Hall of Fame
The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) is proud to recognize and celebrate individuals who have made exemplary contributions to Ontario’s community newspapers through our Hall of Fame. Inductees will be respected community news professionals who have remained passionate about the industry throughout challenges, opportunities and changes. They will be leaders who have helped community newspapers adapt and grow.
Joanne first walked into the Oshawa This Week newsroom 39 years ago as an intern. One month later, she was hired as a reporter, and five years into her career, she was appointed Community Editor. Ever since then her passion for the newspaper industry...
Art, born in Sudbury in 1912, was a newspaper publisher, editor and innovator. In 1920, while working at a newspaper in North Bay, the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression hit. After being laid off, he sold his Model T for the price of a new...
Jim Cumming was born with ink flowing through his veins. His father, grandfather and grandmother all worked in the newspaper industry, from Ontario through to Saskatchewan. Sure enough, Jim followed in the footsteps of his relatives.
Rick's long career and love for the newspaper industry began in 1967, after answering an ad he spotted in the Globe and Mail looking for a reporter at the Gore Bay Recorder on Manitoulin Island. When asked if he could type, Rick replied 'yes' and...
Jean (nee Bier) Morrison was an integral, active and admired leader in the community newspaper business for many years. Born in New Hamburg, she was a teacher by trade. After graduating from the University of Western, she taught mathematics at Napanee...
Born in 1885, Rixon lived to become recognized as a pioneer in weekly newspapers, despite losing his eyesight as a youth. With an intense love of journalism, and a degree from Queen's University, he purchased a weekly newspaper, the Arthur Enterprise...
Rick Shaver started his newspaper career in 1978 after graduating from St. Lawrence College in Cornwall. His first seven years were spent in sales with daily papers in Cornwall, Kirkland Lake and Brampton. In 1985 he opened the Cornwall Seaway News...
Donald George (Gummer) Spearman worked in the community newspaper industry in Ontario for approximately 45 years. Born and raised in Dresden, he was hired in 1939, at the age of 17, as a reporter for the Dresden News, where he was eventually promoted...
A long-time newspaperman, Charlie was most recognized for his weekly editorials. He usually wrote three per issue! And they explored all topics and included everything from municipal matters to medieval engineering. He worked for the London Free Press...