislike for social media, but that’s another column for another day).
As someone who takes pride in being a journalist, my goal whenever I cover news is to show both sides of the issue at hand and leave my opinion completely out of it. Journalism to me is all about giving the people exactly what they want; facts, numbers, and relevant quotes. When this is done properly, the public can just review all of the information that’s been presented and make their own mind up about what’s going on.
Generally, I find the truth always lands somewhere in the middle when it comes to controversial issues, and both sides are always deserving of the right to have their say.
Anyways, that’s enough about the hospital closures from me. I’ll just add that it was nice to be recognized for putting my neck on the line covering tough, thought-provoking content.
If you’re wondering, I didn’t attend the awards ceremony in person. My good friend Marc Kitteringham from the Campbell River Mirror accepted the award on my behalf (Marc was there because he was nominated for his own Ma Murray award, and he graciously agreed to help me out).
I didn’t go to the awards primarily because I didn’t want to spend my weekend travelling to North Vancouver, but also because they were being given out on the same night as the Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia boxing PPV, and there was zero chance I was going to be missing that fight.
Dazn put on a great show, all the undercard fights were exciting and the main event really delivered. Garcia ended up knocking down Haney numerous times over 12 rounds to win a unanimous decision (Garcia missed weight so Haney is still the WBC 140 lb champ).
I really think boxing has a legitimate star in Garcia. He’s got a huge personality to go along with his devastating left hook, and with the win over Haney now firmly in his grasp, he’s right back in the mix after a tough tko loss in 2023 to the hard-hitting Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
I can’t wait to see what’s next for him. I’m expecting Garcia will soon be announcing a move up to 147 lbs, but nothing in boxing is ever a certainty.
Tyson Whitney is an award-winning journalist who was born and raised in Port Hardy. His family has lived in Port Hardy for more than 40 years. He graduated with a degree in writing from Vancouver Island University in 2008. Email: editor@northislandgazette.com